Whitner wants rematch: Brees ‘can’t take a hit’

San Francisco 49ers’ linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,750 by the NFL for a hit to the neck area of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees last week.

Brooks was flagged for a 15-yard penalty which negated a Brees turnover with the 49ers up 20-17 with about 3 minutes left in the game.  New Orleans went on to kick two more field goals and sneak by with a 23-20 win.

"“I didn’t hit him with my hand or my helmet,” Brooks said at the time, according to Eric Branch at the San Francisco Chronicle. “I basically bear-hugged him. That’s just how football is played. I think this s— is bull—-. Football, the way they call stuff these days, it’s watered down. It ain’t real no more.”"

Also outspoken about the hit was safety Donte Whitner.

According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Whitner expanded on his stance about the call and Brees.

"“He can’t take a hit,” he said. “Ahmad is what – 260 pounds. He’s what – 6-foot, 190? Because it looks bad. Because this guy’s in the weight room and he does his job, rush the quarterback and put a hit on him. It’s part of the game of football. (Brees) can’t take a hit, and Drew Brees and those guys are over there celebrating. But we kind of have a formula against those guys and hopefully we’ll see them again in the playoffs.”"

According to the Sacramento Bee report, Whitner thinks calls like the one against Brooks will eventually cost a team at the wrong time, and wants another shot at Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

"“And I know it’s going to cost another team when it really matters,” Whitner said. “And it might be the playoffs and it might be the Super Bowl. So we really need to get something done about that – replay, something, so it doesn’t cost us football games. Because we really deserved to win that game.”"