NFL fans and media are in an uproar over the new roughing the passer rule that prohibits defensive players from driving QB’s to the ground and landing on them with their full body weight. Yesterday, Clay Matthews was flagged for the second time in two weeks with a borderline roughing call, only adding to the outrage. Colin disagrees with those railing against the rule.
Today in The Herd, he said that the NFL taking additional steps to protect quarterbacks is good for the overall product, even if it means some questionable flags because there’s nothing worse for the game than losing star quarterbacks to injury and being forced to watch a sub par back up replacement.
Defensive players might not like the rule, but ultimately they aren’t why most people tune in to watch the game. Matthews knows from experience after watching his own team’s playoff aspirations go up in smoke, after Aaron Rodgers was lost for most of last season and replaced with backup Brett Hundley.
No one wants to watch Brett Hundley, they want to watch Rodgers. Anything the NFL can do to prevent that from happening is the right move.