Sep 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on the set of ESPN College Gameday before the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee was on the receiving end of a questionable hit from Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate in yesterday’s loss. Sean Lee was pursuing quarterback Russell Wilson when Golden Tate hit him with a blindside hit that was brutal to watch. Golden Tate went right at his jaw with the top of his helmet.
A flag was thrown on the play but surprisingly no penalty was called on that specific hit, instead a penalty was assessed to Bruce Carter for lightly shoving Russell Wilson as he went out of bounds for a 15 yard penalty. Replays showed that Wilson still had a foot im bounds as Carter shoved Wilson out.
The play by play announcers were audibly shocked and flabbergasted as they watched the events unfold. Jerry Jones said he expects that Tate will receive a fine for that play which cause Lee to briefly leave the game.
“I’m sure they will,” Jones said. “We saw the same thing you saw. That’s certainly something we know or expect penalties and fines about. They didn’t see the helmet hit or they would have called it.”
If the league is about player safety like they say they are, clearly a fine would be levied. Tate celebrated the hit and crawled on his knees before standing up and pointing at the name on the back of his jersey.
Lee said he was ok with the celebration but also included a jab of his own.
“That’s part of the deal,” Lee said. “He can celebrate all he wants. I bet you if we went head-to-head and square up he probably won’t be celebrating as much. It’s part of the deal and part of football, and hits like that happen.”
Despite a photo that seeming shows the helmet sliding under the face mask and hitting the chin he maintains he was hit in the chest.
Jerry Jones and Sean Lee aren’t the only ones upset about the hit either. DeMarcus Ware spoke out on the questionable play as well.
“It really pissed me off if you want to be honest,” Ware said. “Anybody that sort of retaliates on any of the other players on defense, offense, you sort of got to take that mentality back to them. That’s part of this game. It’s a brutal game, but we didn’t do that.”
Jason Garrett was baffled by the no call on the play and Carter instead getting the penalty.
“I didn’t get a real complete explanation,” Garrett said. “All the referee did was explain to me the penalty was in fact called at the end of the play on our guy on their sidelines. Again, that was a play in the ballgame but it probably had nothing to do with the outcome of this ballgame.”
Tate said the hit wasn’t intended to be as brutal, vicious or violent as it ended up being.
“I was just trying to hit him a little bit and get him on the ground,” Tate said.
He was asked if he thought he’d received a penalty “I wasn’t sure. I knew that I didn’t hit him in his helmet. I hit him somewhere down here . But the rules change so much that you never really know. I’m happy that it wasn’t.”
We’ll keep you up to date on the NFL’s rulings on the play and if a fine is levied.