DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2018 NFL Season Looking Back: Browns 21 Jets 17 Clay Matthews roughing the passer penalty was correct, will be 'teaching tape'

The NFL is going to use the Clay Matthew...' for officials
by Will Brinson @WillBrinson

Everyone got apoplectic about Tony Corrente's crew flagging Clay Matthews for a roughing the passer penalty, and understandably so. It cost the Packers the game against the Vikings (or half the game anyway) and it was a perfectly clean hit on a quarterback. Except it wasn't, according to the NFL.

Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the NFL said on Monday, in the wake of people stomping their feet over the controversy, that it was the correct call.

But, wait -- there's more! The NFL also said it plans on using the hit by Matthews as "teaching tape" in order to show referees how they should flag players who hit quarterbacks.

...

"It has nothing to do with the rule of full body weight," Corrente explained after the game. "It has nothing to do with helmet to helmet. He picked the quarterback up and drove him into the ground."

He ... just didn't. Matthews didn't stop his body in motion and fail to take Cousins down, but he couldn't have known Cousins had released the ball (see: above). He thought he got there in time and he was trying to avoid drawing a penalty.

The worst part is the NFL thinks this was a great call and is going to use it to provide "teaching tape" for officials on how to flag roughing the passer penalties, according to both Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.

Demovsky reports that a source told him the "technique of grabbing the passer from behind the leg or legs, scooping and pulling in an upward motion, is a foul."

But he didn't "scoop" him -- Cousins was throwing, Matthews was going at an angle so as to not hurt the quarterback and the result was the guy passing the ball left the ground. It happens all the time and doesn't get flagged.

Follow the link for images and clips of the hit.

I thought there was a small chance the NFL would rescind this rule because fans and players would revolt, but apparently they're doubling down. That hit on Cousins is now and forever a 15-yard penalty. If I were a player rushing the QB I wouldn't know what to do if I get close to the QB. How do you tackle a QB when he's trying to not be tackled and avoid a flag at the same time?

There gonna try and protect the QB at all costs ...

This is the nfl trying to protect the most valuable player on the filed ..

I'm okay with protecting the QBs ... I just wish the NFL would SHOW defenders how to sack/tackle ... just make it black and white (and I'd like to see as well)

put flags on the QB, rip it off its a sack. I would rather see that than leave it at every refs discretion as to what is legal and illegal when it comes to a tackle. This crap has gotten so bad it is about to ruin the game for me. No one knows what the rules are, not the fans,mnot the players, not the coaches not even the freaking refs.

Myles garrett sack penalty was wrong, it completely changed the momentum of the game and gave them a TD instead of a field goal attempt in bad conditions. Saint tackles Landry to keep him from running free, no flag yet next drive, its illegal contact when the db barely touches the receiver.

They refs decide virtually every game and i dont pay to watch refs.

I just watched this on Outside the Lines.

I'm not at all sure what Matthews was supposed to do, no way he could have pulled up.... IMO, it was a BAD call.

That was not a penalty in my mind. I'm not a fan of some of these rules.

It looks like he might have lifted him because he pushed him back and his feet went up. You cant stop that from happening. Clay was going straight back he did not lift! The QB folded and his feet went up. Thats what happens when you get tacked. They have to fix this

J/C

If you look closely, the QBs feet are off the ground just after release and just as Matthews hits him. Matthews did not lift at all. This seems like it should be textbook as a "How to" not a "How not to" for hitting the QB.

I believe the league is trying to protect the QBs, but I believe even more so that the league has these rules as a defense against future lawsuits. It really is nearly to the point where putting flags on the QB or a 2 handed touch rule would just be easier to legislate - and that is sad!

Couldn't possibly agree more. The matter is, IMO, absurd.

The NFL is doubling-down on its stupidity with this rule modification.

They outta just stick a flag on the QB.

and some Tutu's.

J/c ...

The rule is very well defined in the book ...

Good luck calling it with the speed of the game in real time ...

This rule and the new helmet to helmet rule are ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to call in real time at the nfl level ...

good time to bring back the xfl.

When I first heard the explanation on the hit (without actually seeing the hit) the ruling was that he lifted him in the air to drive him into the ground.

I see no evidence of that whatsoever. All bias and irony aside (Aaron Rodgers being the reason the rule is being enforced this year), this is terrible. It impacted the Browns on the 3rd down stop against the Steelers, and it without a doubt cost the Packers a win.

I suppose it's something that we aren't the only ones getting called on this garbage.

Then why don't they institute weight limits? If the NFL really wants to protect the QB as well as other players a weight limit is a great start. Impact(force) equals mass times acceleration. You can't slow a player down but you can decrease their mass lessening the force of impact.

U nailed it bro ... the officials, there supervisors and the league office all have it our for us ...

Cause u know ... the officials just go out every sunday and then do nuttin til kick off of the following weeks games ... it not like they get EVALUATED and CRITIQUED every week or they have supervisors to report to or anything like that ...

Yup ... SCREW THE BROWNS as much as u like .. its what we want .. ...

And u know what bro ... knowing what u know about me ... i’d think maybe you’d take what I say and at least give it a wee bit of credence ...

That RESPECT thing is BS .. when they get evaluated ... theres not two sets of rules .. one for the teams we respect and one for the teams that we don’t ...

A baseball analogy fits here real well ...

If u have a pitcher thats been missing all over the place and he throws a borderline pitch at the knees ... its more than likely gonna be a ball ..

Same pitch from a dude thats been right around the knees all day ... thats more than likely gonna be a strike ...

There is some HUMAN NATURE involved ... but that doesn’t have SQUAT to do with RESPECT or anything else ...

BEAT THE TAPE .... that’s all they care about ...

j/c

I don't think that should have been a penalty either. "Whatever!"

I think the NFL is trying to protect....the NFL. With the amount of lawsuits they have against them from former players - they have to do something.

I have said before, the players and their Gladiator mentality have made this game what it is, but those same players will forever be the ones that ruin it as well.

I never said it was a good call dawg ... never said that ...

Thats the helmet to helmet stuff ... thats directly related to the concussions ...

The rules about protecting the qb are 100% about asset protection ...

Right, if that's the case, go to the next step right now, put flags on them and restrict them from running past the LOS too. Just get it over with if it's about asset protection. Thing is, they're still taking these dangerous hits and the flags will keep coming. If you don't want them taking hits at all, don't allow hits.

Agree ... that.ve almost done it now ...

U can’t hit qb’s low and u best be real careful about how u bring them to the ground ...

Its real hard to sack a qb and not get a penalty these days ...

You run close to them and try to grab them and drag them to the ground. Like folks have been trying unsuccessfully to do with QBs like Big Ben for years.

You can't hit them low, you can't hit them high, you can't hit them a second late, you can't hit them in full stride or you will land on top of them... I have no idea what you do other than just pull up and try to drag them to the ground.. as if they aren't also strong athletes.

Crazy what is this game coming too

I can't wait until we see a blitzing DB land with "all of his weight" on a QB like Ben or Cam.

"The QB outweighs me by 65 pounds, how the hell am I going to hurt him by landing on him!"