Could the helmet rule change help the Colts?

[Dustin]

Marshawn Lynch

AP as well.

[AntonMcG]

AP as well.

 

And everyone else...

[Valpo2004]

It wont affect anybody really. Most rbs dont use their head anyway to spear a db. They're only calling it if it is obvious. MJD would be the only rb in our division who might have done this but I cant recall him ever doing it before. People's reaction to the rule is way overblown for the most part.

 

That's what I keep thinking.  Everyone is complaining about the new rules ruining the league, but yet they keep watching.

 

League isn't ruined until people stop watching.

[Narcosys]

It wont affect anybody really. Most rbs dont use their head anyway to spear a db. They're only calling it if it is obvious. MJD would be the only rb in our division who might have done this but I cant recall him ever doing it before. People's reaction to the rule is way overblown for the most part.

I disagree. All RB's typically lower their head before contact to get lower than the defender. The refs will have to make the call real time which will be difficult and mostly non reviewable.

[AntonMcG]

New helmet rule was passed... almost unanimously, Bengals being the only team that voted against it.

 

Anyone who thinks this won't effect all RBs are kidding themselves, they will need to completely change their technique when coming upon contact with a square-footed defender straight ahead.

[Jason_]

New helmet rule was passed... almost unanimously, Bengals being the only team that voted against it.

 

Anyone who thinks this won't effect all RBs are kidding themselves, they will need to completely change their technique when coming upon contact with a square-footed defender straight ahead.

 

Honestly I'm surprised it passed so easily.  I thought that if it passed it would be by a very narrow margin.  I'm not crazy about this rule but I guess we'll have to wait and see how it truly affects the game.  I'm glad the tuck rule is gone and hopefully they make some adjustment to the "contact to the head of the QB" rule.  It's ridiculous when a player gets flagged because he throws his arms in the air to try to deflect the pass but he winds up barely swatting the helmet of the QB drawing a flag.  I also think the roughing the kicker and punter rules are a bit over the top.  As easy as it is to get a roughing the punter penalty, I don't think I would ever call for any kind of rush on the punter if I were a ST coach.

[Balzer40]

This is a terrible rule. Refs are going to have an almost impossible task trying to figure out how to objectively call this penalty. 

[John Waylon]

:HFire:

 

The way the NFL explains it, this is a rule that will only come into effect a handful of times a season, if even that.

 

It's not going to change the way the game is played down to down.

 

People hear "rule change" and the automatic response ensues:
 

"ZOMG, czar goddell is gonna turn da N * L into a game of freeze tag ZOMG HE SUXXXX!"

 

People don't even pay attention to what the actual rule entails.

[The Fish]

John Dee is correct about the motivation behind this rule change. When the Concussion law suit goes down, this is the type of thing the game can do now to make sure politicians don't start making these changes for the game. 

This is a no win situation. I can actually see this rule causing more helmet to helmet contact.

[AntonMcG]

Honestly I'm surprised it passed so easily.  I thought that if it passed it would be by a very narrow margin.  I'm not crazy about this rule but I guess we'll have to wait and see how it truly affects the game.  I'm glad the tuck rule is gone and hopefully they make some adjustment to the "contact to the head of the QB" rule.  It's ridiculous when a player gets flagged because he throws his arms in the air to try to deflect the pass but he winds up barely swatting the helmet of the QB drawing a flag.  I also think the roughing the kicker and punter rules are a bit over the top.  As easy as it is to get a roughing the punter penalty, I don't think I would ever call for any kind of rush on the punter if I were a ST coach.

 

It was always passing, because it was an owners vote. They are the ones that are going to have to fork out the cash for all this concussion liability stuff. This is a huge PR stunt to appear to be continuing to make the game safer.

[HtownColt]

@RobertMathis98: Message to "Pocket Hercules" "All Day" & "BeastMode" and other RBs..... #YouMadBro?

[bestQBever]

I have no idea how you came to this conclusion. Turner and Jacobs are actually less likely to be effected as they will be 'inside the tackle box' more when they run... it's the open space guys who will be flagged. Most RB runs end with the runner lowering his head.

oh. i didn't read the rule to well then cuz i didn't know about the 'inside the tackle box' part. that changes a lot.

[colts_mp]

what about our rb's?

[Steagles]

I just say call it the "NFL"

National Flag Football League

All these rules are just getting out of hand. Football is a violent game. When you sign your contract, you're basically signing your life away imo. You don't wanna get hurt? Don't play, it's quite simple actually

That is just plain silly. The NFL is up to their a$$es in lawsuit from former players now. It will only get worse in the future. I don't think you will even recognize the game in ten years.....

No it's not. He's right. Football is a violent sport. You know when you sign your contract that there's a possibility you could have an injury like Eric LeGrand, and be paralyzed. You also know that you could end up like Junior Seau with a concussion, that leads to suicidal thoughts and or attempts later on down the line. Every sport has his injury risks, and in football, the injuries just happen to be more violent, contact based injuries.

Ps you're here too? Did you get run off of PD?

[trueblueblood]

Next step: instead of tackling, politely ask the opposing ball carrier to lie down.

[Restored]

:HFire:

The way the NFL explains it, this is a rule that will only come into effect a handful of times a season, if even that.

It's not going to change the way the game is played down to down.

People hear "rule change" and the automatic response ensues:

"ZOMG, czar goddell is gonna turn da N * L into a game of freeze tag ZOMG HE SUXXXX!"

People don't even pay attention to what the actual rule entails.

Pretty sure this was also said after 2003 when BP pushed for PI/illegal contact to get changed. I remember people saying that it wouldn't change things that much. Now you have Matt Stafford throwing for 5,000 yards in a season years later.

This rules effects maybe won't be noticed its first year in but it will have a long term say in the direction of the game.

[Insert Colts Pun Here]

It wont change nothing, Goodell cant seem to get it through his thick skull that bodies flying around the field at a high rate of speed that are trying to bring another player down will inevitably more often then not jar the neck causing the head to snap back or forward thereby increasing the chances of a helmet to helmet hit regardless of the players or positions involved, Physics 101. I'd suggest Goodell take that class

I actually like this rule change (it seems that I'm the only one that does!).

Nobody is saying that every time helmets clash there will be a penalty. Incidental contact will not draw a flag. A 15 yard penalty will occur when it is deemed that the player intentionally charged with his helmet using it as a weapon. Players will still be able to protect themselves and the ball and there will still be instances of helmet to helmet contact that go unpunished.

[Jason_]

I actually like this rule change (it seems that I'm the only one that does!).

Nobody is saying that every time helmets clash there will be a penalty. Incidental contact will not draw a flag. A 15 yard penalty will occur when it is deemed that the player intentionally charged with his helmet using it as a weapon. Players will still be able to protect themselves and the ball and there will still be instances of helmet to helmet contact that go unpunished.

 

Well I hope that you're right, I truly do.  However, there are a lot of times there is contact to the head of a QB that is nothing more than incidental contact but that still gets flagged.  Happens way too often imo.  I'd love to see that rule adjusted but I also realize that trying to determine exactly what happened at live speed can be difficult.