NFL will look at making QBs safer

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Thanks to a broken collarbone on a run-of-the-mill sack, the Green Bay Packers are without Aaron Rodgers. Their rivals in the NFC North, the Chicago Bears, are without Jay Cutler thanks to a bum leg, which also wasn't the result of some sort of illegal hit.

Game after game, NFL quarterbacks get sacked, get hurt -- and miss starts. Of the 15 games on this week's schedule, nine -- 60 percent -- feature at least one team that has been forced to change its quarterback because of injury this season.

One of the two teams with a bye, St. Louis, lost its No. 1 guy, 2010 top overall draft pick Sam Bradford, for the season. Bradford, who tore a ligament in his left knee last month, is one of nine quarterbacks on injured reserve in 2013, the second most through 10 weeks in any of the past 15 seasons, according to STATS.

rest - http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9977321/nfl-discuss-expanding-rules-protect-quarterbacks

[MOtorboat]

Good grief. How?

[dogfish]

god save us. . .


:rolleyes:

[Denver Native (Carol)]

Good grief. How?

from article - this is what Warren Moon said


"I don't think there's much more you can do. It's as good as it's going to get, unless you put flags on them."

[Denver Native (Carol)]

another good point Moon made:


He pointed to today's spread offenses, with empty backfields and fewer players hanging back to help in pass protection, as a major reason games are averaging 2.65 sacks, a half-sack more per game than in 2010, for example. That's on pace for the highest rate since the 2.67 in 1986.

[Pudge]

another good point Moon made:



Maybe they will make it illegal for a quarterback to be passed the line of scrimmage :lol:

[Poet]

It's going to hit critical mass. I honestly think players will illegally hit the QB because they're going to get flagged anyway.

[Dapper Dan]

I've always thought the new rules the past few years have made it worse. The new rules favor passing. People start passing more. That gives a greater chance of the quarterback and receiver of getting hit. It's kind of an unintended side effect.

[Poet]

Quarterbacks are made for hitting - God.

[Dapper Dan]

They should just outlaw the forward pass and bring back teboe.

[Broncos Mtnman]

How about backyard football rules?

One Mississippi . . . Two Mississippi . . . Three Mississippi

Then rush the QB.

For additional protection, make it two hand touch below the waist after that.

:whoknows:

[Dzone]

Ban defensive players from steroids and just let offensive players take them. Problem solved.

[OrangeHoof]

"Put a dress on 'em" - Jack Lambert, former Steeler linebacker.

[Dapper Dan]

I think this all is happening so Tom Brady can wear a dress.

[Dzone]

"Put a dress on 'em" - Jack Lambert, former Steeler linebacker.
I grew up wantiing top look like Lambert...I had my front teeth broke out and never wore the false teeth from the dentist clear thru highschool. My mom begged me to put my front teeth in. I looked like a damned redneck, ok was a damnned redneck ok, I said it ...I actually thought it was cool at the time ...kids do weird things

[TXBRONC]

from article - this is what Warren Moon said

Just before I saw this post I was thinking the same thing. The only way to make the game safer is to put flags on them.

Quarterbacks have gotten their collar bones broken before playing football but now all of the sudden they have to look into making the game safer. If this had been a guy like Hoyer, Henne, Foles, or Smith this wouldn't be an issue.

[Northman]

Someone needs to remind Goodell this is football, not badminton.

[OrangeHoof]

He pointed to today's spread offenses, with empty backfields and fewer players hanging back to help in pass protection, as a major reason games are averaging 2.65 sacks, a half-sack more per game than in 2010, for example.

And since Moon ran the Run n Shoot offense with the Oilers, with no TE and one RB with four WRs, he knows what he is speaking about. Except now the "running quarterback" is en vogue so you have RG3 and others taking off and running.

Another point to consider is that the QB often has less padding than the others because he needs full motion in his throwing shoulder. Therefore, he is more prone to shots while running because he has less padding. The other position which generally has the least padding? Wide receiver, because their game is all about speed to go deep or get open so they want as little weight slowing them down as possible.

[BroncoJoe]

Good grief. How?

one banana, two banana, three banana....

[Ravage!!!]

They can make a rule that only so many players can go out into pass routes, and that you MUST have a player (other than the QB) in the backfield. Define the backfield as between the tackles (like the 'box') and thus always keeping an extra blocker in to protect the QB.

[Ravage!!!]

I've always thought the new rules the past few years have made it worse. The new rules favor passing. People start passing more. That gives a greater chance of the quarterback and receiver of getting hit. It's kind of an unintended side effect.

This is a good point, BUT.... the QB USED to get hammered nearly every play. They would drop back, the QB would get clobbered after he threw the ball. The QB in the old days, took a LOT more hits than they do now.

Colleges have started putting some of their better athletes on defense. In the past, the best athletes generally were put on offense. Now, those talla 220 athletes are made into DBs instead of WRs. Those super fast studs aren't just put at LBs, but DEs.... and this is because (as you pointed out) the rules have been made for a passing game. Thus, getting TO the passer is just as important as being able to pass.

[Joel]

If this had been a guy like Hoyer, Henne, Foles, or Smith this wouldn't an issue.
Or, for some bizarre reason, Peyton Manning. Generally speaking, I think they've done more than enough to protect QBs (I promise Kevin Vickerson agrees,) but it sure would be nice if they called the penalties CONSISTENTLY, rather than flagging EVERY hit by some teams/on some players then promptly ignoring EVERY hits by other teams/on other players. Same with the rules on DBs; our secondary's often flagged for tangled feet and other incidental contact, yet opponents get to bump OUR receivers "at the line" for 10-15 yds downfield and Seattles DBs wear the moniker "Legion of Boom" with pride.

Call it tight or call it loose; I genuinely don't care: Just call it THE SAME for EVERYONE. And may the better team win, whether it's a game of flag football or rugby.