Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
NFL helmet rule hits on confusion
Blowback to the NFL’s updated rule that players can’t lead with their helmets to make contact is straight out of tough-guy football 101.
Hard-hitting defensive backs say the league is destroying the physical element of the game or lament that it’s changing the sport entirely.
“Do they want us to play flag football?” Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard said. “It’s crazy.”
Beyond the criticism from old-school players bristling at another rule change is legitimate confusion as to how the enhanced regulations will be enforced. No longer can a player initiate contact with his head anywhere on an opponent’s body, penalized 15 yards or possibly by ejection in egregious cases. Players and coaches — offensive guys, too — are bracing for how it will be applied.
“You just hope it’s not called as frequently, because if they are going to call it on every single offensive and defensive lineman, the game is going to be played at a snail’s pace,” San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said. “It seems like they are neglecting the impact it is going to have on the game, and I don’t think they fully
understand the scope and how huge it will be.”
Contact to a player’s head and neck has been a penalty for some time now, but this rule was ramped up to take it a step further. A ball carrier or an offensive lineman can’t lower his head into a defender, and a defensive player can’t make any part of his helmet the primary point of contact when attempting to tackle.
It’s similar to the NCAA rule that has been in place since 2013, though at the college level “targeting” carries an automatic ejection, reviewable by replay. The league estimated that just two plays last season would’ve led to an ejection under the new rule that’s forcing players to adjust their approaches.
“It’s really hard to change the way you’ve been playing after 20 years,” Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath said. “You’re not always thinking about where you’re hitting somebody. You’re just trying to get them down. As soon as you start thinking, and second-guessing yourself, I think that’s when trouble happens. Hopefully it does the job in keeping players safe but doesn’t result in a lot of ejections.”
Some players are willing to accept the reasons for changes. Denver’s three-time All-Pro linebacker Von Miller said, “They’ve put in rules to take care of all the players, as well, so I’m good with all the rule changes.”
Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll said he used to fight the evolution of football “like an old dog,” but has come to accept changes in the name of doing the right thing for players. He expects there to be a wide application of the enhanced helmet rule and doesn’t consider it such a bad thing.
That’s how Josh Norman feels about it. The Washington Redskins cornerback knows he has accidentally made helmet contact with opponents, but he considers this a reminder about sound fundamentals.
“Head up, bowed neck, tackle with your facemask,” Norman said. “It’s not with the crown of your head. Obviously injuries come. People get paralyzed like that. Nobody should play like that.”
To get the message across, coaches Anthony Lynn of the San Diego Chargers, Doug Marrone of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dan Quinn of the Atlanta Falcons, Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans and Todd Bowles of the New York Jets each narrated a clip-by-clip video illustrating how the enhanced rule affects a different position group. Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin and linebackers Willie Lanier, also a Hall of Famer, and Willie McGinest taped minute-long videos explaining to players the importance of stance posture and technique to avoid unnecessary head contact.
In the first test of the heightened emphasis on head contact, Baltimore linebackers Patrick Onwuasor and Kamalei Correa were each flagged for 15-yard penalties in the Hall of Fame game that opened the preseason Thursday. Watching that gave Denver Coach Vance Joseph a glimpse of what effect the helmet rule will have.
“Coaching that part, in my opinion, is going to be the tough part — not the defenders,” Joseph said. “That’s been taught and that’s been coached for a long time, with the offensive guys using their stiff arm and putting the ball in the proper hand, using their shoulders versus their head.”