Steelers Notebook: Harrison calls for Seymour to be suspended
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Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has his jaw examined on the sideline after Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour punched him in the second quarter of Sunday's game at Heinz Field.
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In a game in which the Steelers set a club record for most penalty yards in one contest, it was a flagrant penalty on Oakland that will draw the attention from the NFL offices this week.
In the second quarter, Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour sucker-punched Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after Roethlisberger threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who has seen his share of flags this season and has been fined on numerous occasions by the NFL, believes the league should suspend Seymour for what he did to Roethlisberger.
"I don't see why not," Harrison said. "They're trying to suspend guys for hits when that's within the whistles, some hits that guys can't even stop from doing. It's an adjustment that a receiver makes to what you are about to do to him, and you end up hitting helmet to helmet. You're talking about suspending a guy for that? You tell me what the next step is for a guy who blatantly, outside the play, it's already thrown, and a guy is going to celebrate with his teammates and you punch him in the face."
Seymour claimed he reacted that way because Roethlisberger approached him from behind.
"Well, first of all, I thought I let my teammates down," Seymour told the Contra Costa Times of California. "You never want to do anything to hurt the team. That's first and foremost. It was a lot of ongoing, and you're out there to protect yourself. It's still no excuse. I'm not sure exactly what happened on the play. I just turned around, and he just ran up on me quick. It was just natural reaction."
Seymour would not say whether Roethlisberger said something to provoke the punch.
"You heard a lot of stuff going on," Seymour said. "I never complain about what happens in the trenches. You've never heard me complain about anything that goes on. Like I said, my main focus is on the team and not doing anything to hurt the team."
First Published November 22, 2010 12:00 am
