NFL will consider targeting review rule
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The NFL is considering a new rule that could make targeting a player’s head or neck area a reviewable offense for ejection during a game. The NCAA adopted this rule a few years ago, and Troy Vincent, the NFL’s football operations chief, said the league will discuss the issue with the competition committee and the NFLPA in the offseason.
“I think it is something that we have to consider,” Vincent said. “We’ve seen that it has worked to a certain degree. We think there have been some positives and we have talked to some of the conferences and the officials there, as well as with some student-athletes.
“It is a deterrent and something that we will consider; it is one of our agenda items to discuss during the offseason as we speak to the coaches and the competition committee. It needs to be discussed because there are a lot of other ramifications that come along with that. It is on our agenda to be discussed beginning in February.”
Steelers players believe it will make an already difficult game much harder.
“It’s stupid because even a 15-yard play can be very detrimental,” defensive end Cameron Heyward said. “Now you’re really costing a team a player?”
Defensive end Stephon Tuitt had first-hand experience with the rule when he was at Notre Dame. Tuitt was kicked out of a game against Pitt at Heinz Field in November 2013, a few months before the Steelers selected him in the draft.
“I got kicked out of a game, so I don’t have a good reaction to it,” Tuitt said. “I was in the position where someone was trying to get a first down. It’s all about making a football play after that. That will be the biggest question: When are you able to call it? When is it appropriate to make that call?”
“In my opinion it will be always be a questionable call. Not one time will that call be made and will everyone like that call, especially a defensive player. If you’re an offensive player they’re asking for that guy to get kicked out. For the defensive side, it would really put you in a hole and a pickle.”
If the NFL instituted that rule it might have to consider giving teams more leeway with their game-day rosters. Currently, teams are allowed to dress 46 players for games. With injuries and possible ejections depth charts could be thinned considerably if the rule is enforced.
The idea behind the rule is to change the behavior of players, but Tuitt said his game did not change after he was kicked out of the Pitt game.
“No, not really,” he said. “That situation, I never tried to do that in the first place. When you play football you’re trying to do a hard hit. When that happened to me, it was a thirdand-1, and I’m trying to stop them from getting a first down.”
Injury report
Linebacker Tyler Matakevich (shoulder) and receiver Antonio Brown (toe) did not practice Thursday. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt (knee) was limited. Safety Mike Mitchell (ankle) and tight end Vance McDonald (ankle) were full participants for the second consecutive day.