Wrong. There's no exemption for already being tackled. There ARE actually rules for lowering your head to contact someone who is already in another's grasp and had their forward progress stopped as Cousins' was here. There's actually 3 different rules this could fall under as a foul. I'll post 2 and there's also the obvious roughing the passer. Pertinent parts are in red. They all say you can't lower your head and make forcible contact to the head an neck area. That's exactly what Wilson did here. There's no way around it. Officials blew it and we benefited with 6 points that was the difference in the game.
ARTICLE 9. PLAYERS IN A DEFENSELESS POSTURE. It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player
who is in a defenseless posture.
(a) Players in a defenseless posture are:
(1) A player in the act of or just after throwing a pass (passing posture).
(2) A receiver running a pass route when the defender approaches from the side or behind. If the receiver becomes a blocker
or assumes a blocking posture, he is no longer a defenseless player.
(3) A receiver attempting to catch a pass who has not had time to clearly become a runner. If the player is capable of avoiding
or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player.
(4) The intended receiver of a pass in the action during and immediately following an interception or potential interception. If
the player is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless
player.
Note: Violations of this provision will be enforced after the interception, and the intercepting team will maintain
possession.
(5) A runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped.
(6) A kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air who has not had time to clearly become a runner. If the player
is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player (for enforcement, see 10-1-1 and AR 12.72).
(7) A player on the ground.
(8) A kicker/punter during the kick or during the return (Also see Article 8-h) for additional restrictions against a kicker/punter).
(9) A quarterback at any time after a change of possession (Also see Article 11-e) for additional restrictions against a
quarterback after a change of possession).
(10) A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line.
(11) The offensive player who attempts a snap during a Field Goal attempt or a Try Kick. He is no longer a defenseless player
after he has had an opportunity to defend himself or moves downfield.
(b) Prohibited contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture is:
(1) forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, even if the
initial contact is lower than the player’s neck, and regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle
the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him;
(2) lowering the head and making forcible contact with any part of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s
body; or
(3) illegally launching into a defenseless opponent. It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves both feet prior to contact to
spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any
part of his opponent’s body. (This does not apply to contact against a runner, unless the runner is still considered to be
a defenseless player, as defined in Article 9.)
Notes:
(1) The provisions of (b) do not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or helmet in the course of a conventional tackle or
block on an opponent.
(2) A player who initiates contact against a defenseless opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act. This includes
illegal contact that may occur during the process of attempting to dislodge the ball from an opponent. A standard of strict
liability applies for any contact against a defenseless opponent, even if the opponent is an airborne player who is returning
to the ground or whose body position is otherwise in motion, and irrespective of any acts by the defenseless opponent,
such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact.
Penalty: For unnecessary roughness: Loss of 15 yards and an automatic first down. The player may be disqualified if the
action is judged by the official(s) to be flagrant.
ARTICLE 10. USE OF THE HELMET. It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against
an opponent.
Penalty: Loss of 15 yards. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down. The player may be disqualified.
Officials miss a call against us like this and it's proof of the officials' bias. When it's the other way around, people here turn into rule interpreters to protect the same "crooked" officials. Who's biased again?
@aria, you'd like this. Lol.
I don’t know if I can keep that promise, if I could get 75% of the fan base to make the same deal I’d be on board.