Just how is the pass rusher supposed to tackle the QB?

[Doomsdayblitz]

I don't know about anyone else, but I am sick & tired of seeing yellow every time a QB gets sacked. I'm talking, of course, about the personal foul penalties that too often follow a clean sack. Take DeMarcus Ware's sack of Mark Brunell last night. Since he was still closing in on the QB & was not in the process of wrapping him up, Ware put his hands up to block any potential pass attempts. As he was coming forward into Brunell, Ware's helmet INADVERTENTLY hit Brunell's, causing a flag.

My question is this: How is the world can a pass rusher prevent his helmet from touching the helmet of the QB, when the pass rusher is moving into the QB with his hands up? Since there is a good chance the PR is at least as tall or taller than the QB, then it's just simple physics that the helmets are going to make contact with one another. As John Madden said after the penalty was called against Ware, looking at the replay, "They're trying to protect the QB, and I'm all for that, but it sure makes it hard on the pass rushers".

No John, it makes it IMPOSSIBLE for the pass rushers. These rules have got to change. I'm all for protecting the QBs from vicious hits with the intent of causing harm or injury, but it is getting ridiculous. If a PR's helmet touches the QB's helmet, it's a penalty. If a PR lowers his helmet to avoid helmet to helmet contact, but inadvertently hits the QB's face mask with the helmet, it's a penalty. If a PR lowers his entire body to avoid having his helmet touch any part of the QB's helmet, and the PR's helmet goes into the chest of the QB.........you guessed it-it's a penalty. The NFL, in their honest effort to protect the QB from UNSPORTSMANLIKE, VICIOUS, UNNECCESARY, STUPID, & CRUEL hits, is making it almost impossible for the pass rusher to do his job.

This crusade is creating a confetti of flags, confusing the players & fans, and is flat out slowing up an already slow game. It's time for the NFL Competition Committee to come to it's senses, and make only the above types of hits illegal. If a player accidentally touches his helmet against that of the QB in the course of trying to make a sack, then the act should be deemed inadvertent, and the game should go on with no penalty.

I felt the rain of flags during the game last night-on both sides-bordered on assinine. If the refs want to get their face on TV, then they should paint them & go into the stands like everyone else. Otherwise, let the players play!

 

[MapleLeaf]

...much anyone can do. The league is changing and it's principle is to protect assets and watch them perform and generate revenue.

Outside of pillows on everyone's head the pass rushers just have to make sure there is no helmet to helmet contact. It's not easy, but there are numerous hits on the QB every Sunday and many of them are not helmet to helmet contact.

I think the important aspect to remember as fans is the penalties taken by Roy and Demarcus are of the non-intent variety. Others may not be so.

If the Competition Committee was serious about addressing it they would approach this in the same manner as face masking.

5 yards for inadvertant and 15 yards for flagrant. At least it would reaffirm the necessity to keep your head out of the tackle, but take into account when there was clearly no intent to collide with the player's head.

 

[Muhast]

according to the nfl the proper way it to two hand touch qbs.

reminds me of a thread a week or two ago somebody said " I remember when quarterbacks used to be football players"

 

[AbeBeta]

I'll take the flags over seeing Jim Sorgi starting

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

>>> Just how is the pass rusher supposed to tackle the QB? <<<

Didn't you get hte new rule changes? The only way a defender can tackle a QB now-adays is if he gives the QB a soft, sweet kis on the cheak. But the defended can't take his helmet off to do that because that's a penalty, and he can't let his helmet touch the QB's 'cause that's a penalty. Defenders will just have to extend their puckers past their facemask cages. The only Exception is for QBs whose last mane is Bledsoe. For them, these new rules don't apply.

**

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

I don't know about anyone else, but I am sick & tired of seeing yellow every time a QB gets sacked. I'm talking, of course, about the personal foul penalties that too often follow a clean sack. Take DeMarcus Ware's sack of Mark Brunell last night. Since he was still closing in on the QB & was not in the process of wrapping him up, Ware put his hands up to block any potential pass attempts. As he was coming forward into Brunell, Ware's helmet INADVERTENTLY hit Brunell's, causing a flag.

My question is this: How is the world can a pass rusher prevent his helmet from touching the helmet of the QB, when the pass rusher is moving into the QB with his hands up? Since there is a good chance the PR is at least as tall or taller than the QB, then it's just simple physics that the helmets are going to make contact with one another. As John Madden said after the penalty was called against Ware, looking at the replay, "They're trying to protect the QB, and I'm all for that, but it sure makes it hard on the pass rushers".

No John, it makes it IMPOSSIBLE for the pass rushers. These rules have got to change. I'm all for protecting the QBs from vicious hits with the intent of causing harm or injury, but it is getting ridiculous. If a PR's helmet touches the QB's helmet, it's a penalty. If a PR lowers his helmet to avoid helmet to helmet contact, but inadvertently hits the QB's face mask with the helmet, it's a penalty. If a PR lowers his entire body to avoid having his helmet touch any part of the QB's helmet, and the PR's helmet goes into the chest of the QB.........you guessed it-it's a penalty. The NFL, in their honest effort to protect the QB from UNSPORTSMANLIKE, VICIOUS, UNNECCESARY, STUPID, & CRUEL hits, is making it almost impossible for the pass rusher to do his job.

This crusade is creating a confetti of flags, confusing the players & fans, and is flat out slowing up an already slow game. It's time for the NFL Competition Committee to come to it's senses, and make only the above types of hits illegal. If a player accidentally touches his helmet against that of the QB in the course of trying to make a sack, then the act should be deemed inadvertent, and the game should go on with no penalty.

I felt the rain of flags during the game last night-on both sides-bordered on assinine. If the refs want to get their face on TV, then they should paint them & go into the stands like everyone else. Otherwise, let the players play!

Simple the defensive player ISN'T supposed to hit the QB. Didn't you read the NFL memos.

 

[bewareofdware]

injuties are part of the game and most qbs can take plenty of big hits take bledsoe for example

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I don't have a huge problem with the concept, just the rule needs to modified. It's like the concept of the facemask to me. Somebody can grab a facemask by accident and it won't hurt the ball carrier, but it's a dangerous aspect of the game and should get some type of punishment.

QB's are very unprotected and after seeing Aikman get killed for years, I welcome the rules towards hits to the head. But, they need to modify the rule. And like the facemask, they should charge a 5 yard penalty for accidental hits to the head and 15 yard penalties for flagrant fouls.



YAKUZA

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't have a huge problem with the concept, just the rule needs to modified. It's like the concept of the facemask to me. Somebody can grab a facemask by accident and it won't hurt the ball carrier, but it's a dangerous aspect of the game and should get some type of punishment.

QB's are very unprotected and after seeing Aikman get killed for years, I welcome the rules towards hits to the head. But, they need to modify the rule. And like the facemask, they should charge a 5 yard penalty for accidental hits to the head and 15 yard penalties for flagrant fouls.



YAKUZA

I could accept that better than what I'm seeing in todays NFL. 15 yard personal foul for barely touching a QB is just ridicules. Heck you may as get your money yardage worth and blast the QB out of his shoes the way things are now. 5 yards for incidental contact and 15 for flagrant contact

 

[MapleLeaf]

I could accept that better than what I'm seeing in todays NFL. 15 yard personal foul for barely touching a QB is just ridicules. Heck you may as get your money yardage worth and blast the QB out of his shoes the way things are now. 5 yards for incidental contact and 15 for flagrant contact

...reading this forum. When you look at the apology that Roy gave Leftwich and Ware's body gestures to pull his arms away from Brunell there was no malicious intent in either of those.

For Ware it was an accident and Roy's was a mistake. On Demarcus' I would have flagged him incidental contact at 5 yards and Roy for 15 yards for flagrant.

Roy would get the bigger one given the nature of the contact. IMO Roy's was a much bigger hit and square to the player.

 

[bobtheflob]

I think if a player lowers his head and basically headbutts the opposing QB, it should definitely be a penalty. If the rusher is trying to stay in front of the QB to block the pass, it makes it very difficult to avoid hitting him on the head. I can understand the league wanting to protect QBs from injury, but what Ware did had no chance of causing injury. Even if judgement calls by the refs can be risky, I would rather it be that way than penalizing any contact.

 

[Doomsday101]

...reading this forum. When you look at the apology that Roy gave Leftwich and Ware's body gestures to pull his arms away from Brunell there was no malicious intent in either of those.

For Ware it was an accident and Roy's was a mistake. On Demarcus' I would have flagged him incidental contact at 5 yards and Roy for 15 yards for flagrant.

Roy would get the bigger one given the nature of the contact. IMO Roy's was a much bigger hit and square to the player.

I agree. Roy roughing call last week was correct in my opinion and by the letter of the current rule Ware was guilty but as you mentioned there was a big difference between the 2 hits.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think if a player lowers his head and basically headbutts the opposing QB, it should definitely be a penalty. If the rusher is trying to stay in front of the QB to block the pass, it makes it very difficult to avoid hitting him on the head. I can understand the league wanting to protect QBs from injury, but what Ware did had no chance of causing injury. Even if judgement calls by the refs can be risky, I would rather it be that way than penalizing any contact.

I agree. I have seen teammates pat each other on the helmet harder than Ware contact last night. Hell BP love tap on the side of Flo face for a job well done was harder than what Ware did.

 

[es22]

i dont like it as well, but rules are rules.

Remeber, we got the benefit of this rule against San Diego last year. That drive resulted in a TD.

 

[MapleLeaf]

I agree. Roy roughing call last week was correct in my opinion and by the letter of the current rule Ware was guilty but as you mentioned there was a big difference between the 2 hits.

...let's all be honest with each other here. When we talk about Roy or Demarcus that's one thing, but what many have been talking about over the past week is Sean Taylor.

His hit in the Vikings game he launched himself off his feet at the player.

It resembled nothing in the least of a form tackle which you could argue Roy was alot closer to. And if there wasn't intent to hurt in that tackle, then I don't know what it was.

That was a perfect definition of flagrant intent on a defenceless player. Those in my opinion should warrant more than just the 15 yards. That's where a fine should be appropriate.

Roy should have got the penalty, but given his intent he shouldn't have got the fine. But you can see the league office's opinion. They have to be consistent. What would burn me is if they decide to fine Ware.

 

[Doomsday101]

i dont like it as well, but rules are rules.

Remeber, we got the benefit of this rule against San Diego last year. That drive resulted in a TD.

For me it is the rule itself that the league needs to change, not how it affected the Cowboys pro or con. As a fan of football I think what we are seeing in this over protection of QB's and it is a joke. Rules are rules but rules are made to be changed and the league really needs to change this rule.

 

[Clove]

NO problem. You're just ticking the defenders off more with the no contact on the QB thing, and this is why when the QB gets outside of the pocket to scramble, his life is in danger now because the players are getting revenge.

 

[vicjagger]

The next evolution is obvious: no more tackling the QB, just rip a colored flag off of his belt.

 

[31smackdown]

Dropping your head should be a penalty, but hitting a qb with the front of your facemask should definitely not be. I think there should be some judgement of harmful intent invloved... headbutting etc.. I don't see the reason for the flag when it is incidental contact

 

[VirusX]

If they keep this up eventually it will be flag football. I understand they are protecting the assets on offense but some of this is rediculous. I myself sent a nasty-gram to the NFL about some of those calls.