NFL Playoffs - Divisional Round game thread

[Harry Hooper]

Perhaps when that DL picked up Jim McMahon and body-slammed him to the turf after the ball was long gone? That incident might have been after the play was over.

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[CFB_Rules]

Not if he was throwing a screen pass, or throwing the ball into the ground to avoid a sack. QBs do that all the time and occasionally they still get hit late. I've never seen it on fourth down though, but in the history of the NFL it has to have happened before. I'm just asking CFB what would happen in that scenario. I suspect they'd treat the QB *very* differently than the WR. Like if Brady tried to dump a screen to Fournette on that play and the ball hit the ground a split second before Brady got absolutely lit up by Aaron Donald, and they called roughing, I'm 100% convinced the Bucs would retain possession there. Because....QB.

Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but it would be enforced as a live-ball foul.

 

[BaseballJones]

Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but it would be enforced as a live-ball foul.

Ok so we agree that even though the ball would have hit the ground and the play would have been over, and possession would have changed hands, the ball still would have gone back to the Bucs because it's the QB involved instead of the WR.

So.....WHY? What's the difference? I understand wanting to protect the QB. But they're also trying to protect defenseless receivers from those kinds of hits too. And in both cases there's a 15-yard penalty being assessed. But why would the Bucs keep the ball if the hit was on Brady rather than Evans? What's the logic behind that?

 

[Van Everyman]

The NFL is the absolute worst when it comes to rules. I get that the pro leagues are all struggling in a 4K TV era to balance accuracy with pace of play. But after years of not having any clue what constitutes a catch, the ongoing inconsistency over pass interference (in an era where passing is king), and now this eye-in-the-sky/“Let’s go to NY” thing which should be good but isn’t, NFL officiating has become this X-factor in every game and it sucks.

Officiating for political or PR instead of competitive reasons will always be a disaster. Which is partly why when there is any discussion of changing rules to improve the quality of the game I fully expect it will be porked in the execution.

 

[CFB_Rules]

So.....WHY? What's the difference? I understand wanting to protect the QB. But they're also trying to protect defenseless receivers from those kinds of hits too. And in both cases there's a 15-yard penalty being assessed. But why would the Bucs keep the ball if the hit was on Brady rather than Evans? What's the logic behind that?

Probably nobody thought it would be a potential problem. A close examination of definitions may help shine some light. A defenseless receiver is one that is attempting to catch a pass. If the pass hits the ground it's a dead ball, thus the player is no longer attempting to catch it and is no longer defenseless. Strictly from a rules perspective, any illegal contact after that point would be a late hit after the play. This is where over-announcing can get a Referee in trouble. If you just announce "After the play, Personal Foul, Unnecessary Roughness, #XX, Defense. The offense failed to make the line-to-gain and team XX will keep the ball. First down, team XX.". Then you leave no room for argument.

 

[DJnVa]

Probably nobody thought it would be a potential problem. A close examination of definitions may help shine some light. A defenseless receiver is one that is attempting to catch a pass. If the pass hits the ground it's a dead ball, thus the player is no longer attempting to catch it and is no longer defenseless.

That makes sense in the sense that the ball is dead, but makes no sense in that a receiver could still be in the position he is because he attempted to catch the ball. He doesn't immediately become able to defend himself when the ball hits the ground.

 

[BaseballJones]

Probably nobody thought it would be a potential problem. A close examination of definitions may help shine some light. A defenseless receiver is one that is attempting to catch a pass. If the pass hits the ground it's a dead ball, thus the player is no longer attempting to catch it and is no longer defenseless. Strictly from a rules perspective, any illegal contact after that point would be a late hit after the play. This is where over-announcing can get a Referee in trouble. If you just announce "After the play, Personal Foul, Unnecessary Roughness, #XX, Defense. The offense failed to make the line-to-gain and team XX will keep the ball. First down, team XX.". Then you leave no room for argument.

I get that. But if the late hit happens to the QB, they give the ball back to the offense. Makes no sense.

 

[ifmanis5]

The ratings were as good as expected.
View: https://twitter.com/paulsen_smw/status/1486001132614950928

Viewership for all four Divisional Round windows up double-digits from last year. Bills-Chiefs tops the 40M mark: