Denver Broncos safety Kareem Jackson isn’t going to change his playing style just because he was suspended for two games.
He got away with one in Sunday night’s 21-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
On the Vikings’ first drive, Jackson led with the crown of his helmet and nailed Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs fumbled and the Broncos recovered. Dobbs went to the medical tent, but he returned for the Vikings’ next series without missing a play.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, a former NFL referee, said the hit that led to the fumble should have been a penalty.
“He lowers his head and makes forcible contact to the opponent,” McAulay said on the broadcast as the replay was shown. “You see, his head is down. This should have been a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.”
If a flag had been thrown, replay officials could have reviewed that hit and penalized Denver or even ejected Jackson. But the referees failing to throw a flag doesn’t mean the NFL won’t take a closer look. Jackson is already on the radar as a multiple offender, so it wasn’t a surprise when Tom Pelissero reported Monday that the NFL will be reviewing Jackson’s hit on Dobbs for possible discipline.
Jackson was suspended two games and has been fined $89,670 for four illegal hits this season. Jackson said this past week he would try to aim lower but didn’t sound like he was ready to completely change his game.
“For me as a player, as an instinctive player, I’m going to always be in those situations,” Jackson said, according to the Associated Press. “Because my preparation and my instincts are going to put me in those situations.”
It didn’t take long for Jackson to be in that situation again Sunday. He was lucky to get away with a hit that led to a big turnover.