Pollard made a hit on Welker that was flagged, but called on another player who was making a clean tackle at the same time.
I can't find a decent slow motion replay that shows the whole play. Pollard drops very low driving towards Ridley who's already falling having been tripped up by another defender.
The rules are pretty clear on the head to head contact. Ridley didn't qualify as a defenseless player, but the hit was still illegal. Even as an unintentional hit It should have been flagged. Plenty of unintentional hits like that get flagged every week.
From
http://static.nfl.com/static/content...er_Conduct.pdf
Article 6: Unnecessary Roughness. There shall be no unnecessary roughness. This shall include, but will not be limited
to:
(a) Using the foot or any part of the leg to strike an opponent with a whipping motion;
(b) contacting a runner when he is out of bounds;
Note: Defensive players must make an effort to avoid contact. Players on defense are responsible for knowing when a runner
has crossed the boundary line, except in doubtful cases where he might step on a boundary line and continue parallel with
it.
(c) a player of the receiving team who has gone out of bounds contacting a kicking team player out of bounds. If this
occurs on a kick from scrimmage, post-possession rules will apply if appropriate (9-5-1);
(d) running, diving into, or throwing the body against or on a runner who has fallen or slipped to the ground untouched
and has made no attempt to advance, either before or after the ball is dead, or throwing the runner to the ground after
the ball is dead;
(e) unnecessarily running, diving into, cutting, or throwing the body against or on a player who (i) is out of the play or (ii)
should not have reasonably anticipated such contact by an opponent, before or after the ball is dead;
(f) if an offensive player’s block (legal or illegal) is followed by the blocker rolling up on the back of the leg(s) of a
defender, including in close-line play.
(g) a kicker/punter, who is standing still or fading backwards after the ball has been kicked, is out of the play and must
not be unnecessarily contacted by the receiving team through the end of the play or until he assumes a distinctly
defensive position;
(h) using any part of a player’s helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/”hairline” parts) or facemask to butt, spear,
or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily;
(i) grabbing a helmet opening of an opponent and forcibly twisting, turning, or pulling his head;
(j) illegally contacting the knee of the snapper with the helmet during a Field Goal Attempt or Try Kick;
Penalty: For unnecessary roughness: Loss of 15 yards. The player may be disqualified if the action is judged by the
official(s) to be flagrant. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic First Down.
Note: When in question about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactics, the covering official(s) should always call
unnecessary roughness.
Harbaugh coming out almost to the numbers also was ignored.
From another section
Article 4 All team personnel must observe the zone restrictions applicable to the bench area and the border rimming the
playing field. The only persons permitted within the solid six-foot white border (1-1) while play is in progress on the field
are game officials. For reasons involving the safety of participating players whose actions may carry them out of bounds,
officials’ unobstructed coverage of the game, and spectators’ sightlines to the field, the border rules must be observed by
all coaches and players in the bench area. Violators are subject to penalty by the officials.
I know in practice coaches are often in the border, and if they're a couple steps into the field when calling a timeout or otherwise gatting an officials attention it's let slide. Bit being almost out to the numbers while the play is still being sorted out is way too far.
Steve B