I don't like the QB hits that are effectively a running start into an unprotected player. Every other position is protected from driving hits when they are exposed. I think a QB with his arm in motion should be protected from any hit from a player in motion. It's no different than being a defenseless receiver. If you think about it this is an obvious case where the rules should be changed. It's a situation that is likely to lead to injury and most other obvious situations in which this is the case are already legislated against. You could modify the rules such that an unprotected QB (a QB in the process of throwing the ball) could only be hit from the shoulders down and the knees up by the open hands of the defensive player. A push in the ribs is a lot less devastating than helmet or shoulder to the ribs. You'd have to define open hands as palms towards the tackle and arms fully extended from the moment the tackler began the move.
This game and the Vikings game were both losses to 10-win teams where you could argue the Jets beat themselves. Some fans are taking that as a good thing, but to me they are missed opportunities. Now the Jets truly need to play mistake-free to make the playoffs. Maybe they can sneak in at (10-7) but it is unlikely. They might need to win out to get in. That wouldn't be an issue if they beat the Vikings or Bills.
That’s absurd br4d. You can’t hit the QB when he’s running, you can’t hit him low, can’t hit him high, cant hit a millisecond too late, can’t fall with your body weight on him and now you want to make it so they can’t hit him when he’s throwing either. football is football let’s not ruin it anymore
It's a simple matter of physics at this point. A 300 lb man capable of running a 4.7 40 should not be able to hit anybody who is fully exposed. The rules are changing over time because of two factors: 1) the need to prevent serious injuries and 2) the fact that the average player is bigger, stronger and faster than at any other point in NFL history and the progression of these factors is constant over time. If we were playing 60's rules football people would be dying on the field now.
Let's just replace them with robots. We're doing it everywhere else. That will make all the money go into the owners pockets.
I like the idea but the implementation is where it gets difficult. It breeds more room for confusion and "interpretation", and more having to go to the video and Challenge Flag. It's worth considering though. I still say they should return to having players wear less equipment and promote two-way players. Neither of these will ever happen because of the huge investment in how things are, but if they were you'd see a big reduction in injuries. Why? Because without all the equipment players wouldn't use themselves as "weapons", and if they had to play offense and defense they would know that while they might be able to dish out punishment in their "D" role, they'd be on the receiving end too.
We have close to zero "hit on a defenseless receiver" calls at this point. That's because it's been a major call for close to a decade now and the defenders have been coached how not to hit a defenseless receiver. As soon as they make "hit on a defenseless QB" a major penalty the process will begin and in fairly short order we will have close to zero hits on a defenseless QB. It's just a question of making the change in the rules that then causes a change in the coaching and causes those hits to go away. The second hit that blew up White last weekend should not be allowed in the NFL.
They may not make those calls anymore but it is probably a product of the unpopular play that knocked (I think?) New Orleans out of the playoffs a while back than anything else. I have seen plenty of plays where I expected it to be called but it wasn't, and the league addressed it after the fact with a fine.
Just snap a couple flags on the QB. Flag football for quarterbacks, tackle football for everyone else. Sounds crazy, right? We are heading in that direction.
That sounds far fetched, but with the speed of technological advancement, something in the spirit of flag football will probably happen eventually, at least for QB's. Either that or we will invent that healing tank from Empire Strikes Back.
oh look - my feelings regarding the Jets never seem to change - much like the Jets themselves - SOJ (it'll go on my tombstone - which will happen long before the Jets ever win another SB)
