ESPN article on how to improve defensive play in NFL

[SCO96]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/286783/want-to-save-nfl-defense-these-five-rules-might-even-the-playing-field

There are 31 quarterbacks -- THIRTY-ONE -- completing at least 60 percent of their passes. Sixteen of them have at least 15 touchdown passes after nine weeks and 16 wide receivers are on pace for 100 receptions. Statistics that were once milestones have become business as usual.

"[The NFL] made it that way; it’s what they want," said Champ Bailey, a 12-time Pro Bowl cornerback. “I look at it now and think if you’re on defense, they don’t let you do a damn thing to stop it. It's not a fair fight anymore."

This article is pretty long but I recommend reading it if you enjoy defensive football. I'll list the suggestions below.

1. Make illegal contact a five-yard penalty, not an automatic first down

“The punishment doesn’t fit the infraction. You stop somebody on a third-and-12 and a flag goes down for a touch foul 25 yards from the play and it’s an automatic first down. Let defenses play second-and-5, third-and-5," said ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen, a former safety who played in 77 games in his seven-year career with the Rams, Packers, Redskins and Bills

2. Expand the chuck zone to 10 yards

Denver Broncos defensive back Chris Harris Jr. said “that one would work right now, right this second, but that’s why (the league) will never do it because they know it would work. That's a fair fight, I'd love that.”

3. Enforce downfield blocking rules

Just seek an opinion on this one these days and defensive coaches around the league say -- loudly -- offenses are repeatedly scoring touchdowns on plays, especially run-pass option plays, that should be flagged as penalties because linemen are “four, five, six yards down the field,” Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe said.

The rule is on the books “and they just need to call it,” Wolfe said. “The linebacker has no chance, he’s playing run because the linemen are run blocking down the field before the throw.”

4. Enforce offensive pass interference on pick plays

“That one is totally off,” Bailey said. “(Offenses) are picking every play in a bunch formation, and in the red zone, and offense and defense are committing the same amount, but for every three or four on defense called, you might get one on offense. Just call it. Especially in the middle of the field where the umpire used to be.”

5. Add an eighth official to crew

“But that middle of the field area where the umpire was is where a lot of these fouls are getting missed,” Jeff Fisher said. “The eighth official can then handle all that stuff in the middle of the field where the umpire used to be. College puts guys there, they’re used to playing it, we need to put that back, that guy on the defensive side. We have the feeder system, guys are already officiating that area of the field in college.

“Also flip the referee and the umpire, put the referee looking into the face of (a right-handed quarterback),” Fisher said. “ ... Then the referee has a better view of hits on the quarterback because he’s not looking through the back of the quarterback and the umpire has a better view too

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“Look, when I was with the Bears (1986-1995), we had a goal board -- hold a team to less than 17 points, 200 yards passing, 40 percent completions," said Dave McGinnis, who spent 30 years in the NFL. “Hell, that’s a quarter now, now your board would be 35 points, 500 yards and 65 percent passing. Defensive guys are just hanging on right now and they don’t have tenure, you know. People are going to get fired year after year because their hands are tied.”

Bailey said: “You can’t touch the quarterback, you can’t touch the receiver ... there isn’t much left ... You have to play top down, make tackles in front of you, catch, tackle, catch, tackle, don’t let anything over your head and close it down in the red zone. That’s all you have.”

Any thoughts on this? Could you see the current NFL adopting "any" of these suggestions? Do you think any of the above suggestions are bad for the game?

[MountaineerChemist10]

#5 definitely in the next few seasons. #1 eventually.

[RumHam]

Number 4 gets called very selectively, and when it is, that game is overly rigged. Pretty sure it happened to us and happened to Pats.

[trueblade]

14 minutes ago, SCO96 said:

“Look, when I was with the Bears (1986-1995), we had a goal board -- hold a team to less than 17 points, 200 yards passing, 40 percent completions," said Dave McGinnis, who spent 30 years in the NFL.

I find it interesting I've heard a similar goals from Rivera, specifically the 17 points. This ain't 85 anymore.

As long as offense = ratings and ratings = money, I don't see the incentive for the owners to make any of these rule changes. Teams with defensive minded head coaches need to understand and adapt to more high tempo, wide open offenses.

[Growl]

I've been thinking about this lately. Rules that would restore competitive balance to the sport.

 

It doesn't matter though. The NFL wants this. They don't care about the overall quality of the sport. 

They've been indoctrinated into believing that more points equals more money. Vegas, fantasy football, the promise of expanding the game to countries teams dread having to go to. This is what matters to the NFL, and the League thinks air raid passing offenses are how they get that.

 

[NAS]

I agree with all of these.  

[Panthercougar68]

The automatic 1st down on a holding needs to change yesterday. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a QB like Rodgers or Big Ben scramble for 30 seconds on a 3rd and 15 and the pass fall incomplete just for a little flag to come out of no where because the 3rd WR got his jersey tugged for a  split second.

[RumHam]

17 minutes ago, Growl said:

I've been thinking about this lately. Rules that would restore competitive balance to the sport.

 

It doesn't matter though. The NFL wants this. They don't care about the overall quality of the sport. 

They've been indoctrinated into believing that more points equals more money. Vegas, fantasy football, the promise of expanding the game to countries teams dread having to go to. This is what matters to the NFL, and the League thinks air raid passing offenses are how they get that.

 

They want it to be the NBA, b/c millenials love the NBA and that's the future.

[Jesse]

Wolfe mentioned specifically the Chiefs were the #1 suspects for the offensive linemen going downfield. I think that should be enforced. I do think the rule book needs to come back in to favor for the DB's. I think #4, OPI, is probably the biggest game changer.

[Lumps]

What's more exciting to the casual fan (majority of fans) than a touchdown?

Nothing.

Pat attention to how loud stadiums get when there's a touchdown vs. a pick 6 or safety. Even when the game is on the line. They're louder and more exicted, these are everyday casual fans who go to games out of boredom.

Thus the NFL has adapted and changed the rules to support the offense doing as such.

[SCO96]

Rule #1 should be a no brainer.

In the past #3 (down field blocking) seemed to called more. That would be an easy fix if the rule were simply enforced.

I could see the league adding an 8th official (#5) down the line.

I can't see the NFL ever expanding the chuck area (#2) to 10 yards or penalizing pick plays/rub routes (#4). The short passing games would be affected and teams couldn't just dink you up and down the field anymore.

I can see why some  teams are sometimes hesitant to hand out big dollar contracts to defensive players these days. The Rams are 9-1 and have two of the best interior lineman (Donald and Suh) in the NFL and signed a couple of FA defensive backs in the off season.  They've still given up over 30 points four times (45 in their one loss to the Saints). They nearly gave up 30 in another tight game (27 to GB ).

The only teams that didn't score 20 on them were the Raiders, Cardinals, and 49ers (w/out Jimmy G)...three of the most offensively challenged teams in the NFL.

[Panthercougar68]

What bothered me was they turned up the holding calls by DB's after Manning and the Broncos got slapped around by the Seahawks. 

[Jackofalltrades]

Yep. 

[tondi]

Its unfortunate because it's taken a team game and turned it into a simple question of who has the best QB.  Defense doesn't really matter any more so the days of winning consistently with a great defense and a so so QB are over.  To a lesser degree the same can be said for traditional RBs.  A guy like CJ Anderson would be a key cog in a balanced, not entirely QB focused, offense a few years ago and now he can't even get on the field.  Luckily we have a great QB but that won't always be the case.