NASHVILLE -- Titans safety Michael Griffin is appealing his one-game suspension without pay after being labeled by the NFL as a repeat offender of the leagues rules prohibiting hits to the head and neck area of defenceless players. New York Mets Shirts . The league announced the penalty Monday for Griffins hit on Oakland tight end Mychal Rivera. The punishment came from Merton Hanks, the NFLs vice-president of football operations. Griffin wrote in a text to The Associated Press that he was just trying to do his job but hurt his team. The suspension would cost Griffin $205,882.35 out of his $3.5 million base pay this season and keep him out of Sundays game at Indianapolis. Griffin cannot take part in any football activities until Dec. 2, and the Titans hold the AFCs sixth and final playoff berth at this point. "All I can say is I apologize to the Titans fans, my teammates, and the organization," Griffin wrote. "I also hope Rivera is doing well and I apologize to him and his family." The safety was flagged for unnecessary roughness in the second quarter of Sundays 23-19 win over Oakland for a hit on Rivera. It was Griffins second violation this season and fourth since 2011. Griffin went in low but hit Rivera as the tight end went to the ground after attempting a catch. Griffin said after the game that he apologized and even asked an official what more he could do on the play only to be told to aim low. "Im asking where do you aim low when somebodys going over the middle and hes catching the ball and hes falling at the same time? What do you do? My position and my job as a defensive player is to keep him from catching the ball and I dont know what youre supposed to do," Griffin said after the game. Rivera, a rookie out of the University of Tennessee, had his helmet knocked off in the collision and did not return to the game. "It was pretty brutal," Rivera said. "The really brutal thing about it was my helmet falling off and my head hitting the ground. It wasnt really the hit. The hit was pretty hard to my head, but it was more my helmet falling off and hitting the ground." Rivera said he had no symptoms when he woke up Monday and has been cleared by doctors to play this week. He also said Griffin texted an apology after the game and said the hit was not malicious. "I really respected that from him," Rivera said. "I hit him back and told him I respected he was just doing his job and I said wed see each other again in the future." Oakland coach Dennis Allen said the suspension was the leagues decision. "Thats not for me to say whether its just or not just," Allen said. "Its unfortunate that our guy got hit and was knocked out of the game. Ill say that." Titans coach Mike Munchak said the hit looked a lot worse because Rivera was going low and his helmet came off. Munchak said the intent to harm wasnt there because Griffin went in with his shoulder. "I think the helmet came off from him actually hitting the ground of his own doing," Munchak said. "I think (Griffin) hit him with his shoulder, for sure." Griffin was fined $21,000 for hitting Jets receiver Stephen Hill high while blocking after an interception Sept. 29. The NFL also fined Griffin $21,000 last season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Minnesota receiver Michael Jenkins last season, and the safety was fined $7,500 for a late hit in the head area with his helmet in a game at Carolina in November 2011. New York Mets Gear . Hes even holding a bat on one of his 2014 baseball cards. So far, hes playing like his picture. Fake Mets Jerseys .com) - Bayern Munich winger Xherdan Shaqiri is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a thigh injury. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/ . Price was hurt at the start of Wednesdays practice after facing just one shot as the team worked on their power play. He left the ice in discomfort and appeared to be favouring his leg. A Habs source told TSNs John Lu that Price suffered the injury in Sochi and not before the Olympics.BROSSARD, Que. -- Those impatient for the Stanley Cup to return to Canada will have just one team to root for in the NHL playoffs -- the Montreal Canadiens. For the first time since 1973, only one Canadian team has qualified for the NHL post-season. The Canadiens will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round, with only home ice advantage to be decided in the final regular-season games on the weekend. Defenceman Josh Gorges said Friday he expects a lot of attention, but it will be no more pressure than what the team deals with every day of the season. "There may be more eyes within Canada watching our games," the Kelowna, B.C. native said. "In Canada, they have their loyalties to their local teams, but come playoff time, youve watched when Vancouver was in the Cup (final) a few years ago. "Calgary, Edmonton, the same thing. The whole country rallies around because they want to see a Stanley Cup come back to Canada. But I dont think it adds anything. Theres enough pressure just because of what were trying to accomplish." In 1973, the Canadiens were the lone Canadian playoff team and they won the Cup. They are also the last Canadian team to win a Cup in 1993. They are widely considered to be long shots to go more than a round or two this time, even though theyve had an excellent season, have Canadian Olympic gold medallist Carey Price in goal, and got a major boost at the trade deadline in scoring winger Thomas Vanek. Last season, four Canadian teams made the playoffs. Only two made it in the two seasons before that. It seems odd that clubs with such enthusiastic fans and which sell out every game have so much trouble finishing in the top eight in their conferences. But Gorges said the added attention may be what makes it so difficult. "Its a little bit strange, but at the same time, its not easy playing in Canadian markets," he said. "On a lot of teams in the States, theres nothing more to it than going out and playing the game and getting the two points, whereas a lot of times in Canada, you cant escape hockey. "No matter where you go, theres added, outside things that affect your performance. I think weve done a good job here of trying to find that balance, but that could, maybe, be a reason why some Canadian teams havent been in there." The Canadiens have reached the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons, missing in 2012. Their best season since 1993 was in 2010 when they reached the Eastern Conference final. The Vancouver Canucks saw a run of five straight trips to the post-season end this season. "Going into the season, you look at all the Canadian teams and youd think most of them would be contending," said Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher. Cheap Mets Jerseys. "For us, being the only one, well probably have some of Canada on our side. "Some of them will still hate us, but it doesnt change what we do and how we have to prepare." The second-year forwards only playoff experience was in an all-Canadian series last spring, when Montreal was beaten in five games by the Ottawa Senators. "Theres so much expectation for Canadian teams to compete because the fans are so passionate and they care so much," said Gallagher, an Edmonton native. "Every fan base in Canada expects their team to be in the playoffs every year. "Im sure next year it will be different, but for us, it doesnt change anything. Were happy to be where we are and want to take advantage of it." While having only one team is rare, its an improvement on 1970, when no Canadian teams made it. Bobby Orrs Boston Bruins beat St. Louis in the final that year. The Canadiens, who are 0-for-20 on the power play in their last seven games, worked mostly on special teams going into their regular season finale Saturday night at home against the New York Rangers. The Canadiens hope a win coupled with a Tampa Bay loss will let them start the playoffs at home, but they dont seem to be sweating it one way or the other. "If its us or Tampa Bay that has home ice advantage, we dont know," said coach Michel Therrien. "But I can predict what the answers will be when we know on Sunday night: The team that has it will be really happy and the team that doesnt will say it doesnt matter." Forward Lars Eller didnt skate and it likely to miss a third game with a flu. Winger Brandon Prust is also out with an upper body injury. Therrien expects him to be ready for the playoffs but cautioned "were not quite sure yet." Forward Travis Moen, out eight games with a concussion, is also a question mark. Winger Michael Blunden was recalled from AHL Hamilton. The Canadiens announced that captain Brian Gionta edged out Gallagher for the Jacques Beauchamp Trophy as the teams unsung hero in voting by the local media. The two-way right winger has played 80 games this season after missing a large part of the last two campaigns with biceps injuries. "From the outside looking in, fans may not realize how important he is," Gorges said of Gionta. "Its not always about how many points you get, its what you do to help the team win games." 17:39ET 11-04-14 ' ' '