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Wade seeks rule tweak
2:22 PM Mon, Dec 17, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
S Roy Williams may be facing more serious league discipline this week, after horse-collaring Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, and drawing a penalty for it for the third time this season. After the last infraction, Williams was fined $27,500 and this one, it stands to reason, could lead to a suspension.
And coach Wade Phillips really doesn't see why.
"It wasn’t against the rules until a couple years ago," he said. "Now, all of a sudden, they say it’s against the rules. To me, if you tackle a guy from behind like that and you’re not falling on his legs, you’re not hurting anybody. So what’s wrong with it? Now, if you’re falling on his legs, like he did before, then that’s one thing.
"But that’s the rule and we need to abide by it. He just going to have to learn to do it different. And he passed it up a couple times in that game."
Of course, Phillips doesn't have to look much further than his own locker room to find out the reason for the rule going in. And Terrell Owens probably found something wrong with horse-collar tackling when his leg shattered under Williams' weight in 2004.
But to think that this is as easy as saying to Williams, "Stop it," is wrong, Phillips said.
"He’s real strong, especially with his hands," Phillips said. "You go to your strength, so he’s going to grab somebody with his hands. And the way it is now, they tape those jerseys in the back, so you can’t grab them, you can’t hold on to them. The only thing you can grab is something behind him.
"And he’s coming from behind, he has to learn to lay out. But what he’s used to doing is grabbing them, because he’s so strong with his hands. He hasn’t been able to break that habit obviously."
Phillips then explained why: "He’s told me before he played that way in midget ball, and it wasn’t against the rules."
2:22 PM Mon, Dec 17, 2007 | Permalink
Albert Breer E-mail News tips
S Roy Williams may be facing more serious league discipline this week, after horse-collaring Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, and drawing a penalty for it for the third time this season. After the last infraction, Williams was fined $27,500 and this one, it stands to reason, could lead to a suspension.
And coach Wade Phillips really doesn't see why.
"It wasn’t against the rules until a couple years ago," he said. "Now, all of a sudden, they say it’s against the rules. To me, if you tackle a guy from behind like that and you’re not falling on his legs, you’re not hurting anybody. So what’s wrong with it? Now, if you’re falling on his legs, like he did before, then that’s one thing.
"But that’s the rule and we need to abide by it. He just going to have to learn to do it different. And he passed it up a couple times in that game."
Of course, Phillips doesn't have to look much further than his own locker room to find out the reason for the rule going in. And Terrell Owens probably found something wrong with horse-collar tackling when his leg shattered under Williams' weight in 2004.
But to think that this is as easy as saying to Williams, "Stop it," is wrong, Phillips said.
"He’s real strong, especially with his hands," Phillips said. "You go to your strength, so he’s going to grab somebody with his hands. And the way it is now, they tape those jerseys in the back, so you can’t grab them, you can’t hold on to them. The only thing you can grab is something behind him.
"And he’s coming from behind, he has to learn to lay out. But what he’s used to doing is grabbing them, because he’s so strong with his hands. He hasn’t been able to break that habit obviously."
Phillips then explained why: "He’s told me before he played that way in midget ball, and it wasn’t against the rules."
