Was D.J. Swearinger’s hit on Dustin Keller dirty?

By: Michael Tellier

After watching the footage of Huston Texans rookie safety D.J. Swearinger's low hit on Miami Dolphins TE Dustin Keller, during Saturday night’s preseason game, I can be added to the list of people who think it was a dirty hit.

Now I know I sound like I’m playing favorites because I am a Dolphins fan, but the hit was definitely way to low.   Swearinger has stated that he didn’t want to go high on Keller and receive a flag on the play for a helmet to helmet hit; however, after watching the play, Keller’s whole body was exposed during the hit, and there is plenty of space between the head and the knee cap to make a safe tackle. 

I’m not saying that Swearinger’s mission was to end Keller’s season, or to tare a bunch of ligaments in his knee.  But regardless, the hit was very low, and it should be dealt with accordingly.  Various players around the league agree that the hit was low, including Atlanta Falcons star TE Tony Gonzalez, who said that he thought the hit should be addressed and that Swearinger should be fined.