Just three weeks into the season, the NFL has come under fire for it’s rules and the enforcement of them pertaining to tackling the quarterback.
Tackles and sacks that would have been celebrated by fans one year ago have been outlawed due to a new rule banned defensive players from landing with all or most of their bodyweight on the QB.
After a multitude of flags during Week 3, the league gathered on a conference call and this Thursday released this video in attempt to further clarify the rule and give teams examples of both illegal and legal ways to tackle and quarterback while you’re running at him full speed, and it’s just as idiotic as it sounds.
To ensure consistency in officiating the roughing the passer rule, the @NFL Competition Committee clarified techniques that constitute a foul. Examples of permissible and impermissible contact on the quarterback: pic.twitter.com/ODU6FMGeIW
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) September 27, 2018
The league also released this statement in conjunction with the video.
Statement from NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations @TroyVincent23: pic.twitter.com/LNmHS35f6Q
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) September 27, 2018
Of course instituting a rule that would theoretically allow the NFL’s best quarterbacks to remain healthy all season is something we would all get behind, because who would rather watch Brett Hundley as opposed to Aaron Rodgers other than Bears, Vikings and Lions fans.
But the league showing a video of different players hitting different quarterbacks on different plays while totally ignoring the fact that the defender’s approach angle is completely different from case to case is almost laughable.
On all four plays the video deems as legal, the defender’s momentum is carrying them in a direction that’s not directly at the quarterback, leading to an arm tackle where the defender falls to the side of the QB. On all three plays the video categorized as legal, the defender’s momentum is taking them straight into the quarterback.
Physics…crazy concept.
Also notice how the moderator of the video explains that a defender leaving his feet to make a tackle helps him avoid the flag. Interesting, considering “leaving both feet prior to contact to spring forward” is also prohibited.
