Recently this NFL season, a controversy has been the main talk of the league. This all started in the offseason of the NFL where multiple important rules were changed. They first decided to not have players on kickoff get a 5 yard head start to reduce the more impactful hits, but no one disagreed with that call. However, a call that used to happen once per game, is becoming a call that comes in at least 3 times a game. The reason this penalty is getting called is because the NFL changed their rules for roughing the passer completely.
This rule used to mean that once a quarterback throws the ball and plants his feet, no defender can hit him, but now the rule is whenever any contact to the head happens even if the quarterback is in throwing motion still that its a penalty. Also another part of the rule that they changed was that defenders can’t put their body weight into the quarterback at all, which is almost impossible to be able to stop at a dead hault and let off.
Even star players are attacking the league, saying that it’s impossible for them to make the plays that they used to make a season before thanks to the rule change. For example, Clay Matthews, a star linebacker, was called for a controversial roughing the passer penalty. Matthews blitzed the quarterback from the right side and reached him in less than three seconds, driving him to the turf for an apparent 11-yard loss. But referee Craig Wrolstad deemed the hit illegal and penalized the Packers 15 yards. The play shows how Clay Matthews hit the quarterback in the shoulder, kept his head away from hitting the quarterback head, and rolled of him without forcing all his body weight on the quarterback. The reason why this penalty should not be called like this is because it costs a team 15 crucial yards that kills defenses. Also, on top of that the players who get paid to make the plays are now getting fined because of the rule change.
Its impossible for a 250+ pound defender to stop all his momentum from a dead sprint in less than 4 seconds. Its entrapment for these players, and the league won’t change a thing. It cripples star players who use techniques that aren’t allowed anymore. There was even a play where Kansas city linebacker, Breeland Speaks, had a go-ahead sack, but let up on quarterback, Tom Brady, allowing Brady to score. A play that should’ve never happened. The only reason Speaks let up was because he was trying to not get fined and cost his team 15 yards. This needs to change or a loss of viewership will take form and players won’t want to play in fear of fines.
Work Cited:
Maske, Mark, and Kareem Copeland. “Another Clay Matthews Roughing-the-Passer Call Stokes Latest NFL Quandary.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 23 Sept. 2018
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