NFL to mull roughing-the-passer penalties amid outrage

The NFL plans to debate roughing-the-passer penalties amid outrage over two disputed calls in Week 5, an individual with direct information of the matter instructed The Related Press.

The individual, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of the conversations are inner, mentioned adjustments to the rule aren’t anticipated through the season. The individual additionally mentioned the league has not given officers a directive to emphasise roughing calls following Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion.

NFL house owners will meet in New York subsequent week. The league’s Competitors Committee — comprised of six staff house owners/executives and 4 head coaches — makes many of the suggestions for rule adjustments. Groups may suggest rule adjustments to be voted on by house owners, which require 24 votes to cross.

One concept, instructed by Chiefs defensive sort out Chris Jones on Monday evening after he was flagged, may be to permit video assessment of roughing calls.

Defending quarterbacks is a precedence for house owners, who pay huge bucks for the faces of their franchises. Twenty-five QBs are making at the very least $25 million this season.

The questionable name in opposition to Jones — the second in two days — practically value Kansas Metropolis in its 30-29 comeback victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Chiefs had simply scored to trim their deficit to 17-7 when Jones stripped Raiders quarterback Derek Carr from behind simply earlier than halftime. The Professional Bowl defensive sort out landed on Carr whereas additionally arising with the ball — replays confirmed it was clearly free and that Jones cleanly recovered — however referee Carl Cheffers threw a flag for roughing the passer.

“The quarterback is within the pocket and he is in a passing posture. He will get full safety of all of the elements of what we give the quarterback in a passing posture,” Cheffers instructed a pool reporter after the sport. “My ruling was the defender landed on him with full physique weight. The quarterback is protected against being tackled with full physique weight.”

On Sunday, Falcons defensive sort out Grady Jarrett was flagged by referee Jerome Boger for a seemingly innocent sack on Tom Brady. The penalty gave the Buccaneers a primary down and allowed them to expire the clock on a 21-15 victory.

Boger made an identical crucial name late within the fourth quarter of the Ravens-Payments recreation per week earlier on a play that many additionally thought did not to warrant a flag.

Boger known as one other borderline roughing penalty within the Falcons-Buccaneers recreation when Vita Vea was pushed into Atlanta quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Roughing the passer is the one rule the place referees are instructed to err on the aspect of warning.

The NFL rulebook notes: “When unsure a couple of roughness name or doubtlessly harmful tactic in opposition to the quarterback, the referee ought to all the time name roughing the passer.”

Jones, who has been flagged for roughing the passer 9 occasions in his profession, has an answer.

“We have got to have the ability to assessment it within the sales space, you realize what I imply?” Jones mentioned. “I believe that is the following step for the NFL as an entire. If we’ll name it a penalty at that top (of price), then we have got to have the ability to assessment it and ensure, as a result of generally appears to be like will be deceiving.”

The league already went down that highway, making cross interference reviewable for one season after an egregious missed foul late within the fourth quarter within the 2019 NFC championship value the New Orleans Saints a visit to the Tremendous Bowl.

The experiment failed miserably and the rule wasn’t thought-about the following yr.