During Sunday’s Bills-Chargers game, Bills running back Taiwan Jones took a big hit to the head without his helmet on while returning a punt out of the end zone.
Helmet-to-helmet without a helmet seems bad pic.twitter.com/0trE5N4h6G
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) September 16, 2018
According to the NFL rulebook the play should have been called dead as soon as Jones’ helmet came off.
The rule is clear. The play was dead.
The tackle was not in the open field and you could defend Nwosu as just doing his job the same way you could defend Jones on the premise it would be counterintuitive for an NFL ball carrier to stop in that circumtance.
What does seem clear is that the back judge in the video was apparently more concerned about ruling on the play and a potential safety worth two points.
Safety of the player should have been his first priority. In this case, it does not seem a whistle was enough. I don’t know who blew the whistle – or when – but the official in view does not raise his arm until the tackle of the helmetless player occurs.
Very dangerous.
Hope only laceration on head.
Helmets were developed to prevent skull fractures (not concussions). pic.twitter.com/fmQOuLde4v— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 16, 2018
Jones was forced to leave the game after he got bloodied up pretty bad.
#Bills returner Taiwan Jones just got his helmet knocked off and then got drilled in the head. Helmets are weapons. He appears to be bloody as he leaves the field but seems to be OK 🙏 pic.twitter.com/nMU8AmQka5
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) September 16, 2018
After the game, Jones showed off his head injury due to the hit without his helmet and it wasn’t pretty.
That Taiwan Jones injury looks about as bad as you'd expect it to… woof… feel better? #Bills pic.twitter.com/YZstUTGIDq
— Tom Zimmer (@TZimmer1029) September 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/didejoseph/status/1041819373969842178