DUBIOUS DISTINCTION
Titans flagged frequently for violating league’s new rule
NASHVILLE — The NFL tapped firstyear Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel to narrate a video detailing the new rule on lowering the head to initiate contact, hoping the man who played 14 years as a linebacker in the league could more easily explain how players should adapt.
However, through two preseason games, the winless Titans find themselves tied with the Philadelphia Eagles for the most lowering-the-head penalties (five). The Titans were flagged three times for the new rule in an opening loss at Green Bay, then drew two more in Saturday night’s 30-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Getting it right matters because any player initiating contact with his helmet this season could be ejected after an in-game video review that is decided in New York. So far this preseason, blame either the player making contact, the speed of the game or everyone still getting used to the new rule.
“Pretty much all those are going to fall into one of those categories,” Vrabel said Sunday.
On Saturday, Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro drew one penalty for running across the field to tackle Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans at the end of a 38-yard reception on the sideline. Wide receiver Nick Williams was flagged late in the third quarter on punt coverage, costing the Titans 15 yards.
Vrabel said Vaccaro has to do a better job avoiding contact with the crown of his helmet while trying to break up the pass. The coach wasn’t sure if Williams made contact, but he noted the receiver’s head was in the linear position the NFL is trying to eliminate from the game. The Titans will turn those plays into the league for an explanation.
Vrabel said he already showed his team an NFL-produced eight-minute video of penalties in the first week of the preseason.
“We’ll keep doing that and we’ll keep coaching it and we’ll keep stressing it, and hopefully it doesn’t, one, lead to injuries, or two, cost us yards,” he said.
While the rule is new, six NFL teams that have played two preseason games have not been flagged for lowering the head to initiate contact — and the Indianapolis Colts, who face the Baltimore Ravens tonight, were not flagged in their preseason opener. Behind the Eagles and the Titans, five teams have been penalized three times apiece for violating the rule: the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers, the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. The Chicago Bears, who have played three exhibitions, also have three such penalties.
Overall, the Titans have been penalized 25 times for 258 yards this preseason.
Asked if officials might be a bit overzealous enforcing the new rule during the preseason before hopefully scaling back in the regular season, Vrabel said he wasn’t really sure.
“I try to do my job,” Vrabel said. “They ask me to provide a video, a voiceover video, on what I thought was the right way to play outside linebacker or inside linebacker taking these blocks on, tackling. I thought I tried to go through and provide examples of what was good and what was probably needed to be fixed and changed in some of the style of play.
“But they don’t tell me, ‘Hey, Coach, this is going to get scaled back in the regular season.’ I think these guys are doing what their boss and the league is just telling them to do. So if they see that position and they see contact, they’re calling it.”
That leaves Vrabel and his assistants coaching the Titans better to adjust how they play.