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First I'd point out Coles dislocated his finger on one of his drops and popped it back in (with a little help) then went out there and carried on playing (according to JG's press conference). Whilst maybe not a great idea, considering he dropped at least one more pass after that, I have to give him respect for his toughness. I've seen guys come off the field with dislocations first hand and believe me it can have an effect on the sideline seeing a guy come off with his hand looking like a swiss army knife! Almost made me sick the one time.
Second I think the helmet to helmet thing needs clarifying. As I understand it there are 3 situations a player gets called for helmet contact:
1) Spearing - using the crown of the helmet to inflict a hit. This is both stupid and dangerous for both parties, hence the rule (and fines).
2) Deliberate helmet to helmet contact with a QB, regardless of the manner of the tackle.
3) Deliberate helmet to helmet contact with no attempt to make an arm tackle (i.e. leading with your head).
None of these apply as I saw it to Gardners last catch as the defenders were attempting to tackle him. The helmet to helmet was more incidental than intended.
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