How many times has this happened to you?
You’re watching a football game and before you can even celebrate a big hit, you hold your breath and wait. Then you scan the field to make sure there’s not a late flag coming out.
It happens to coaches too. And that’s why Vic Fangio was so pleased during Sunday’s 22-16 win over the Panthers when the referees kept their flags to themselves after a violent but clean hit from C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the first quarter.
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“He did a good job on that play. That was a big hit that was 100% legal,” Fangio said on Tuesday. “Kudos to the officiating to not fall to a big hit and just automatically throw a flag.
“I know this is a few years ago, but when I was at San Francisco, we had a couple of big hitting safeties and they got flagged like six or seven times for wrong hits, unnecessary roughness. And every one of them came back as bad calls. So I think the officiating has improved in that area.”
Oh my. We'll just leave this one here 😳@CGJXXIII | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/2oaGvvDFxd
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 8, 2024
Gardner-Johnson’s hit on receiver Xavier Legette was violent but it was textbook clean. He timed the hit perfectly, led with his shoulder and didn’t leave his feet.
NFL
During training camp, Fangio showed clips of hard, clean hits to his players. When asked on Tuesday, Fangio said this hit from CJGJ could make the reel.
“We always look to teach that,” Fangio said. “And any time we see it on tape, we show it to the players. ‘This is how you can do it. This is not how you can do it.’ And keep trying to drive that point home.”
Sunday was an eventful game for Gardner-Johnson. In addition to the hit, he had his third interception of the season, had to be evaluated for a concussion and then played through a painful injury late in the fourth quarter.
But it started off with a bang. It was fitting that former Eagles hard-hitting cornerback Sheldon Brown served as an honorary captain on Sunday.
The big hit from Gardner-Johnson came on the fifth play from scrimmage during Sunday’s game on a 3rd-and-10. Without the hit, that’s probably a catch and a new set of downs. Instead, the Panthers were forced to punt on 4th-and-10.
It was a big play in a game that ended up being too close for comfort.
“No. 1, it got us off the field because it was third down,” Fangio said. “But any time you can get a big hit, it jacks people up.”
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