R. Williams Suspended For One Game
The league suspended Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams for one game without pay late Monday for his horse-collar tackle of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb on Sunday.
Williams might appeal the suspension. If so, the appeal is to be heard by the league today. If the suspension stands, Williams would miss the Cowboys' game Saturday night at Carolina and would forfeit his $35,000 game check.
Williams had been fined a total of $27,500 for two previous horse-collar tackles this season, and the league had warned him in a letter than another infraction could bring a more severe penalty. But during Sunday's game, Williams grabbed the back of McNabb's shoulder pads and jersey from behind and dragged the quarterback down.
The league banned the tackling technique in 2005 in what widely is known as the "Roy Williams Rule." Williams had hurt wide receiver Terrell Owens, then with the Eagles and now with the Cowboys, with a horse-collar tackle late in the 2004 regular season. Owens suffered a severe ankle sprain that required surgery and was sidelined for the playoffs, but returned to play in the Super Bowl for the Eagles.
By Mark Maske |
December 18, 2007; 10:03 AM ET
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Posted by: Larry Seltzer | December 18, 2007 10:54 AM
That horsecollar rule is so stupid. The league is giving offensive players way too many advantages. That type of tackle is perfectly legal at all other levels of the game. It was only put in the NFL because a few star players got injured. I guess since chop blocks only hurt defensive linemen they're okay. Far more players have been chop blocked and injured than horsecollared and injured
Not only is it a silly rule but it's inconsistently applied. I saw two tackles last night that were clear horsecollars that weren't called. Also, it's a perfectly legal tackle within the tackle box. So it's only dangerous in certain situations?
Posted by: Omar | December 18, 2007 12:19 PM
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Why isn't Ken Hamlin being suspended for his helmet-to-helmet hit that took Eagles TE Matt Schobel out of the game early?
Or maybe they just haven't made that ruling yet. It obviously should have been a penalty at the time, but wasn't called.