Mike Mitchell Hit on Alex Smith

[CKSteeler]

Quote

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After having a chance to see the video of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Mike Mitchell's hit to the back of his knees, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith called the shot from Sunday's game between the teams "about as flagrant as it gets."

"I felt like it was extremely late," Smith said. "I felt there was nothing done there to avoid contact. It was really low from the backside. I thought it was about as flagrant as it gets when it comes to a low hit on the quarterback."

That's Alex Smith's take.

Mike Mitchell claims that he tripped while being pushed. Odd thing is he gives a hand gesture after hitting Smith like #1. Anthony Chickillo most definitely does shove him in the back on the play:

 

Mitchell could very well face a suspension over this, especially with the Chiefs pushing it. So wondering what people thought of it, with time to reflect and with an emphasis on Chickillo's shove. Short of a prearranged plan to cheap shot Smith (who was doing almost nothing this game), it seems to be inadvertent to me. Live, I thought it was 'dirty' myself. Mitchell's downward trajectory only starts after the push on his back. I've seen Mitchell throw some stupid hits. Some that were 'dirty' in my view. I'm not seeing it here myself.

[incognito_man]

Definitely is not pushed, but he might have tripped, hard to tell from that angle.

Unsure what to make of his reaction, could just as easily have been a genuine "whoops! I tripped!" reaction or a "oh ****, I shouldn't have dove at him I better look innocent" gesture.

My gut tells me it was the latter, looks intentional, but that he immediately regretted it.

[Small Town Values]

Looks like he's trying to claim a block in the back, but doesn't realise it's his own man. 

[incognito_man]

10 minutes ago, Marc MacGyver said:

Looks like he's trying to claim a block in the back, but doesn't realise it's his own man. 

this too, yep.

[jrry32]

Mitchell is a dirty player. I'm not giving him the BOTD here.

[CKSteeler]

4 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

this too, yep.

Per the rules, it's a flag. That's not the question here. You said in your previous post that he definitely was not pushed when the video in question clearly shows that, yes, he was. Unless the argument is it was some plan on Chickillo's part, I don't see how it's relevant which team the guy who shoved him played for. Physics are physics. The flag was already thrown. A guy shouldn't be suspended because he was pushed by his own teammate. And one hand on the back to a guy who doesn't expect it from an NFL LB is more than enough. Chick's hand made contact, and he suddenly topples forward.

And while I was saving it for later:

He's tripped, too.

[incognito_man]

sorry, he wasn't pushed. No way I'm buying that.

But, since you are trying to "trick" people or something, I already said it looked like he may have tripped. That looked feasible. But he definitely wasn't pushed.

[CKSteeler]

8 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

sorry, he wasn't pushed. No way I'm buying that.

But, since you are trying to "trick" people or something, I already said it looked like he may have tripped. That looked feasible. But he definitely wasn't pushed.

I guess we're just using different definitions of the word push. Because I see a LB going forward putting his hand right on his back as he starts his forward movement. Which is about all I need to see to say it isn't dirty. I mean, it would be a greater coincidence if Mitchell dove for Smith's legs right at the same time he has that happen.

[incognito_man]

2 minutes ago, CKSteeler said:

I guess we're just using different definitions of the word push. Because I see a LB going forward putting his hand right on his back as he starts his forward movement. Which is about all I need to see to say it isn't dirty. I mean, it would be a greater coincidence if Mitchell dove for Smith's legs right at the same time he has that happen.

wouldn't be a coincidence whatsoever. There is constantly contact all over the field. This clearly wasn't enough to be considered a push.

[CKSteeler]

3 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

wouldn't be a coincidence whatsoever. There is constantly contact all over the field. This clearly wasn't enough to be considered a push.

I hate to be that guy, but have you ever played football? Or a contact sport? It's actually completely enough for a guy who has no clue it's coming and given that Chickillo is leaning into it and from behind. It's far easier to throw people off balance that you suspect. The trip is just icing on the cake and shows that Chickillo's hand on Mitchell's back, as meaningless as it appears to you, was probably for him to keep his own balance while running after Smith. And a pretty natural reaction. Sort of like falling forward when you have someone of that size moving at that speed put their weight into you from behind when you aren't prepared for it and running at full speed yourself to go after a QB.

I also don't think you know what a coincidence is. Because a hand on the back and then just after you lung for a hit would be a coincidence.

[Soko]

Mitchell doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt, but it looks to me like he  tripped into Smith. Alex is rightfully upset and it’s rightfully a flag, but a dirty/malicious play that is not IMO.

[jrry32]

After watching Coach's Film, he wasn't pushed. It looked like he tripped, but it also looked like he could have avoided going low on Smith and didn't.

[incognito_man]

6 minutes ago, CKSteeler said:

I hate to be that guy, but have you ever played football? Or a contact sport? It's actually completely enough for a guy who has no clue it's coming and given that Chickillo is leaning into it and from behind. It's far easier to throw people off balance that you suspect. The trip is just icing on the cake and shows that Chickillo's hand on Mitchell's back, as meaningless as it appears to you, was probably for him to keep his own balance while running after Smith. And a pretty natural reaction. Sort of like falling forward when you have someone of that size moving at that speed put their weight into you from behind when you aren't prepared for it and running at full speed yourself to go after a QB.

I also don't think you know what a coincidence is. Because a hand on the back and then just after you lung for a hit would be a coincidence.

what is a 'sport'? Is it kinda like a video game or something? I play a lot of magic card games with my cousins, does that count? Oh, and I was pushed a lot growing up too.

[incognito_man]

Just now, jrry32 said:

After watching Coach's Film, he wasn't pushed. It looked like he tripped, but it also looked like he could have avoided going low on Smith and didn't.

this was my takeaway from the clip above, and it certainly looks like what @Marc MacGyver stated about trying to sell the small contact he felt as a block in the back. I kinda thought he might have leaned into him, so I believe that from the coaches' film it appears like he could have completely avoided Smith. Should get a suspension in that case.

[jrry32]

3 minutes ago, incognito_man said:

this was my takeaway from the clip above, and it certainly looks like what @Marc MacGyver stated about trying to sell the small contact he felt as a block in the back. I kinda thought he might have leaned into him, so I believe that from the coaches' film it appears like he could have completely avoided Smith. Should get a suspension in that case.

He sold it well, which might protect him. But it looked like as he was starting to trip that he made the decision that he was going to hit Smith. To be fair, he might have thought he could get the sack, but I think it was still avoidable.