Adam Humphries “doing better” after violent hit left him with concussion

[Who Dey]

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Adam Humphries is feeling better Monday after a violent hit from Bengals defensive back Jessie Bates concussed the Titans receiver Sunday.

Officials did not penalize Bates for a hit that appeared to be on a defenseless receiver, causing Humphries briefly to lose consciousness as his head also bounced off the ground.

“I wasn’t going to call the league and ask for an explanation,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Monday. “I didn’t need one. I saw the replay. I saw him get hit in the head. At no point in time did I think that he was targeting him, but he was defenseless and got hit in the head or neck. But more importantly, Hump is up and moving around. He’s in concussion protocol. He’s doing better than when he left the field.

“I didn’t need an explanation, other than they missed it.”

NFL supervisor of officials Al Riveron could have ejected Bates from New York. He didn’t.

“I think anything we can do for player safety, we should try to explore,” Vrabel said. “We’ve been through this before, whether it was Kalif Raymond. We try to coach our guys that you’re going to have to lower the target. Whether the officials are looking at whether he caught it, whether he had possession, there’s a lot going on. Then, for them to see the defenseless receiver protection [is a lot to ask].”

The NFL still could fine Bates this week despite the lack of a flag.