Then again, no one likes to see highly paid people fail to do their job.
Football folks are taking some low blows on Broncos rookie Rahim Moore for his high hit on Bills receiver Donald Jones during their preseason game on Saturday.
Ugly, eh? Before you get all worked up, think about this: A) It was a clean, shoulder-led hit, and B) If you were in Moore’s shoes, what would you have done in that split second? You’re a rookie in the NFL and your goal is to earn a job which requires you to hit people — to hit an opponent so hard that the ball separates from their grasp.
In this specific case, the worst thing Moore could have done, as a defensive back, was to allow Jones to catch the ball. If he caught the ball — which he did — the worst thing he could have then done was allow Jones to get past him.
Fortunately for Moore, he didn’t, so kudos to him. Unfortunately for Jones — well, everything was unfortunate about that play on his end (he can partially thank his quarterback for that).
Still upset at the hit, Bills fan?
Ask yourself this: as Moore was flying through the air, attempting to hit a diving Jones, do you think that he — the laws of physics aside — even had the time to consider laying up and ducking under Jones to avoid contact after seeing the ball bounce from his opponent’s hands?
“It was just my reaction, man. I was being a football player,” Moore told The Associated Press . “I couldn’t really get to the ball to pick it off, which is what I really wanted to do. But my intention was just to hit him. Our coaches want us to be physical, so I’m going to do what I do.”
This is a fast, fatal game. If baseball is a game of inches, than football is a game of milliseconds — dangerous milliseconds. Players are trained and paid to make major hits, while the league takes that money back for said major hits. Go figure. But when said player fails to make said major hits he ends up unemployed or, if he’s lucky, coaching his old high school football team.
“If it was the wrong thing to do, I apologize, but at the end of the day, I mean no harm to nobody,” Moore explained.
It wasn’t wrong Rahiem. It wasn’t even right. It was the only thing you could have done and the one thing you’re trained to do. Luckily, Jones was feeling good enough to get up and walk off on his own power.
Keep those hits comin’ kid.
