Vikings Coaches Rip NFL’s Ejection of Harrison Smith vs. Texans

The Vikings coaching staff was not shy about slamming the NFL’s decision to eject safety Harrison Smith last week against the Texans, even four days and a win after it had happened.

Smith launched himself towards Texans tight end Jordan Akins who prepared for a hit by tucking the ball and lowering his head. The two collided head-to-head. Smith took a penalty and the game ejection, while Akins leaving the game with a concussion.

When asked if the play could be used as a teaching tool for the Vikings young secondary in a press conference on Thursday, co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson fired back arguing that could be detrimental to defense.

“I don’t know what you tell them to do – let the guy catch the ball?” Patterson said. “I mean, I really don’t know what you tell a guy to do. Unless you tell him, ‘Just let the guy catch the ball and then tag him.’ I mean, that’s all he can do. He was trying to tackle the guy low, he wasn’t going for his head, and the receiver braced his head to brace for contact. What do you tell a guy to do? That’s the hard part. Do you tell a guy not to be aggressive and not to play the game full-speed? He’s stuck between a rock and a hard place there.”

Smith was fined $15,000 for the hit. He plans to appeal, mostly to hear from the league on their decision to eject him in the first place. He added that he was fined more when he pushed a ref in his rookie preseason, the only other time he has been ejected in his nine-year career, the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reported.

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‘He Can’t Control What the Receiver Does’

Patterson added that the last thing he wants to do is to remove aggression from a player’s game.

“(Smith) did what he’s been taught to do,” Patterson said. “Lower your target. Hit him down at the waist area… that’s what he was trying to do. But he can’t control what the receiver does. That’s the problem. He can’t control what the receiver does. If the receiver didn’t duck, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.”

Co-defensive coordinator Adam Zimmer echoed Patterson that the call was more a result of Akins ducking after the catch, but that the game happens fast and split-second decisions are made that impact rulings on the field.

“I just think that’s such a bang-bang play that Harrison’s got to react to what he sees. He is not trying to be dirty. He is not a dirty player. He was just trying to make a play on the football, and truth be told, when I look at the replay, I think he got his shoulder in there below his head,” Zimmer said. “I don’t think you use that as a teaching tool, I think it’s just an unfortunate circumstance that happened in the game. The officials have to make calls bang-bang — on the spot — and that’s a tough one that went against us, but I trust Harrison to make the right play whenever he’s out there.”

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  Trevor Squire is a Heavy contributor covering the Minnesota Vikings and journalism graduate from the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities. Connect with him on Twitter @trevordsquire and join our Vikings community at Heavy on Vikings on Facebook. 

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