Open Season
Last season, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was knocked out of the playoffs after sustaining two torn knee ligaments in the AFC wild card game. Palmer suffered the injury after a low tackle by Kimo von Oelhoffen.
This off season, the NFL made a rule change to better protect quarterbacks in Palmer’s situation. According to the new rule, defenders may not hit quarterbacks below the knee when the quarterback is in the pocket and has at least one foot on the ground. Such a hit will be considered rouging the passer and will result in a 15-yard penalty,
You would think that this rule change was in response to the injury that Palmer suffered, but according to Kevin Goheen of The Cincinnati Post, that is not the case. Goheen quoted referee Ron Winter’s explanation that the issue “came before the competition committee probably a couple of years ago. It takes that long to go through the system.”
Whether or not the rule change was a result of the Bengals misfortune isn’t that important. What matters is that by instituting this new rule, the league was reinforcing its message regarding the importance of protecting the league’s quarterbacks. That message was clouded yesterday when the league stated that it would not fine nor suspend Robert Geathers for his hit on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green.
In case you missed it, Geathers clobbered Green during Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Bengals on a play where Green was scrambling and running towards out of bounds. He began to slide and was almost completely prone when Geathers came in and plowed into Green. As I was watching I immediately yelled, “Where’s the flag!”, as my understanding was that a defender couldn’t hit a sliding quarterback and I didn’t feel Geathers made any attempt to avoid the contact.
Green lay motionless for a few minutes. While I was surprised that a penalty wasn’t called, I was sure that the NFL would at least fine Geathers. You have to protect the quarterbacks don’t you. When they showed the replay, I saw that a KC player made contact with Geathers prior to the hit but it still seemed to me that Green made his slide early enough and Geathers rather than try to cushion the blow, appeared to lower his head. I’m not saying there was malicious intent, but it did appear to be unnecessary roughness.
The NFL didn’t see it my way. The AP reported that the NFL ruled in a statement by Ray Anderson, the league’s senior vice president, that Green initiated a late slide as Geathers was about to tackle him. In addition, as a Chiefs player hit Geathers in the back, he was no longer in control of his body and twisted in order to avoid driving his helmet into Green. My question is, if he wasn’t in control of his body how could he have twisted it in order to avoid a helmet-to-helmet hit?
My other question is “What’s the point of having a slide rule?” It’s not like I’m a Chiefs fan or have any Chiefs players on my fantasy football team. I actually love to see quarterbacks getting sacked. But if you are going to have rules to protect quarterbacks, you have to enforce them consistently. By ruling as it did, the NFL has all but declared open season on quarterbacks and I think the game will suffer as a result.
This off season, the NFL made a rule change to better protect quarterbacks in Palmer’s situation. According to the new rule, defenders may not hit quarterbacks below the knee when the quarterback is in the pocket and has at least one foot on the ground. Such a hit will be considered rouging the passer and will result in a 15-yard penalty,
You would think that this rule change was in response to the injury that Palmer suffered, but according to Kevin Goheen of The Cincinnati Post, that is not the case. Goheen quoted referee Ron Winter’s explanation that the issue “came before the competition committee probably a couple of years ago. It takes that long to go through the system.”
Whether or not the rule change was a result of the Bengals misfortune isn’t that important. What matters is that by instituting this new rule, the league was reinforcing its message regarding the importance of protecting the league’s quarterbacks. That message was clouded yesterday when the league stated that it would not fine nor suspend Robert Geathers for his hit on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green.
In case you missed it, Geathers clobbered Green during Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and Bengals on a play where Green was scrambling and running towards out of bounds. He began to slide and was almost completely prone when Geathers came in and plowed into Green. As I was watching I immediately yelled, “Where’s the flag!”, as my understanding was that a defender couldn’t hit a sliding quarterback and I didn’t feel Geathers made any attempt to avoid the contact.
Green lay motionless for a few minutes. While I was surprised that a penalty wasn’t called, I was sure that the NFL would at least fine Geathers. You have to protect the quarterbacks don’t you. When they showed the replay, I saw that a KC player made contact with Geathers prior to the hit but it still seemed to me that Green made his slide early enough and Geathers rather than try to cushion the blow, appeared to lower his head. I’m not saying there was malicious intent, but it did appear to be unnecessary roughness.
The NFL didn’t see it my way. The AP reported that the NFL ruled in a statement by Ray Anderson, the league’s senior vice president, that Green initiated a late slide as Geathers was about to tackle him. In addition, as a Chiefs player hit Geathers in the back, he was no longer in control of his body and twisted in order to avoid driving his helmet into Green. My question is, if he wasn’t in control of his body how could he have twisted it in order to avoid a helmet-to-helmet hit?
My other question is “What’s the point of having a slide rule?” It’s not like I’m a Chiefs fan or have any Chiefs players on my fantasy football team. I actually love to see quarterbacks getting sacked. But if you are going to have rules to protect quarterbacks, you have to enforce them consistently. By ruling as it did, the NFL has all but declared open season on quarterbacks and I think the game will suffer as a result.
posted by The Pocho at 11:53 AM
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