I've been watching football for 40 years and I can't remember seeing so many players on so many routine plays going for the ball with tomohawk chops, punching at the ball, hitting the arm, using the helmet, etc. You have guys now forgoing the tackle going for the ball...sometimes guys are escaping...other times they're getting another 10 yards before other players make the tackles. Guys NEVER used to do this except late in the game -- think Giants vs. 49'ers 1991 NFC Championship Game -- when they needed a fumble. Or a clear play when it was easier to go for the ball instead of bring down the guy in the open field -- think Steve Tasker chasing Leon Lett. Now you have guys even like Ed Reed making a great play and then losing the ball. I was very happy today because a few times a couple of Jets were in the open field and the Charger guys were going for the ball first, the tackle second. On one WR -- Edwards or Crotch ? -- the SD guys took a full 180-degree swipe/hit at the ball and whoever it was really had a grip on it because he didn't fumble. TJ does a good job holding the ball, too. I've noticed this trend, guys are going for the ball even in the 1st quarter, on WR's or RB's in the open, on interceptions, and of course on punts/KO's. The Colts had a few of these against the Ravens so lets hold on to the ball another 2 games !!
I have noticed the same thing. Do the stats back up this observation? Are there more forced fumbles this year? There is some homework for you, get back to us:up:
Yeah, I've noticed that too lately, but I figured I was overly assiduous or being nitpicky about it. It almost happened today to the Jets a few times. I guess defensive teams are getting desperate nowadays?
I think you can blame Charles Tillman for this trend. After everyone saw him get away with rape against the Iggles this year it's been a bandwagon thing. I remember the sportscasters on national television were asking each other "Is that a legal move?". Because he was straight punching the ball like it was a bag.
I too have seen this a huge amount this year, I guess people see those turnover statistics like "we are 5-0 when winning the turnover battle" and get obsessed with stripping the ball. It will no doubt be clamped down on in the off season. NFL loves scores not D play.
I remember LT was always trying to pry the football loose. Most other guys weren't so focused on it. I think coaches and players have wised up about creating more turnovers.
I was always taught to go for the ball on every tackle as soon as I had one hand ont he guy securely. If I was all alone in the open field it was always a routine form tackle but if a number of players are converging on a guy, we were always told to go for the ball. Look at Garcon in the Colts-Ravens game. On Ed Reed's INT return he didn't even try to make a tackle, he just punched the ball out clean. The way offensive players are these days, they often don't secure the ball well and instead will try to beat 4 guys in a phone booth....that sort of dancing allows a lot of opportunities to create fumbles.
I defiantly see why they do this with QBs, now that you can no longer hit them. Did anyone else feel terrible for Ellis when he couldn't get that sack, because that stupid club on his hand?
I don't know how much longer it's going to go on for. The hits are basically turning into a full on punch or chop to the guys arms. I don't think that's exactly legal.
Listen to the post game pressers of most NFL HCs and you will hear them stress that they lost or won by winning or losing the turnover battle. That is why you see more of it than usual, they stress it more and more every year. I think the team that benefited most from forcing these kinds of turnovers is the early 2000s Patriots, but their smart linebackers had pretty much perfected the technique of standing the ball carrier up with one man and stripping him with another. That's the way it should be done, not simply going for the ball instead of the tackle.
Rex was actually getting his guys (in Baltimore) to put their hat on the ball during a tackle, the Ravens had a number of forced fumbles in situations like that.
You can practice that but its very hard to hit a still target and plant your head perfect none the less hit a moving target.. it might work 40-50 % of the time if that which makes it luck to me. Otherwise there will be fumbles every play
when you tackle as well as we do, you can take chances going for the ball as well ... a lot of teams get burned trying to go for the strip and having their arm tackles broken
