Rams propose "Tom Brady rule"
doubledragon
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Evidently, the Rams are bitter about the Tom Brady double pass last season. This article is hot off the press!
It's not often that an NFL quarterback gets away with completing two passes on one play, but that's what Tom Brady did to the Rams last season, and now the Rams are proposing a rule change to make sure no one else ever gets stuck in the situation that they found themselves in last November.
Under the Rams' proposed rule, teams will lose a down if they throw a second forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage or if they throw a pass from behind the line of scrimmage after the ball has already crossed the line of scrimmage. This might seem like a very specific rule, but the Rams are proposing it because of what happened with Brady back in Week 11.
On a third-and-10 play for the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter, a pass thrown by Brady was batted back to him and he responded by throwing another pass, which ended up being an 8-yard completion to Mike Evans.
The officials saw the second pass and threw a flag, but it left the Rams in a tough spot. If they accepted the penalty, it would only be for 5 yards, which means Brady and the Buccaneers offense would get to come back on the field for a third-and-15. If they declined the penalty, the second pass would COUNT and the Buccaneers would be facing a fourth-and-2.
From the Rams' point of view, there was nothing fair about this situation. Even though Brady committed an egregious penalty, the Buccaneers were either going to get another down (if penalty is accepted) or gain 8 yards (if penalty is declined). The Rams ended up declining the penalty and Brady got credited for an 8-yard pass (The Buccaneers also decided to punt on fourth-and-2 from their own 42 in a game they would lose 27-24).
When someone throws a forward pass from beyond the line of scrimmage, the penalty is 5 yards and a loss of down, and that's the same punishment the Rams want for anyone who throws two passes. If the Rams' proposal had been in place, they would have accepted the penalty on Brady and the Buccaneers would have faced a fourth-and-15.
If this rule gets voted through, we can go ahead and call it the "Tom Brady rule" because the Rams would have never proposed it if Brady hadn't done it against them.
Comments
already has the tuck rule
What is the Tom Brady tuck rule?
According to NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2, it is when an offensive player is holding the ball to pass it forward. Any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body
I have long thought that every offensive penalty* should result in a loss of down, so I'd be OK with this rule.
p.s. alternatively, take away the automatic first down from defensive penalties
the NFL needs to take a long, hard look at ALL their penalties and make some wholesale changes. they could start with this and other Offense penalties. the Team should lose a down.
another one that should change is PI calls. it makes no sense that Offensive PI moves the ball back 10 yards and they get the down replayed. defensive PI might be a 40-50 yard gain and a first down: it should be the same, 10 yards. and with Offensive PI they should lose the down.
I don't know what the right way to do pass interference is. I am adamantly opposed to making penalties an offensive strategy so the whole "chuck it up on 3rd & 37 and hope for contact" makes me ill. Same with Aaron Rodgers false-starting 5 times on the same play to try and draw an offsides "free play". But...in the case of PI I'm not sure what the right answer would be. I don't like the idea of the defense tackling a guy when they're beat to prevent a touchdown. But I also hate the idea of intentionally underthrown passes intended to draw the DB into running into the receiver.
There's a happy medium in there somewhere, I just don't know what it is.
p.s. Without a doubt, offensive PI is not punished enough. Should be AT LEAST 10 + a down, if not 15 + a down - or more.
the NFL is peculiar, on some penalties they have changed but on others such as these they remain entrenched in the past. an example is that it used to be a penalty to help the runner. now the OL's eagerly run to the pile and push the runner along. another play that was discussed here was the Cleveland fumble out of the KC endzone. that should be changed, also.
That was a weird play.
The Rams should be thankful they were able to get rid of that stupid Goff contract and try to figure out a way to win a Super Bowl