Today's High Flying NFL

[David Deas]

Its no secret that today's NFL game is designed to yield higher scoring games than previous. The league makes no apologies for that because they feel like today's fan, in fact, *wants* to see higher scoring games. So they evolve the rules in a way that promotes higher scoring contests in order to keep so called boring defensive struggles off of our televisions. Nobody wants a soccer score. Thats why we don't like soccer.

Now. One of, and perhaps the biggest way the league regulates the scoring is by the enforcement of illegal contact. I know that a lot of Patriots fans love to acuse Bill Polian of altering the rules to favor the Colts, but that is only partially true. The illegal contact rule was placed on the rulebook in the 70's in response to stingy defenses so as to promote more scoring. But over the years its been treated like the police treat speed limit on the highway, which is to say that the rule is only sometimes payed attention to depending on what the circumstances are. And when it is payed attention to, its very subjective because the actual goal of the NFL is an average of 40 combined points scored per contest. If the yearly season average increases substantially beyond that, the league enforces the rule. If said average sinks below that, then the league lays off the rule a little bit.

Since its introduction, its been largely ingored from a strict standpoint. Recently, however, that did change when the Patriots were acused of "mugging" the Colts recievers in 2003 during the playoffs. Beforehand it was the Rams who were complaining because they also felt like the Patriots had "mugged" their recievers in the Super-Bowl.

Since then the illegal contact rule has been strictly enforced. The actual rule is a rule about hindering the progress of the receiver beyond five yards, but we see more and more touch fouls called each week.

The impact the strict enforcement of the rule had on the game across the league was absolutely stunning. And it was immediate. In 2004, Peyton Manning set new passing records emulating a lot of what Dan Marino used to do, especially with the no-huddle. Only now it was a lot, lot easier since nobody could so much as breathe on your receiver so to speak. Jake Plummer, a chump journeyman playing for the Broncos at the time, was able to throw for over 4000 yards. Thats remarkable because that was something that not even John Elway did in any of his seasons as a Bronco. All across the league everywhere, QB's had began surging statistically. Passing is up. Offenses are up. Clean releases off the line are more common. Even this season, where we have Tom Brady looking at making a run on the record, deserves a foot note because its an easier thing to accomplish in today's game than it was when Marino played.

People know how I feel about it. I think everybody on the field should be a football player. Receivers and QB's need to be tougher than what they are today. They certainly used to be. But I guess what I'm asking is your opinion on how good it is for the game? Is it fair to the defensive players to be this handicapped? And finally, is it in the spirit of football?

I know Rush is from the old school. So I definitely would like to hear his thoughts on the matter.

[Justinian]

I've always wondered, what's stopping someone from just tackling the receiver on the line of scrimmage, slamming them into the ground and bam, you can't throw to that guy?

[-Conan the Barbarian-]

They can juke and then you have a wide open receiver.

[Justinian]

They can juke and then you have a wide open receiver.

I've never seen anyone try it. I mean they try press occasionally, but just put a guy who can tackle and see what happens. They should try it in an exhibition game.

[David Deas]

I've always wondered, what's stopping someone from just tackling the receiver on the line of scrimmage, slamming them into the ground and bam, you can't throw to that guy?

Tsk. Tsk.

You know you can't tackle anybody who doesn't have the ball. You're allowed to block them or push them down if you can pull that off. But you can't grab, or hold, or tackle, or pull down anybody. That rule applies to all players on the field on both sides of the ball.

There have been certain instances where linebackers have been called on to block recievers at the line of scrimmage. Adalius Thomas has lined up over and covered Chad Johnson before. But thats not something you want to do very often. Your linebacker will get burned. After five yards its a done deal. Its a done dada.

[Rush Limbaugh]

I've always wondered, what's stopping someone from just tackling the receiver on the line of scrimmage, slamming them into the ground and bam, you can't throw to that guy?

That would be holding. You cant tackle a guy who doesnt have the ball. Thats what the bump and run is all about. Although I think its becoming a lost art. Plus you cant hit the receiver anymore after 5 yards. The try to block them to the ground or out of bounds. The problem as has been mentioned if you miss he is off to the races.

know Rush is from the old school. So I definitely would like to hear his thoughts on the matter.

I hate it. Those two calls on the Pats in the endzone were a good example. The defender has just as much right to the ball as the offensive player. Let them play.

[Gary88]

is it really an issue that they get better stats now, sure compared to the earlier greats they are incomparable but in future the benchmarks will simply be higher.


though at the same time its ridiculous to change the rules in order for players to perform better...thats just not right, its like changing the 100m to 95 and saying they run it faster

[VALIS]

It's the same when they say Barry Bonds is better than Hank Aaron, Bonds broke the record in much smaller ball parks.

[Justinian]

It's the same when they say Barry Bonds is better than Hank Aaron, Bonds broke the record in much smaller ball parks.

And he had modern strength and conditioning* to help him out, too.

*and ****ing roids

[the_mango55]

It's not that I really dislike the rule changes, they hurt the defense some and boost the offense some, but it is fairly applied throughout the league. But I do often wonder how many TD's Marino could have gotten with the same rules today.

It's the same when they say Barry Bonds is better than Hank Aaron, Bonds broke the record in much smaller ball parks.

The Giants stadium isn't any smaller than the stadiums that Hank played in.

And he had modern strength and conditioning* to help him out, too.

So do the pitchers.

[David Deas]

Excuse me. I've corrected a major typing error in the opening post.

[JP226]

Maybe with all the high scoring and league dominance they'll abandon this stupid salary cap parity. It's no fun to watch upsets anymore. Which is one of the reasons I like college football a miniscule better. But even that with limited scholarships is causing the same crap.

[David Deas]

You have to have a salary cap. Otherwise somebody could do something like buy both Manning and Brady. Its free agency that destroys everything. Don't know how you'd seperate the two though.

[JP226]

from a loyalty perspective FA sucks. A player lasts what 3 to 4 years. How the Bcs have kept Brooks and barber is beyond me. Well not completely, how they lasted to the superbowl is beyond me.

But from the parity issue of beating a team, it's "ohh, ok." There are no rivalries anymore because of it. Part of it you can give to the fact that there is a playoff system and the season only matter given wins and losses. Where as in college every game matters to a greater extent given the ranking of the team you face. However before the salary cap you actually had david and goliaths. Teams that couldn't hope of anyting other then upsetting the juggernauts. Therefore they'd train and practice for one team and when that game came about it's be the colts and pats to the 10th degree. Trickery and smash mouth football where the norm of the day. And you just don't have that now.

[David Deas]

You know thats one thing I think is an important point you mentioned. There is no loyalty in today's league. Not from the players or the coaches. The turnover is so high that a fan is really only cheering for laundry.

Inside of just a few years the Giants and the Cowboys might have completely swapped personnel with each other. Players. Coaches. Managers. Whatever. So you really have to question what you as a fan are actually cheering for. Pretty much laundry, basically. You're basically cheering for an inanimate jersey color.

[NaptownKnight]

I think the rules are the rules and they should stay that way, and be followed accordingly. Marvin Harrison was being shoved out of bounds in the 03' AFC Championship, and the Pats tough, borderline and sometimes definetly illegal coverage of Colts receivers contributed to the Pats victory.

[mrmouth]

The NFL's popularity stems from it being the most popular gambling sport. The statistics are staggering. There is this whole other world that takes place outside of the houses of guys like me who make sundays their rest day.

Without gambling the NFL isn't nearly as popular as a whole. Nobody knows that better than the NFL, and the rule changes that happen every year directly reflect that. They are quite simply turning the NFL into there own version of arena football minus the walls and short field.

[Rush Limbaugh]

Next we will need a bigger field. That would open things up. Just like should they raise the rim in Basketball now that everyone is so tall?

[mrmouth]

You guys should check out this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Bets-Drugs-Roc...4586316&sr=1-1

Its one of the better books Ive read this year. Its written by a guy who has had his hand in major Vegas casinos for 30 years, the founder of the first offshore gambling empire.

His insight into the NFL's uneasy relationship (on the surface) with gambling is priceless. Ive heard similar things for years from local sports personalities who have been on the job for 30+ years, but this guy really drives it home.

The modern game was designed for the gambler, and every year its being tweaked ever so slightly to reinforce that.

[David Deas]

We saw it tonight. Bigtime. The Seahawks have officially joined the party in the air.

They didn't even try to run the ball. They came out throwing on every down. They even used the shotgun. When have the Seahawks ever used the shotgun? Holmgren had never been smart enough to use the shotgun in his life before tonight.