While the New York Jets were content to line up in the victory formation on Sunday to seal a 20-13 win, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Mike Mitchell had other ideas, leaping over the offensive line on a second-and-10 kneel down in hopes of stripping the ball from quarterback Mike Vick. Mitchell’s kamikaze attempt was thwarted by Jets’ lineman Nick Mangold, who flipped him over like they were practicing a Cirque du Soleil tumbling routine.
(GIF via Deadspin)
The Jets weren’t out of line to believe Mitchell’s play was dirty. Indeed, there was a brief skirmish after the jump and Rex Ryan appeared none too pleased with the Steelers after the game.
Though Ryan saved most of his postgame officiating complaints for the overall treatment of Michael Vick, his players honed in on Mitchell’s leap. (Quotes via NJ.com’s Dom Cosentino.)
Mangold: “I think it’s a dirty play, and uncalled for.”
Current Jets player and former Steeler Willie Colon: “I think it was just BS. I love that team, I was birthed into that organization, but I felt it was uncalled for.”
Offensive lineman Breno Giacomini: “I just think it was a dumb play.”
All of those comments are fair. Mitchell made a Troy Polamalu move, minus the proper timing and ethics.
When Greg Schiano’s Tampa Bay team did a similar victory-formation busting, it was almost universally viewed as a sin against professional football and humanity. Though Mitchell’s play won’t blow up like that one (the Steelers safety seemed to be working rogue, not in unison with his teammates), it’s hard to argue with the overall sentiment against these types of plays. But I will. Oh, I will.
I say good for Mitchell for continuing to play until the final whistle! He’s well within his right to jump the line, the same way Mangold is within his right to flip him over like a rag doll. Why should teams have to give up just because the clock isn’t working in their favor? There’s a reason people say “stranger things have happened.” It’s because stranger things have happened! There’s a reason Yogi Berra said “it ain’t over ’til it’s over” — because it ain’t! One day, a player is going to disrupt a victory formation and create a turnover and the whole world will applaud his heady play (especially Joe Pisarcik).
Mitchell’s play wasn’t sportsmanlike, I’ll grant you that. But neither is jumping into the stands after a touchdown or dancing following a quarterback sack. Athletes are very hypocritical about what’s acceptable and what’s not. Then again, the 1-8 Jets are probably so unfamiliar with the victory formation we should grant them some leeway.
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