The backlash is starting to grow after Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather placed a helmet-to-helmet hit on Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy. The illegal move knocked the rookie out for the remainder of the game after suffering a concussion. Meriweather also reportedly suffered a concussion, but is also being hit with hate from players and a hefty fine from the NFL.
It was originally assumed that the safety could be suspended for the hit he placed on Lacy. The safety has a history of illegal hits. As a member of the New England Patriots, Meriweather was fined $40,000 (after an appeal) for a hit against a receiver. In 2011, he was fined $20,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit and another $25,000 for unnecessary roughness. It seems he has carried the trend to the Redskins. ESPN.com reports Meriweather will be fined for the Lacy hit, but the amount has not been disclosed yet.
Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb is not too happy about the hit placed on his teammate. In an interview with Jim Rome on the CBS Sports Nework, Cobb called Meriweather a player with "an intent to hit.'
"You know I can't really say speaking for other games. I know this game he played with an intent to hit," Cobb said. "I don't know if it was so much to try to take people out but he was playing to trying to make plays for his teams and it kind of cost one of our players and himself obviously. I think you have to really play with that edge but you have to be smart about the plays you make."
Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan disagrees that the hit was illegal. The coach believed Meriweather was within the rules throughout the entire game and made all legal hits.
"To be honest with you, on the first one it looked like the running back was kind of going downhill and when Brandon went for the tackle it looked to me like it was perfect and then all of a sudden when [Lacy] ducked his head, I couldn't tell -- I didn't see the TV copy, I just saw the video -- and that's exactly where the contact was," Shanahan said."The second one on the sidelines, that's what you're supposed to do. That's a legal hit.
Lacy's status is unknown for Week 3 when the team faces the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Mike McCarthy insisted that the Packers would not be looking to replace the rookie and will continue to put Lacy through concussion tests as the week goes on.
