Matthews was penalized yesterday for the body-weight rule after a tackle on Alex SmithPACKERS
Packers LB Clay Matthews believes the NFL is "getting soft" after being called for a roughing the passer penalty for the third straight week, according to Ryan Wood of the GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE. Matthews said the league is "going in a direction I think a lot of people don't like" after being penalized after sacking Redskins QB Alex Smith. Matthews: "The only thing hard about this league is the fines that they levy down on guys like me who play the game hard." Wood notes Matthews on the play in question "lowered his helmet" onto Smith's shoulder to "avoid contacting the head, wrapped both arms above his waist," and unwrapped as they hit the ground. Matthews called that a "football play," saying, "I hit him from the front, got my head across, wrapped up. I've never heard of anybody tackling somebody without any hands. When he gives himself up, as soon as you hit him, your body weight's going to go on him." Wood notes the issue last week was Matthews "lifting and driving" Vikings QB Kirk Cousins into the ground. He was penalized yesterday for the body-weight rule on a play that "looks almost identical" to the Cousins hit (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 9/24).
IS THIS FOOTBALL ANYMORE? NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes half of football fans believe Matthews' flag against the Redskins "was unjust." King asks, "How is a man supposed to play if he can't do it the way Matthews played both of these?" YAHOO SPORTS' Charles Robinson wrote if the flag for Matthews' hit on Cousins last week "drew some grousing, the one against Smith should draw nothing less than unfiltered fury." The issue "orbits one central theme: The increasingly complicated algorithm involved in legally taking down an NFL quarterback with any level of force." The rules are "all geared in favor of a quarterback position that has seemingly gotten every last rule tweak to remove it from the violence of football." The league now is "training defenses with a new message: If you hit the quarterback, don't hit him hard" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/23).NBCSN's Chris Simms said the NFL needs to "change" the rules because "it's going to ruin the sport." Simms: "They don't know what they want, and they don't know what the hell they're doing" ("PFT," NBCSN, 9/24).
TWITTER REAX: Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith: "That's literally Clay Matthews' job. If he can't make that play he can't do his job." NFL Network's Mike Garafalo: "Just saw the Clay Matthews alleged roughing the passer. What are we doing here?" The Press-Gazette's Wood: "When a player does exactly as instructed and gets a flag anyway, something is terribly wrong." Wisconsin State Journal's Tom Oates: "This is absolutely ridiculous. It's no longer football." AP's Tim Reynolds: "NFL rule 15.1.4 subsection C clearly states the following: If Clay Matthews so much as looks at another human being, it's 15 yards." Actor Michael Rapaport: "Clay Matthews should be kneeling next week." One of the few voices defending the ruling was Fox Sports' Skip Bayless, who wrote, "I understand this roughing call on Clay Matthews. He followed through with the sack and came down on Alex Smith with his full body weight and bounced on top of him. That's your potential collarbone breaker. THAT'S the new rule being enforced" (TWITTER.com, 9/23).
PROTECTING THE POCKET: ESPN's Mike Greenberg notes the lower standard for roughing the passer penalties is "completely about protecting the quarterback" ("Get Up," ESPN, 9/24). ESPN's Peter Burns wrote, "Here’s the reality about the weak roughing the passer penalties. It saves the NFL. People won’t stop watching the NFL because of penalties, but they’ll stop watching if the Star QB’s get injured. I don’t like it, but I understand it" (TWITTER.com, 9/23).
GIVE 'EM WHAT THEY WANT: ESPN's Sam Ponder noted while a "lot of talk early in this season" is about penalties, people "should be talking about" the number of touchdowns. There were an NFL-record 174 TDs in the first two weeks. The league "wanted to see more touchdowns and they got it." Ponder: "No one is complaining about that" ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 9/23).
