Penalties have been called at a higher rate than usual over the first few weeks of this NFL seasonGETTY IMAGES
Tom Brady appeared on Westwood One radio to explain his motivation for a series of tweets "complaining about penalties" during Titans-Jaguars on "TNF," according to Mike Florio of PRO FOOTBALL TALK. Brady said, "I wasn't trying to make any point. I'm a fan of the NFL. I'm a fan of football." He added, "As a fan of the sport when I'm watching the game, I want to see good, clean, hard-nosed football. ... When I was watching the other night I decided to turn it off 'cause I didn't feel like that's what I was seeing, and that's all I was saying" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 9/23).
YELLOW TAPE: The AP's Arnie Stapleton writes yellow flags "flew at an alarming rate over the first two weeks" of the NFL season. But by last night's Bears-Redskins game, officials were "throwing half as many flags for offensive holding as they had been before the weekend." NFL Senior VP/Officiating Al Riveron "held a conference call with referees" on Saturday, where they were "instructed to stick to the backside holding calls." Officials only flagged offensive holding 45 more times the rest of the weekend after the call, an "average of three a game, down from nearly six a game before Sunday" (AP, 9/24).
FALLING STARS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Andrew Beaton writes injuries are a "key reason why 40 different quarterbacks have already started games this season -- the most in the first three weeks on a non-strike year in the Super Bowl era." The QB injuries have been "staggering," with Saints' Drew Brees, Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger, Panthers' Cam Newton, Jaguars' Nick Foles and Jets' Sam Darnold all missing game time. This "rash of injuries has upended this season's landscape" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/24). In Atlanta, Michael Cunningham wrote the retirement of star players for health reasons is "part of an existential crisis for football and its top league." There are "more questions than ever about the game's safety." Recent player safety efforts have been "undercut by the reality of top professionals quitting football because of the health risks." The NFL's "real conundrum" is that "violence is central to the game's appeal" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 9/21).
BAD PUBLICITY: In Boston, Ben Volin wrote the start of this NFL season has "been a nightmare." The "deluge of negative publicity" is "reflecting poorly on everyone -- the sport, the teams, and the players." Off the field, the NFL is "taking a beating," and this season has been "defined so far by players complaining their way off their teams." The league also has a "competitiveness problem," with the Dolphins "tanking like no football team before" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/22).
