Bills' Micah Hyde Says Quarterbacks Should Be Fined For Helmet-to-Helmet Hits
Bills safety Micah Hyde thinks that one way to keep receivers safe should be to fine quarterbacks for helmet-to-helmet hits, according to ESPN.
"Those bang-bang plays it's tough," Hyde said to ESPN. "Start fining the quarterbacks. They're the ones who are throwing the ball right there. It's tough for us [defensive players] to be able to adjust last second to get our head to one side, the other side -- up, down. We're trying to make a play like the receiver is. It's the sport of football."
Hyde's comments come after the NFL made a change to safety rules last month on helmet shots. "It is a (15-yard) foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent." Both offensive and defensive players can be penalized.
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The safety acknowledges that the rule is helpful but can't be avoided in all situations.
"When a guy catches a ball across the middle and it's bang-bang, and he's just catching the ball and doesn't have his feet down yet, as a defensive player, I'm not going to wait for him to bring the ball in and secure it," Hyde said. "That's not realistic. In my eyes, if I'm able to hit him in his feet and all the way up to his shoulders, I'm going to try to. Obviously, the head, the head contact, you can get away from that."
"I have to make a tackle," he went on to say. "I'm not going to stand straight up because he's running straight through my chest. It's a violent game. It's a violent sport. They're trying the best they can do to make it as safe as possible, but at the end of the day, those bang-bang plays, they're hard to get out of the sport."
