ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather, who served a one-game suspension Sunday for the way he hits, vowed to begin targeting players' knees and fired a shot at Chicago Bears star receiver Brandon Marshall, saying players who beat their girlfriends should be out of the NFL.

Meriweather has received numerous fines over the years for his helmet-to-helmet hits. After two more incidents against the Bears on Oct. 20, the NFL suspended Meriweather for two games until an appeals process reduced the ban to one.

"I guess I just got to take people's knees out," Meriweather said Monday morning in the Redskins' locker room. "That's the only way. I would hate to end a guy's career over a rule, but I guess it's better other people than me getting suspended for longer.

"You just have to go low now, man. You've got to end people's careers. You got to tear people's ACLs and mess up people's knees. You can't hit them high anymore."

Then Meriweather turned to Marshall and Bears tight end Martellus Bennett, who both publicly criticized the hard-hitting safety last week. Marshall received one of Meriweather's hits in the game on Oct. 20.

"I respect the league trying to better our game," Marshall said after that game. "Guys like that, maybe he needs to get suspended or taken out of the game completely."

Bennett said later in the week that he wanted to punch Meriweather. But Meriweather's ire was directed more at Marshall.

"He feels like I need to be kicked out of the league, I feel like people who beat their girlfriends should be kicked out of the league, too," Meriweather said.

Marshall has been arrested multiple times on alleged domestic-abuse charges but has never been convicted.

"You tell me who you'd rather have?" Meriweather said. "Someone who plays aggressive on the field or someone who beat up their girlfriend?"

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan did not approve of Meriweather's comments.

"I'm not sure I would have used those choice of words," Shanahan said.

When contacted by ESPN's Chris Mortensen, the NFL said it was aware of Meriweather's comments, saying that they were inappropriate.

Marshall took to Twitter on Monday shortly after Meriweather's comments.

There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing #MachineMarshall

Meriweather said he thought the appeals process was handled well, citing former NFL coach Ted Cottrell's role in reducing the penalty.

Meriweather was fined $42,000 for a hit against Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2. He also was fined $50,000 for a hit in 2010 with New England and accrued $45,000 in fines a year later with Chicago.

"The NFL do what they have to do," Meriweather said. "I guess they felt like suspending me for that game was the right thing to do, so they decided to make an example that they won't tolerate aggressive plays."

Meriweather maintained that he did not use his helmet on either hit against Chicago. That was the case he made during the appeals process, which occurred over the phone.

Meriweather agreed that he did launch into the defender on one hit, though he wasn't sure which one it was. Replays showed that he launched into Marshall after the receiver dropped a pass in the end zone.

"I know everybody's looking at the tape and saying, 'He's a dirty player, he's this, he's that,' which I get," Meriweather said. "But if anyone goes and looks at the tape, I didn't use my head in either hit. I'm moving on from it."

Meriweather said he has changed the way he hits but will have to do so even more now to avoid a worse suspension in the future.

Shanahan said safeties, more than cornerbacks, will attempt to tackle higher, taking runners head-on.

"Nobody's going to try to hurt anybody," Shanahan said. "But if you're going to err on the side of caution, you would rather go low than you would high. Brandon knows that he's got to go lower or he's not going to be playing in the National Football League."

The Redskins say they have focused more on tackling drills the past several weeks, and Meriweather said he'll work harder to stay low.

"Once you do something so much, it becomes habit," Meriweather said. "I think if I go in practice and simulate going low, it'll become habit and I'll be able to do it in a game."

But Meriweather wasn't done.

"They told me to use my shoulder, I use my shoulder. I still get fined and they still say I used my head," he said. "I mean, defenseless running backs ... I never heard of a defenseless running back."

ESPN.com wrote:

Meriweather was fined $42,000 for a hit against Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2. He also was fined $50,000 for a hit in 2010 with New England and accrued $45,000 in fines a year later with Chicago.

The problem is in part the NFL front office. How can they fine him $50,000 in 2010 $45,000 in 2011 and down to $42,000 for the Lacy hit?

It should have been $50,000 $75,000 then $100,000. if they want to get this butt wipe's attention.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

It is dumbasses like this that make the need for the fines and suspensions because he is to stupid to see what is trying to be done, and change. Hit hits haven't been incidental helmet contact. He has targeted the head and the rule doesn't care if he led with the shoulder or helmet. The rule specifically states cannot lead to the head or neck area of a defenseless player with helmet, shoulder or forearm.

Oh I can't hit around the head so the ONLY other option is the Knees? Is there something wrong with the other 3 feet of body between the head/neck and knees? Did the dumbass never hear of a waist? Since there is no rule against hitting the knees, there isn't much the NFL will be able to do for now. But I would hope, that his teammates pull him aside and tell him to quit being an asshole. And if not, that players police it on the field and take him out if he intentionally takes out somebody else's knees.

Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins 

Inappropriate comments - oh so terrible.

I can empathize a lot more with what used to be called a "hard-nosed" safety like Meriweather than I can for pathetic whiners like Marshall and Bennett.

All this protection crap is bad for the game, and it's a valid point that making a big deal about high hits is inevitably gonna increase low hits - again, oh so terrible.

Injuries to people making multiple millions playing a fun game are ...... simply not something to get all hyper about unless they affect the performance of our team. If any given player can't stand the risk, let him give up those multiple millions he gets paid to play a game any of us would give our eye teeth to be able to play for about 1/10 as much.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker 

Jermichael Finley stated in his Tweets that he lowered his head to protect his knees. Players do that. The point is, "the other 3 feet of body between the head/neck and knees" really is a lot less, and in the heat of battle, guys aren't gonna be able to think that fast just to comply with some stupid rules.

As for being a "headhunter" - deliberately trying to hurt somebody, kick me in the ass for saying this if your hyper-protective PC mind makes you want to do so, but I just don't see anything wrong with players having a mean streak - Merriweather and others now as well as guys like Jack Tatum and who was that Packer Safety who was known for headhunting? I really don't see anything wrong with that, and I think Ray Nitschke and Jim Taylor would agree - whichever end of the deliberate hurtful hits they might have been on.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker 

Sorry but that is bullsh!t. In the heat of battle, players CAN think that fast. They have to think to decide to go high, they can think to not go high just as easily. Players throughout the league have and do each and every week. Players like Mariweather who have refused to change are what cause the NFL to need to fine and suspend. Had players changed originally, the NFL wouldn't be fining.

Players can have a "Meanstreak" without being a dirty headhunter. AJ has been playing with a meanstreak and doing it clean. Sure accidents and incidental hits happen, but it is clear when a player is aiming for the head like Meriweather.

Gipson hit Finley cleanly. He wasn't fined by the NFL, and he did it without headhunting.

Originally Posted by: PackFanWithTwins 

Inappropriate comments - oh so terrible.

I can empathize a lot more with what used to be called a "hard-nosed" safety like Meriweather than I can for pathetic whiners like Marshall and Bennett.

All this protection crap is bad for the game, and it's a valid point that making a big deal about high hits is inevitably gonna increase low hits - again, oh so terrible.

Injuries to people making multiple millions playing a fun game are ...... simply not something to get all hyper about unless they affect the performance of our team. If any given player can't stand the risk, let him give up those multiple millions he gets paid to play a game any of us would give our eye teeth to be able to play for about 1/10 as much.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker 

Clearly an early nominee for NFL Pinhead of the Year.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

lol since there is "supposed to be risks" they should just make it legal to run around diving at the backs of peoples knees who aren't looking during or after any play. They may as well make it legal to twist ankles or groin shots with the knees. How about making it legal to eye gouge a ball carrier so he'll drop the ball. There's gotta be risks right?

Originally Posted by: steveishere 

not defending the guy, but it isnt exactly the easiest thing to hit a guy these days legally. im not saying headshots are legal but its dam hard to hit a guy at full speed and not make contact sometimes high, i think defensive guys have a very tough job when comes to legal vs illegal !!

Originally Posted by: nyrpack 

You are correct. there have been a few Packer players along with others that have been fined for an inadvertent hit on the ball carrier. It is more than a little frustrating.

Originally Posted by: wpr