Thursday, February 19, 2009
Suggestions For the NFL Rules Committee
Every offseason, the NFL Rules Committee gets together to discuss potential rule changes designed to allow the AFC South to better compete with the rest of the league.
Or something like that.
This season, I'd like to make a few suggestions.
The Overtime Rule
The NFL's overtime rule has outlived its usefulness.
Back when the NFL tried to create an environment where offenses and defenses were on equal footing, a sudden-death overtime made sense. But in today's NFL, where every offseason they push through rules in an attempt to neuter aggressive defensive players, it just doesn't make sense anymore.
There seems to be some momentum building for an overtime rule change, but that momentum doesn't seem to exist in the competition committee.
Jeff Fisher is on record saying that we need to take some time to analyze statistical data to figure out whether 60% of the NFL's overtime games ending on the first possession is a fluke or a trend.
I'm not sure it matters either way.
Sudden-death works in hockey because both teams get to touch the puck. In baseball, the home team gets a chance to bat even if the away team scores in the top of the tenth.
The thing is, fixing the overtime rule is simple. Just make a rule that says both teams must have an offensive possession in overtime.
If the first time to have the ball scores, make them kick off. Give the other team a chance to match them.
Think back to the Jets/Patriots game back in November. The Patriots made a miraculous comeback in the second half. The Jets won the overtime coin toss and drove for the game winning field goal.
Wouldn't it have been exciting to give Matt Cassel and company a shot to either tie the game with a field goal, or win it with a touchdown?
It's a no-brainer.
Quarterbacks Are Football Players, Too
Okay, I get it.
Quarterbacks are important. They make the most money. They bring in the most money. You can't win without a good quarterback.
You can't allow defensive players to purposely attempt to kill the opposing quarterback. Completely understood.
On the other hand, if Justin Tuck is blitzing and his arm brushes up against the quarterback's helmet, you simply can't give him a 15-yard penalty. You can't.
There needs to be some common sense here.
When Jared Allen dives at Matt Schaub's knee, it's a 15-yard penalty. When Dwight Freeney's pinky taps Matt Cassel on the helmet, let's not pretend that's the same thing.
I understand why the NFL wants to take judgment calls away from their officials. I've seen their officials in action. They're terrible. But you have to give them at least a little wiggle room.
You can't allow an NFL playoff game to be lost because a defensive lineman's fingernail brushed the facemask of the opposing quarterback.
When it Comes to Sideline Catches, Let's Go With the College Rule
As the Super Bowl proved, it's damn near impossible to tell during live action whether a player got one or two feet in bounds on a sideline catch.
Sometimes it's impossible to tell on replay.
But you can pretty much always tell whether or not they get one foot in bounds.
This rule goes hand-in-hand with the force-out rule they did away with last year. If you're going to allow defenders to knock receivers out of bounds, let's give the receivers a break and allow them to play by the same rule they learned playing in college.
If you're able to get one foot in bounds, it's a catch.
Pass Interference Should Be a 10-Yard Penalty
Peyton Manning drops back to pass. He throws a completely uncatchable ball to a well covered Reggie Wayne. Wayne, seeing the ball is under-thrown, stops dead in his tracks. The defender, who thought he had a beat on the ball, runs into a suddenly stationary Wayne.
Pass interference, Colts gain 40 yards on a play that probably should have been a harmless incomplete pass.
The NFL isn't going to do away with their insane pass interference rules. They're terrible at calling it. It's inconsistent not only from game to game, but from quarter to quarter and play to play.
It's the biggest turn-around play in the NFL. It's brought back many an offense from the dead. It's cost many, many teams many, many points.
Since we're not going to do away with the penalty, let's make it a little less painful and unfair.
If Manning throws that same pass from his own 30-yard line, and the interference happens in the end zone, make it a 10-yard penalty.
Instead of handing the Colts a touchdown by giving them the ball on the one, you reward them with 10 yards and a first down, but make them earn their points.
To me, this is as much of a no-brainer as the overtime rule.
Do you have any ideas for NFL rule changes? Or do you like the NFL just the way it is? Either way, e-mail me at [email protected] or post a comment below and let me know. I'd love to hear your suggestions.
Sean Crowe is the New England Patriots Examiner at Examiner.com. He writes a column every other Thursday for Sports Central. You can e-mail him at [email protected].