We all saw cornerback Damarious Randall leave the Green Bay Packers’ preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Randall left with a concussion after a vicious hit from Eagles receiver Bryce Treggs.
A lot of people would say that hit was cheap. Treggs hits Randall in helmet-to-helmet style while Randall is tracking the ball carrier. It was completely unnecessary. Treggs could have blocked Randall just as effectively in any number of other ways. Instead, he lays a guy out who never even saw him coming.
It was one of two plays — the other being the hit on receiver Malachi Dupre — that Packers coach Mike McCarthy sent to the league for review.
Take a look.
When was the last time you saw an @Eagles WR make a block like @BryceTreggs ? pic.twitter.com/pllKda9rWK
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 11, 2017
Yeah, great block Brian, you dipshit.
At any rate, our own Andrew Chitko took it upon himself to go after Treggs on Twitter.
In Andrew’s words: “I didn’t see the play until a couple days after on replay and the moment I did I was enraged and shocked. Enraged at the action this player took on a Packers player and shocked that Packer Nation wasn’t more up in arms over it. The Dupre hit was cheap and nasty as well, but what Treggs did to Randall was the definition of a cheap shot to the head of a totally defenseless player. Dupre had the ball at least and expected to get hit. Randall never saw it coming making it much more dangerous. I am really surprised this hasn’t received more play in the media and by fans. I saw the play, re-watched it several times, found out who the player was and tweeted at him immediately.”
Treggs decided to respond.
https://twitter.com/achitko/status/896179276193570817
https://twitter.com/BryceTreggs/status/896183287886098432
Several hours later Andrew would apologize via Twitter for calling Treggs a punk which by his own admission was out of line, but he stood by his belief that the hit was a cheap shot. That likely would have been the end of the conversation, but when Treggs woke up this morning and posted this tweet to no one in particular, Andrew couldn’t help himself.
https://twitter.com/achitko/status/896734102870568960
https://twitter.com/achitko/status/896734320970289152
Interestingly and not surprisingly, coach Tony Franklin did not reply or come to the defense of Treggs. That might bring you to the conclusion this was not how he taught Treggs to block.
Good job calling him out Andrew. I thought both hits, on Randall and Dupre were illegal hits and said such. I put it on the players, however I also believe it is coached. I really hope MM had words with Pederson at some point during and/or after the the game.
The line by MM is usually I didn’t see the play during the game. I think both plays were easy to see on the replay if not live. I believe the coaching and medical staff including MM have fairly quick view of those replays. The medical staff would be derelict in their duty if they did not look at the replay immediately to assist in their examination. At a minimum that info had to be passed on to the head coach, if not seen by the head coach soon after.
Ten years from now Treggs will be suing the NFL over CTE. Meanwhile, on the football field, he’s actively trying to give other players concussions. The fact that Brian Baldinger lauds this as a great “block” shows that it is unfair to single out Treggs in this regard. It is endemic within the NFL. No, it isn’t coached like this at any level, but that doesn’t really matter when it is applauded instead of shunned within the locker room.
I read your comment yesterday indicating the Packers should stop scheduling the Eagles for preseason games because of three hits. I agree about not scheduling any additional preseason games with the eagles. I wonder what the reason is that you believe the Packers should not schedule the eagles? Because they have dirty players? Do you believe the Eagles have a locker room that promotes the questionable hits more than other teams the Packers may schedule? If the coaches aren’t coaching questionable hits as you indicate, then in a way aren’t they allowing it by not teaching/coaching against the questionable hits, or addressing the locker room regarding the locker room atmosphere against the questionable hits?
I respect your opinion, but coaching can be more than what you teach it can also be what you ignore or don’t address.
It is unfair to NOT single out every one of these players who can’t use appropriate judgement at game speed. Players have to have that now and if you don’t, that right should be taken away.
This is going against the grain, but it looked like Treggs hit Randalls shoulder with his helmet. So if the complaint is helmet to helmet, and i just don’t see it, then call foul. But if Treggs biggest crime was that he hit Randall and Randall didn’t see him coming, then that’s on Randall. It wasn’t like he came at him from behind.
I was more disturbed with Rollins pretending to tackle at the end. It looks like he went to the Tramon Williams school of tackling. I look at that pathetic move, and i’m thankful he didn’t injure Martinez’s ankles. That was the epitome of a candy ass tackling effort.
I’ll say this after watching the Tregg’s hit on Randall. He could have launched himself and hit Randall square in the midsection without having to come anywhere near the head or neck and would have been successful blocking because Randall never saw him coming.
Treggs was more than 3 (rule may be 2) yards outside the tackle box. Treggs made the block to the head and neck area. It is a penalty for a receiver to make that crack back block to any area below the waist or to the head or neck area. It is one of the areas of safety emphasis this year. NFL operations has a 10+ minute video on their site for 2017. A portion of the video shows almost the exact play that occurred to Randall as illegal at about the 4 and 7 min. marks. Everyone who wants to try and understand all the player safety and other rule changes this year should spend 10 minutes watching the video.
Thanks for that video info Howard. So what you are saying is Treggs should have hit Randall in the midsection in the first place.
Just as you stated midsection equals a successful block. It is text book illegal crack back block as the NFL teaches in video to teams. I think yesterday Whitt said the block was not part of the game as trained by the NFL in a press conference. I also believe Treggs admitted a few days ago to the media it was to high and he will probably be fined. In addition Treggs also said from the film he saw his helmet hit Randall in the chin, even though he was trying to go lower to the shoulder area. Treggs was probably looking at tape that had much different angles than the televised tape.
http://phi.247sports.com/Bolt/Bryce-Treggs-expects-to-get-fined-for-block-against-Packers-106156226