A nasty hit during Saturday’s NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers led to Damontae Kazee being ejected and Michael Pittman Jr. exiting the game with a concussion. Debate ensued over whether the officials made the right decision to remove the defensive back from the game.
On one end, it was a violent collision directly to the head of Pittman. On the other end, Pittman was hung out to dry by Gardner Minshew and launched himself into the line of fire.
There is an argument to be made for both sides.
Regardless of whether it was right or wrong to throw Kazee out, it was a very scary moment. Fortunately, the Colts wide receiver was somehow able to walk away from the hit under his own power.
Here is how it looked in real time:
By all accounts, at full speed, the hit was dirty. Kazee not only should have been ejected from the game, but the NFL should have issued a suspension.
HOWEVER —
Another angle might tell a different story. Pittman had already laid out to try and make a catch on the overthrown pass from Minshew. Kazee came flying in to prevent the catch from being made.
He turned his body to avoid helmet-to-helmet contact. His left shoulder was the perpetrator.
NFL players have been ejected for far less. Removing Kazee from the game was likely the correct call.
With that being said, it is entirely fair to ask what he could have done differently.
Kazee did not lead with his head. Nor did he launch himself at Pittman.
For such a nasty hit, there was not much else that Kazee could have done except for not laying the hit at all. Perhaps that would have been the better move. Pittman was entirely defenseless.