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Houston Texans captain Azeez Al-Shaair getting a three-game suspension has been an enormous storyline popping out of the NFL’s Week 13 slate following his hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was trying to slip.
Legendary quarterback and present Fox broadcaster Tom Brady gave his tackle the matter throughout an look on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” throughout which he admitted having “combined feelings” in regards to the hit that led to an enormous skirmish and Al-Shaair’s rapid ejection.
Lawrence was dominated out the rest of the sport for a concussion after his head whipped onto the grass.
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“I’ll begin by saying there’s combined feelings I’ve about it as properly,” Brady stated. “I bear in mind in 2001, I believe we performed at Buffalo and I slid late. Nate Clements was the nook for the Bills, and he got here up out of the secondary and completely crushed me. My helmet went flying off. I obtained again and bumped into the huddle, and I had lots of teammates that got here as much as me the following day and stated, ‘Dude, these guys are coming. You obtained to do away with that soccer. And if you happen to’re gonna slide, you higher get down. These guys are coming to get you.’
“It was an ideal sort of studying expertise for me as a result of I spotted, after I’m out of that pocket, issues are shifting loads sooner for me. The protection is attempting to be aggressive, and over time, the NFL has clearly completed lots of issues to guard gamers — gamers’ well being and security and on, and on, and on.”
One of the primary guidelines is hits to the top and neck space, which the NFL has cracked down on in latest seasons. Also, hitting the quarterback whereas he slides is one thing defenses must be cautious of every week.
TEXANS’ NICK CASERIO RIPS NFL OVER ‘UNFAIR’ TREATMENT OF AZEEZ AL-SHAAIR AFTER CONTROVERSIAL HIT, SUSPENION
In the case of Al-Shaair, the NFL deemed him within the incorrect for making his hit on Lawrence, saying in his suspension reasoning that he may’ve altered his hit within the second.
Though Brady has been on the receiving finish of such hits, he questioned if the best way the NFL has advanced, on this case with quarterbacks operating extra usually than ever within the historical past of the sport, that the offense cannot go with out blame right here.
“The solely side that I believe could be very difficult, and positively for Trevor Lawrence, no one desires to see any individual get damage,” Brady stated. “But additionally it is the truth of a really bodily sport that we play. Defensive gamers need to be aggressive — that’s their nature. I attempt to be aggressive on offense, we attempt to block aggressively. And on the similar time, the protection tries to deal with aggressively.
Dec 1, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA;Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) is held again by Houston Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o (39) after being ejected towards the Jacksonville Jaguars within the second quarter at EverBank Stadium. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)
“There’s a facet for me that I believe the quarterbacks must take higher care of themselves. I see Josh Allen run it loads, I see Lamar Jackson run it loads, and it’s an ideal ability set to have. Quite a lot of instances, I want I had that ability set. When you run, you set your self in lots of hazard. When you do this, I don’t suppose the onus of defending an offensive quarterback who’s operating must be on a defensive participant. I don’t suppose that’s actually honest to a protection.”
Brady stated he would not just like the label “soiled participant,” which has been utilized by followers towards Al-Shaair, particularly contemplating the league pointed to his previous transgressions on the soccer subject as cause for the three-game dock.
“I don’t like that one bit,” Brady stated in regards to the soiled participant label. “Maybe they tremendous or penalize a quarterback for sliding late. They say, ‘Look, if we don’t need these hits to happen, we’ve gotta penalize the offense and the protection reasonably than simply penalize the defensive participant for each single play for successful that occurs on a quarterback.’”
Brady is aware of that sport pace within the NFL will be lightning fast with decision-making needing to be made quick with the intention to execute performs on either side of the ball.
Tom Brady gave his tackle the Azeez Al-Shaair hit on Trevor Lawrence and the next suspension. (IMAGN)
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But generally these choices do not match up properly, leading to what transpired in Duval County on Sunday afternoon the place Al-Shaair’s determination to go full pace into the sliding Lawrence may have him sidelined till Week 17.
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