Antonio Smith of the Houston Texans may face a suspension as he pulled the helmet off Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito, swinging it as a weapon into the face of the ninth-year guard. The incident happened in Saturday night's preseason game in Houston, a game the Texans won, 24-17.
Video of Antonio Smith hitting Richie Incognito with helmet could lead to suspension
Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith has a lot to answer for after using a helmet as a weapon against Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The video was first aired by Jay Glazer of Fox Sports 1. It shows Smith engaged with Incognito, before being driven back. The two push and shove, before Smith pulls off the lineman’s helmet; he then swings it with an uppercut motion, connecting with Incognito’s head:
According to the play-by-play record of the game, no penalty was called on Smith for the hit.
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was suspended for two games without pay in 2011, after he stomped on the arm of a Green Bay Packers player during a nationally televised game during Thanksgiving. This could be used as the foundation for a possible suspension, though Smith's helmet swing appears more blatant, and deals with a player's head at a time the NFL is trying to monitor post-concussion symptoms.
Incognito knew about the video ahead of time, as he made the following proclamation on his Twitter account this afternoon.
Be sure to tune into Fox Football Daily @FFD on Fox Sports 1 at 6pm Eastern tonight. I personally guarantee it will be entertaining.
— Richie incognito (@68INCOGNITO) August 19, 2013
The NFL has not released a statement on the incident at this time.
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