Eric Smith will be back with the Jets on Sunday after serving his one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Anquan Boldin. He's not through talking about the decision to suspend and fine him $50,000 for the incident, though.
Smith feels that the NFL was using him as the poster boy for bad behavior and is upset that he was handled differently than other players punished for illegal hits.
"I tried to tell them that my intention wasn't to hit him like that, but they told me intent wasn't looked at," said Smith, whose salary is $445,000. "But if intent isn't involved, then why isn't every fine the same?"
It's a fair question. Julius Peppers was only fined 10K for a hit on Matt Ryan earlier this season but, then, Ryan, unlike Boldin, wasn't laid out for several minutes on the field and hasn't missed a game. If intent doesn't matter to the league, the result of the hit shouldn't matter either.
I understand the NFL's desire to eliminate tacklers leading with their helmets and don't think doing so turns football into a "pansy game." They've got to get their act together when it comes to penalizing these and other incidents, though. Players don't have a clue why they are being fined, the fine amounts are pulled out of mid-air and all too often these plays aren't even penalized on the field of play. That's no way to run a league and not a way to prove you're serious about enacting a change in the way the game is played.
While he was Sorting the Sunday Pile this morning, Ryan Wilson touched on the murky waters that the NFL's rules governing helmet-to-helmet hits call home. Adrian Wilson of the Cardinals probably will be fined for his hit on Trent Edwards yesterday but he's unlikely to be suspended for the infraction. That's a pretty stark departure from the course set a week earlier when Eric Smith of the Jets picked up a suspension to go with his fine for whacking Wilson's teammate Anquan Boldin in the head.
The Jets announced today that Smith is appealing the suspension and I think he's got a strong case. Watching the play, it was clear that Smith's intent wasn't to hit Boldin in the head and the collision resulted from the receiver pinballing off of Kerry Rhodes into Smith. That's not to say Wilson intended to hurt Edwards, I don't think so, or even that his blow to the head was any more accidental than Smith's.
If Boldin hadn't been hurt, though, would the suspension have come down from Roger Goodell's office? We'll see. If the league's reaction to Wilson's hit and the handful of others that seem to happen each and every week is the same as Smith's, then he's got very little to complain about. But Smith shouldn't be singled out for the ugly scene that his hit caused, Boldin was immobilized and spitting blood, while others get lesser penalties for the same offense.
Specifically, on a pass play on Sunday, Smith engaged in helmet-to-helmet contact with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who was in a defenseless position at the time contact was made.
The suspension will sideline Smith for the Jets' game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 12 following the Jets bye on Oct. 5. The $50,000 fine includes the game check Smith will forfeit for the week of his suspension.
That's a pretty good start. But frankly, as I mentioned earlier, there was absolutely no need for this hit. So seeing Smith walk away with just a one game fine when it could easily be longer than that until Boldin plays again seems a little unfair.
In fact, that kind of gives me the idea that maybe, in the event of a clear cut intentional (in my opinion) helmet-to-helmets like this, Roger Goodell should just start suspending the violator for the length of the injury sustained by the other party. I bet it would cut down on the number of times defenders led with their helmets at anyone else's head.
Eric Smith destroyed Anquan Boldin in yesterday's Cardinals/Jets game to the point that Boldin had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. It was a cheap shot -- helmet to helmet, natch -- which you will see if you wait for the replay to slow down.
The problems with this hit are astounding. First of all, what the hell was Ken Wisenhunt thinking here, having Boldin in during a blowout? More importantly though, what the hell was Smith thinking, throwing a helmet-to-helmet shot on Boldin during a blowout? It was a completely unnecessary injury and unfortunate that it had to happen.
On the bright side, Boldin is "alert" and moving his extremities, but still, totally unnecessary on a number of counts.
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
This week I sat down with Brian Bassett of The Jets Blog, an independent column that covers the New York Jets.
Dan Benton: "The Bills, Brian? The Buffalo Bills? What in the world happened to the Jets on Sunday?"
Brian Bassett: "Oy! Don't get me started. I did say that you shouldn't overlook any games, but fans had to feel good about their teams' chance going into last week to square their record. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the whole game, but the offense had to bear most of the burden ... being unable to score more than 20 points against a team that had a number of key contributors off the field is very frustrating as a fan."
Could Brady's shoulder really be barking, or is that just another one of Bill Belichick's mind games? You'd think the media would be all over that story if it was anything significant, but the buzz around Brady's shoulder has been quiet.
Although he's listed as questionable, Thomas Jones is expected to start against New England today. That's great news for the Jets, who will need a solid rushing attack this afternoon. Unfortunately, the news in the secondary isn't as promising. Even if Dyson, Miller and Smith play, they will not be 100%.
Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.
Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.
If you notice anyone missing on this injury report, I encourage you to let me know. Leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail and I will promptly update the report. Again, this is strictly for the fans (see: yours truly) who want to know what players will be on the field tonight.
Problems in the Jets secondary were compacted today when second-year safety Eric Smith slipped on the wet grass and went down with what appears to be a serious knee injury. He was unable to walk under his own power and eventually had to be carted off the field.
Smith, who played in 15 games last season, had just returned this morning after missing snaps yesterday due to a knee injury. Unfortunately, no specific details have been given and it's just a waiting game at the moment. However, head coach Eric Mangini didn't sound overly pessimistic when responding to questions about the severity.
"He will get back as soon as he can," said Mangini.
Hopefully it turns out to be minor, but based on all the reports I've read, that doesn't appear to be the case.
With Darrelle Revis holding out and Andre Dyson under-performing, the Jets secondary is in dire straits. The last thing they can afford is to lose another body out there.
Eric Smith will be back with the Jets on Sunday after serving his one-game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Anquan Boldin. He's not through talking about the decision to suspend and fine him $50,000 for the incident, though. 
Welcome to another successful installment of Five Questions with an Enemy Blogger, where each week, via email, I will be exchanging hot questions and [sometimes] answers with a rival blogger about their team and the upcoming matchup.
New England Patriots:
Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.
Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.
Problems in the Jets secondary were compacted today when second-year safety 
