I think it's safe to say that there aren't any Adrian Wilson jersey's hanging in Roger Goodell's office and it's probably equally safe to say that A-dub isn't Goodell's biggest fan either. The two men might talk this week though as there's already speculation that Wilson's hit on Matt Hasselbeck will lead to a fine or even a possible suspension. Hasselbeck
sure thought that the hit was questionable considering that he got up and told Wilson:
"Good hit but be expecting something in the mail."
Wilson's got a history of penalties and fines for unecessary roughness, including a fine earlier this year for a hit on Bills' QB Trent Edwards, and we all know how much Goodell is trying to crack down on hits on the quarterback. So does hit hit on Matt Hasselbeck warrent a fine or suspension? Darren Urban certainly doesn't think so:
If Adrian Wilson gets any punishment for his sack of Matt Hasselbeck, it will be an injustice based on what I saw watching the replay tonight. I watched it over and over (at least six or seven), including slow motion a couple. I never saw helmet-to-helmet contact. Hasselbeck ducked down just as Wilson was arriving on the play, which to me was the only reason Wilson was anywhere near Hasselbeck's head. Wilson ended up hitting Hasselbeck in the head with his arms as he went to wrap but again, it was because Hasselbeck ducked.
Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt addressed the possibility of punishment in his press conference this morning and he made it pretty clear that Adrian made a conscious effort to do what the NFL asked him to do (not lead with the helmet and cradle the QB to the ground). He went on to say that the team will appeal any punishment that was levied against Wilson.
"I read where Matt Hasselbeck thought there should be some fines involved," Whisenhunt said. "I have looked at it from the coaches tape, I have looked at it from (a tape from) our broadcast department, which has an excellent view of it, and with all due respect to Matt, and he is a good quarterback, I don’t see it……I know (Hasselbeck) hasn’t played in a while and he hasn’t been hit in a while, so maybe that was a little magnified to him. Maybe the speed of the game, he wasn’t used to it. … Ultimately, neither Matt nor I have a say.
did exactly what the league asked him to do (after Edwards hit). He didn’t lead with his head, he tried to cradle the quarterback coming done. I don’t see any way there should be ramifications from that." Adrian
After re-watching the hit a couple of times, I've got to agree. I don't see how Wilson could have tackled Hasselbeck without touching his helmet. He clearly ducked his head before Wilson hit him and it's not like Wilson launched himself into Hasselbeck or threw him to the ground.
Not that it should matter, but the NFL always seems to consider the health of the player who took the hit and it's possible that Hasselbeck was showing signs of a concussion after the game. He reportedly threw up after the game and seemed disoriented (the two biggest signs of a concussion) in the post game press conference.
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Wilson is arguably the most crucial member of the defense and this week is without a doubt the toughest game of the season. They'll need his ability to come down in the box and help out against the Giants power running game. So the question to you is simple, I think we can all agree that A-dub shouldn't get punished but will he? And if you think he will be punished, how severe will it be, fine or suspension?
Quick Update: Here are some sound bites of what Coach Whisenhunt had to say about Wilson's hit on Hasselbeck and what he had to say about Hasselbeck's remarks. As always, thanks to KTAR for the great audio.