Pennsylvania – It is well known that one does not always agree with the decisions of referees, whether as a player, coach or expert on the sofa at home. This also applies to the NFL.
In just four days, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, 24, suffered a severe concussion after each tackle. The case made waves. © Jeff Dean/AP/dpa
Rarely, however, has a topic dominated the debates as much as dealing with the “roughing the passer” rule this season.
But what exactly is this NFL rule? In short, it can be divided into five scenarios:
- A defensive player continues to attack the quarterback after the quarterback has thrown the ball.
- A defense player takes unnecessary harsh action on the quarterback, such as “ramming into the ground” or something similar.
- A defensive player attacks the quarterback’s head or neck with his helmet, face mesh, arms, etc.
- A defensive player strikes the quarterback’s arm during or immediately after the pass.
- A defensive player attacks the quarterback below the knees.
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This is a rough summary, of course the rules are much more extensive. But there is still a lot of leeway in “roughing the passer” left to the referees to interpret. And especially in the 2022/23 season, the referees can’t find a clear line here.
Since Tua Tagovailoa’s (double) serious head injury (24) At the end of September, the referees seem to have lost all tact. And that apparently even annoys the quarterbacks themselves. For example, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (39).
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (39) also had to accept involuntary contact with the opponent several times this season. © Stacy Revere / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
On the YouTube-Kanal of former Indianapolis Colts punter Patrick “Pat” McAfee, he criticizes the sometimes exaggerated approach when a defense player brings the quarterback to the ground.
“I think I had a ‘roughing the passer’ call this year – and it was a soft[attack],” said Rodgers, who was on the show. “I just shook my head and thought, ‘I didn’t actually want that call’.”
Instead, harder, in his opinion intentional hits to the face – he was talking about earlier seasons – would not be punished.
Rodgers thinks there would be plenty of examples of over-fussy whistling this season.
And he also gave a specific reason: The NFL no longer had the best referees.
Rodgers lists a few names of former NFL umpires who he found particularly capable of their jobs – all of whom now work for TV stations.
With the reason why this is so, the star quarterback of the Green Bay Packers indirectly brings against them NFL from: “They’re all on TV now. And why?” After a short pause, he delivers the sobering answer: “Because they pay more.”
