Taylor immediately bounced up an appeared to be planning the next play with his teammates, but referee Ed Hochuli stepped in: Taylor, despite his objections, would have to leave the game to get checked out for a concussion. “And, hey, I certainly understand that and I’m all for that”.
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Taylor was evaluated by medical staff on the sideline before being cleared to re-enter the game three plays later.
“It’s protocol because I got hit”. Whether the safety of players is a real concern or not, the perception that the National Football League wants to portray would certainly have prompted Hochuli to do what he did tonight in pulling Taylor from the game. The Jets once again thought they were going to be able to get Taylor down for a big stop, but he evaded all defenders and made a heave of a throw.
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The league would say that there ultimately was no difference between Newton and Taylor because trainers checked Newton on the field, in the same way Taylor was checked on the sideline. The decision however, wasn’t made by any independent neurologist on site. It’s another for Taylor or Newton or any other player to be removed late in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line. Typically we don’t see referees have players tested for concussions, but this is a part of the changing National Football League culture.
