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Indianapolis Colts LB Gary Brackett fined $35,000 for hit on Tennessee Titans’ Ken Amato

Updated: January 7, 2011, 6:08 PM ET

NEW YORK — The NFL fined Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett $35,000 Friday for his hit on Tennessee Titans long snapper Ken Amato in last Sunday’s game.

Brackett was called for an illegal blindside block on Amato as the linebacker ran toward the Colts’ goal line and hit the long snapper from the side in springing Antoine Bethea for a return off a missed field goal. Titans coach Jeff Fisher called the hit “vicious” and said it cracked Amato’s helmet.

Brackett has now been fined three times this season for illegal hits.

The Colts practiced Friday, but there was no media availability.

Earlier this week, Brackett defended the play, saying, “I don’t think it was malicious at all. I think it was just a football play, and I still think I hit him with my shoulder first and the head was secondary.”

The NFL announced several other fines Friday:

• Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs was fined $15,000 for striking Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson in the face after a play. Suggs punched Simpson after being driven to the ground by offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth and having his helmet knocked off. Simpson was handing Suggs his helmet when he got punched. Suggs wasn’t penalized on the play.

Suggs acknowledged hitting Simpson after Sunday’s game and expressed relief that the referees didn’t see it, saying, “Lucikly, I got away with one.”

• New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork was fined $10,000 for roughing the passer on Miami’s Chad Henne, whom he drove into the ground. For the same game, Miami defensive end Paul Soliai was fined $10,000 for roughing Brian Hoyer, hitting the quarterback in the head and neck area.

• Oakland defensive lineman John Henderson was fined $7,500 for roughing Kansas City’s Matt Cassel by slamming him to the ground.

As for Brackett’s hit, the competition committee approved the blocking rule in March 2009, partially as a result of a hit Steelers receiver Hines Ward made against Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. Rivers broke his jaw on the play. It is considered illegal if the blocker hits another player in the head or neck area with the helmet, forearm or shoulder.

Filling in for his father, Bill Polian, on a weekly radio show Monday night, Colts vice president and general manager Chris Polian said he believed it was the first time the penalty had been called. He did not argue the call.

Clearly, Fisher, who serves on the competition committee, thought officials got it right.

“It was probably one of the most vicious hits that I’ve ever seen, and then to come in [Monday] morning and have the equipment guys bring his helmet to me and the helmet was cracked. You can imagine the impact,” Fisher said earlier this week.

Fisher called the hit unnecessary.

League officials have been imposing stiffer punishments for hits to the head or neck area this season. They have regularly announced fines and have threatened suspensions for habitual offenders.

But no players have yet been suspended and the Colts didn’t expect Brackett to be the first.

“I think our league is fair and equitable,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said the day after the game. “They will look at it and make a determination on what should be done and we’ll adjust to whatever that is. If we do not agree with it, we will appeal.”


Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

There is the quick update of the day.

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Glazer: Colts’ Brackett fined for hit

Senior NFL Writer Jay Glazer is one of the NFL’s top insiders. He provides breaking news, columns and video content to FOXSports.com, and he also appears on TV every week as part of the FOX NFL Sunday team. Visit Jay’s exclusive page for hot scoops and to watch his show ‘The After Party.’


Updated Jan 7, 2011 1:21 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett has been fined $35,000 for delivering a “blindside block” during Sunday’s game against the Tennesse Titans, and another unnecessary roughness call could lead to his suspension, FOXSports.com has learned.

Brackett hit Titans snapper Ken Amato, who had run down field while trying to tackle Colts safety Antoine Bethea.

Brackett has already been fined twice this season for illegal hits, according to The Associated Press.

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Colts look like contenders

Once left for dead, or at least irrelevancy, the Indianapolis Colts are a win away from being the team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Seriously, if Peyton Manning is rambling 27 yards on a naked bootleg to seal a win, there is undeniable mojo on the Colts’ side again.

The Colts, now featuring a running game just like a real NFL team, beat the Oakland Raiders 31-26 on Sunday at Oakland Coliseum in a game that clinched nothing, but meant everything in terms of momentum.

Now riding a modest three-game winning streak, the Colts can clinch the AFC South title and a playoff berth with a home win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday or a Jacksonville loss to Houston.

From my spot in front of the flat screen Sunday, the Colts look like a playoff team already. And not just because Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai appear poised to perform a sequel of their 2006 postseason two-man show.

Simply put, the strengths the Colts displayed against the Raiders – defense, running game and intelligence – are always playoff strengths.

(As if to conjure that old 2006 vibe, they even let Raiders return man Jacoby Ford pretend to be Devin Hester with a 99-yard score to open the game.)

The three areas of strength in the Colts’ latest win, all of which will be critical to potential postseason success, are:

♦Defense. This unit, hit by injuries all season, brings a certain kind of grit to the field every game now. Who could have expected that a first quarter in which the Colts denied the Raiders any offense whatsoever would include big plays by backup defensive tackle Antonio Johnson? He stepped in for Daniel Muir and brought some fury.

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis looked at peak levels on the pass rush, and you had to love how Freeney set up Raiders left tackle Jared Veldheer with repeated spins until a bull-rush sack of Jason Campbell. Mathis remains a strip-sack away from turning the game.

Gary Brackett continues to show his speed burst, and even the Colts’ weakest link, the secondary, had its moments. Antoine Bethea was shaken up for a moment, but, thankfully for Colts fans, returned to the game without obvious injury.

The Colts limited the Raiders’ second-ranked running game to 80 yards, well under its average. Credit solid, swarming tackling, much like the Colts displayed against Jacksonville a week earlier.

♦The running game. Rhodes has clearly brought contagious energy to the entire offense.

Three weeks into his third stint with the Colts, Rhodes seems reinvigorated in a way even he might not have expected. He rushed for 98 yards (5.8 per carry) in a punishing, refuse-to-be-tackled manner.

Addai, back on the field for the first time since mid-October, added 45 yards and a touchdown. His pass protection and option as a receiver can’t be overstated in diversifying the Colts offense.

Donald Brown rushed for 28 yards on six carries, but wasn’t used late. I’m not sure if he was hurt or became the odd man out with Rhodes and Addai running well. Either way, there’s suddenly depth and effectiveness in the Colts backfield.

Indianapolis rushed for 191 yards (at 4.9 yards per carry). The Colts have now put back-to-back 150-yards-or-more rushing games together for the first times since – you guessed it – 2006.

Here’s the stat of the season: The Colts are 6-0 when Manning attempts fewer than 40 passes. He was 16 of 30 for 179 yards, three scores and two interceptions against the Raiders. (That back-shoulder touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon? That was right out of the Manning-to-Marvin Harrison playbook.)

♦Intelligence. If you want an example of why veteran players – savvy veteran players – can make a difference, look no further than the final game-sealing drive.

While the Colts were trying to eat the final 1:50 after the Raiders’ only offensive touchdown, Rhodes took a handoff and slid near the sideline after five yards. He could have tried for more yards and risked going out of bounds. Instead, he kept the clock running and forced a Raiders timeout.

Then, needing a first down to seal the win, Manning faked to Rhodes and ran the naked bootleg, sliding at the 2-yard line and setting up a final kneel for the win. These two plays were clearly the result of thinking men’s football players.

As we enter the final week of the regular season, the AFC is loaded with Super Bowl-worthy teams, starting with the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts don’t look quite as formidable, thanks in large part to their season-long injury bug.

Indianapolis has been a great team the past decade during the regular season. It has not always handled the role of heavy favorite well in the postseason.

As an underdog or a long shot, the Colts seem to be more dangerous and more unpredictable. One more successful Sunday, and we’ll start to find out how far that potential edge will take them.


This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. E-mail Reggie Hayes at rhayes@news-sentinel.com and see past columns at hayes.news-sentinel.com.

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Posted in 1, Antoine Bethea, Antonio Johnson, colts-news, Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts, Joseph Addai, New England Patriots, Peyton Manning, Pierre Garcon, Pittsburgh Steelers, Robert MathisComments Off

Colts look like contenders

Once left for dead, or at least irrelevancy, the Indianapolis Colts are a win away from being the team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Seriously, if Peyton Manning is rambling 27 yards on a naked bootleg to seal a win, there is undeniable mojo on the Colts’ side again.

The Colts, now featuring a running game just like a real NFL team, beat the Oakland Raiders 31-26 on Sunday at Oakland Coliseum in a game that clinched nothing, but meant everything in terms of momentum.

Now riding a modest three-game winning streak, the Colts can clinch the AFC South title and a playoff berth with a home win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday or a Jacksonville loss to Houston.

From my spot in front of the flat screen Sunday, the Colts look like a playoff team already. And not just because Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai appear poised to perform a sequel of their 2006 postseason two-man show.

Simply put, the strengths the Colts displayed against the Raiders – defense, running game and intelligence – are always playoff strengths.

(As if to conjure that old 2006 vibe, they even let Raiders return man Jacoby Ford pretend to be Devin Hester with a 99-yard score to open the game.)

The three areas of strength in the Colts’ latest win, all of which will be critical to potential postseason success, are:

♦Defense. This unit, hit by injuries all season, brings a certain kind of grit to the field every game now. Who could have expected that a first quarter in which the Colts denied the Raiders any offense whatsoever would include big plays by backup defensive tackle Antonio Johnson? He stepped in for Daniel Muir and brought some fury.

Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis looked at peak levels on the pass rush, and you had to love how Freeney set up Raiders left tackle Jared Veldheer with repeated spins until a bull-rush sack of Jason Campbell. Mathis remains a strip-sack away from turning the game.

Gary Brackett continues to show his speed burst, and even the Colts’ weakest link, the secondary, had its moments. Antoine Bethea was shaken up for a moment, but, thankfully for Colts fans, returned to the game without obvious injury.

The Colts limited the Raiders’ second-ranked running game to 80 yards, well under its average. Credit solid, swarming tackling, much like the Colts displayed against Jacksonville a week earlier.

♦The running game. Rhodes has clearly brought contagious energy to the entire offense.

Three weeks into his third stint with the Colts, Rhodes seems reinvigorated in a way even he might not have expected. He rushed for 98 yards (5.8 per carry) in a punishing, refuse-to-be-tackled manner.

Addai, back on the field for the first time since mid-October, added 45 yards and a touchdown. His pass protection and option as a receiver can’t be overstated in diversifying the Colts offense.

Donald Brown rushed for 28 yards on six carries, but wasn’t used late. I’m not sure if he was hurt or became the odd man out with Rhodes and Addai running well. Either way, there’s suddenly depth and effectiveness in the Colts backfield.

Indianapolis rushed for 191 yards (at 4.9 yards per carry). The Colts have now put back-to-back 150-yards-or-more rushing games together for the first times since – you guessed it – 2006.

Here’s the stat of the season: The Colts are 6-0 when Manning attempts fewer than 40 passes. He was 16 of 30 for 179 yards, three scores and two interceptions against the Raiders. (That back-shoulder touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon? That was right out of the Manning-to-Marvin Harrison playbook.)

♦Intelligence. If you want an example of why veteran players – savvy veteran players – can make a difference, look no further than the final game-sealing drive.

While the Colts were trying to eat the final 1:50 after the Raiders’ only offensive touchdown, Rhodes took a handoff and slid near the sideline after five yards. He could have tried for more yards and risked going out of bounds. Instead, he kept the clock running and forced a Raiders timeout.

Then, needing a first down to seal the win, Manning faked to Rhodes and ran the naked bootleg, sliding at the 2-yard line and setting up a final kneel for the win. These two plays were clearly the result of thinking men’s football players.

As we enter the final week of the regular season, the AFC is loaded with Super Bowl-worthy teams, starting with the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts don’t look quite as formidable, thanks in large part to their season-long injury bug.

Indianapolis has been a great team the past decade during the regular season. It has not always handled the role of heavy favorite well in the postseason.

As an underdog or a long shot, the Colts seem to be more dangerous and more unpredictable. One more successful Sunday, and we’ll start to find out how far that potential edge will take them.


This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. E-mail Reggie Hayes at rhayes@news-sentinel.com and see past columns at hayes.news-sentinel.com.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Posted in 1, Antoine Bethea, Antonio Johnson, colts-news, Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts, Joseph Addai, New England Patriots, Peyton Manning, Pierre Garcon, Pittsburgh Steelers, Robert MathisComments Off

Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans: Preview of Thursday Night NFL Showdown

Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans: Preview of Thursday Night NFL Showdown

NASHVILLE - SEPTEMBER 12: Chris Johnson #28 of the Tennessee Titans runs into the end zone for a 76-yard touchdown in the first half of the NFL season opener against the Oakland Raiders at LP Field on September 12, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In Week 14′s Thursday Night matchup, the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts will travel to Tennessee to take on Chris Johnson and the Titans.  The game will be covered by the NFL Network and is set for an 8:20 EST start.


Believe it or not, the 5-7 Tennessee Titans still have shot at winning the AFC South division only trailing the first place Jacksonville Jaguars by two games.  But for this to happen Tennessee must come away with a big home victory against Peyton Manning and the Colts.  In order for the Titans to beat out the Colts, and continue to prosper in the future, they must begin to receive some production out of Kerry Collins and their running backs.

Quarterbacks
Plagued with constant injuries and poor performances by their quarterback’s this season, the Titans have continued to struggle dropping their last five games.  Veteran Kerry Collins returned from his injury last Sunday against the Jaguars and had a pathetic performance, only completing 14 of 32 passes for 169 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 34.5 QB Rating. If Collins played that poorly against the 27th overall ranked passing defense in the NFL, than it cannot turn out too positive for the Tennessee Titans offense when they go head-to-head with a very talented Colts defense.  Indianapolis has one of the most effective pass defenses in the league, ranked fourth overall, only allowing 200.0 yards per game.  Collins has been playing subpar so far this season, completing 76 of 139 passes for 807 yards, five touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 68.8 QB rating.  

Who will win in Week 14′s Thursday Night game?

Who will win in Week 14′s Thursday Night game?

  • Indianapolis Colts

  • Tennessee Titans

  • Tie

No matter what Kerry Collins does will matter in Week 14 if Peyton Manning can come into this game with some focus.  In the last three games Manning has played quite poorly, throwing a total of eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions.  Expect Manning to enter Thursday night’s game with an incredible passion and tenacity, dominating Tennessee’s weak defense.  The four-time NFL MVP has won seven out-of the last ten times he has faced the Titans.

Edge: Colts

Runningbacks

Nothing has really been going right for either team of late, but both Indianapolis and Tennessee’s rushing attack have been extremely inconsistent this season. 

In the last two games Chris Johnson has rushed for a total of 20 times for 58 yards and zero touchdowns.  Johnson has never performed that poorly throughout his impressive three year career.  If the Titan’s want to have any chance in this game, than Johnson must rush for at least 100 yards and a touchdown.

The Colts on the other hand, have the worst rushing offense in the National Football League only averaging 79.1 yards per game.  The reason for this is because Indianapolis rarely rushes the football, which is why Peyton Manning has been throwing so many picks recently.  Teams are beginning to catch on and leaving extra linebackers in the middle to grab easy picks when Manning doesn’t realize it.  By running the ball more often, Indianapolis would open up Manning’s throwing lanes.

Edge: Titans

Wide Receivers

The most successful group of players on Tennessee so far this season would be their receiving corps.  The main targets in this offense have been Nate Washington, Kenny Britt, and Bo Scaife.  Nate Washington has been targeted 73 times, making 33 receptions for 544 yards and five touchdowns.  Tight-end Bo Scaife has caught 32 passes for 48 298 yards and two touchdowns.  Lastly, Kenny Britt has been the most productive this year, bringing in 23 receptions for 434 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Since Peyton Manning and the Colts pass the ball for the majority of their snaps, Indianapolis’ receivers have recorded some outstanding numbers.  The most effective have been Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon.  Reggie Wayne has made 90 receptions for 1107 yards and five touchdowns.  Austin Collie has been very efficient, making 50 receptions out of 61 passes thrown his way for 562 yards and six touchdowns.  Last but certainly not least, Pierre Garcon has made 46 receptions for 534 yards and two touchdowns.

Edge: Colts

 

Defense

Who will be the MVP in the Thursday Night AFC South showdown?

Who will be the MVP in the Thursday Night AFC South showdown?

  • Kerry Collins

  • Peyton Manning

  • Chris Johnson

  • Donald Brown

  • Reggie Wayne

  • Kenny Britt

  • Bo Scaife

  • Pierre Garcon

  • Dwight Freeney

  • Michael Griffin

Titans: 23rd Overall Passing Defense; giving up 238.7 YPG

22nd Overall Rushing Defense; giving up 123.4 YPG

Key Players: LB Stephen Tulloch- 88 solo tackles, 39 assisted tackles, and one interception

S Michael Griffin- 65 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, and four interceptions

 

Colts: 4th Overall Passing Defense, giving up 200.0 YPG

29th Overall Rushing Defense, giving up 142.8 YPG

Key Players: S Antoine Bethea- 61 solo tackles, 25 assisted tackles, and 0.5 sacks

DE Robert Mathis- 44 total tackles, 8.5 sacks and a forced fumble

DE Dwight Freeney- 21 total tackles, 8.0 sacks, and four forced fumbles

 

Edge: Colts

With only four games remaining this season, Thursday Night will be crucial for Indianapolis and Tennessee who are both desperately trying to win the AFC South and clinch the playoffs.

 

Prediction- Indianpolis Colts 41 – Tennessee Titans 20

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