ASHBURN, Va. Cheap New York Giants Gear . -- Washington Redskins free safety Brandon Meriweathers dangerous habit of leading with his helmet will cost him two games, the latest sanction from a league determined to make the game safer by discouraging blows to the head. The NFL announced Monday that Meriweather will be suspended for this weeks game against the Denver Broncos and the following game against the San Diego Chargers, a severe blow to a struggling defence as the Redskins try to recover from their poor start to the season. Meriweather has the right to appeal. If he does, an expedited hearing will be held this week and a ruling issued before the Broncos game. He was flagged twice for hits on defenceless receivers in Sundays 45-41 win over the Chicago Bears, in the third quarter for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Alshon Jeffery in the fourth quarter for a helmet-first hit to the head and neck area of Brandon Marshall. In announcing the suspension, the league cited Meriweathers status as a repeat offender. He was fined $42,000 for a helmet-first hit on Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2, forcing Lacy out of the game with a concussion. Later in that same game, another helmet-first hit left Meriweather with a concussion, knocking him out of the game. The two-game suspension will cost Meriweather $141,176 in salary. He will not be allowed to participate in any football activities with the team during the suspension. Meriweather said after Sundays game that he thought both hits against the Bears were legal. He said hes tried to change his game to suit the NFLs tackling rules. "I wasnt trying to be dirty. I wasnt trying to hurt nobody," he said. "I didnt lead with my, didnt launch with my head. I used my shoulder like they told me to do." Coach Mike Shanahan said earlier Monday that he didnt think Meriweather would be suspended. "I think he knows exactly what he has to do," Shanahan said. "And sometimes the intent -- theres no intent there -- sometimes you hit a guy a little bit higher than anticipated. Even the last one, he came to the sideline and says, Hey, one guy told me it was a good hit and the other official told me he saw it differently. So theres a lot of different interpretations of it, and at the end of the day well find out." The suspension could leave the Redskins without their two starting safeties when they face Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Strong safety Reed Doughty suffered a concussion Sunday when the Bears attempted an onside kick in the fourth quarter. He will have to pass the leagues required tests before he can be cleared to play next week at Denver. The Redskins are already thin at safety. Rookie Phillip Thomas was lost for the season with an injury during training camp, and rookie Bacarri Rambo lost his starting job after struggling in the first two games. The only other safeties on the roster are Jose Gumbs, who has played in two NFL games, and Trenton Robinson, who was signed last week. Washington is ranked 24th in the NFL against the pass and gave up 24 second-half points Sunday against a backup quarterback. Shanahan was asked how he would manage if he doesnt have Meriweather and Doughty. "Not a whole lot you can do about it," Shanahan said, "except prepare the best way you can." Wholesale New York Giants Jerseys . Raonic, the mens No. 8 seed from Thornhill, Ont., needed more than three hours to overcome Frenchman Gilles Simon 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 and become the first Canadian man into the fourth round at Roland Garros. Cheap New York Giants Jerseys Online . -- Jerome Verrier scored once and set up two more as the Drummondville Voltigeurs downed the visiting Chicoutimi Sagueneens 5-1 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play.(SportsNetwork.com) - On the surface, Rex Ryan going to Buffalo doesnt make all that much sense. After all, the Bills already had a pretty good defense with Jim Schwartz orchestrating things and its the offense which needs the tune-up, especially with veteran quarterback Kyle Orton walking off into the sunset and E.J. Manuel warming up for what could be his last opportunity to prove he is the answer in Western New York. So why did new Bills owner Terry Pegula land on the defensive-minded Ryan after a two-week coaching search, which included names like Indianapolis offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton and his counterpart with New England, Josh McDaniels? The answer is Doug Marrone, Pegulas former coach who exited in such a fashion that loyalty became a much bigger deal to the organization than any particular scheme, be it offensive or defensive. Marrones agent, Jimmy Sexton, negotiated an escape clause in Marrones contract that gave the coach a three-day window at the end of the season in which he could terminate his deal with the team but still receive his full salary for the 2015 season, even in a double-dip situation in which Marrone coaches for a new team next September. When he takes a job, he already has a plan in place for his next job, Bob Casullo, a former Marrone assistant at the University of Syracuse, told ESPN Radio earlier this month. Whoever game him that three-day opt-out clause, his agent is a genius and the person who signed it for the Buffalo Bills is a complete idiot. Pegula, of course, didnt hire Marrone and didnt negotiate the one-sided deal with him, but he was ready to move forward with the coach after a solid, albeit unspectacular, 9-7 season despite the fact that the Bills were unable to end a playoff drought that spans back to the 20th century. Uh, shocked, Pegula said at Ryans introductory press conference on Wednesday when asked about Marronnes abrupt departure. Stitched New York Giants Jerseys. More than shocked, but hey, I liked Doug Marrone when he was here. He was probably the guy I talked to more than anybody. So he made that decision. He moved on. Not before issuing a mass text to his players to inform them of the news after employing his golden parachute out of Buffalo. Any time you get a text message saying that its happening, you feel like you got punched in the stomach, Bills running back Fred Jackson said on his radio show. I mean, stuff could have been handled different. It will be handled differently under Ryan, the very definition of a players coach and a man with the reputation of being loyal to a fault as well as painfully honest at times. This football team deserves a loyal coach and deserves loyal players, Ryan said while taking a not-so subtle dig at his predecessor, who Casullo described as self-centered, selfish and greedy. Thats what were bringing, Ryan added. Nobodys more loyal than me as a football coach. And nobody can get players more fired up than Ryan. We are going to build a bully and were gonna see if you want to play us for 60 minutes, Ryan said, reverting back to his pre-John Idzik persona with the New York Jets. Technically the Buffalo defense is already a bit of a bully, finishing fourth in total defense, while recording a league-leading 54 sacks and producing three Pro Bowl defensive linemen this past season. Fourth in the league was probably a little disappointing, the braggadocios Ryan said. I know well lead the league in defense. Im not going to let our fans down, he continued. Im not going to do that. I know its been 15 years since the Bills made the playoffs. Well, get ready, man. Were going. We are going. Going where? The guarantee? Hey, am I going to guarantee a Super Bowl? Ryan asked rhetorically. I tell you what I will do, I will guarantee the pursuit of it. ' ' '
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