Tom Brady takes issue with NFL officiating
doubledragon
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Tom Brady's comments on NFL officiating have gone viral, and he says it's not a defenders job to protect offensive players.
Buccaneers QB Tom Brady has surprising issue with NFL officiating
Tom Brady is widely considered to be the greatest quarterback of all time. Like others at his position, Brady has benefited in recent years from seemingly constant rule changes that tilt in favor of offenses. Believe it or not, he’s not in favor of some of them.
Brady shared some of his thoughts this week on the way NFL has placed on emphasis on protecting skill position players. He said that has resulted in the game “not being taught the right way” and that the NFL is “penalizing defensive players for offensive mistakes.”
“I feel like they penalize defensive players for offensive mistakes.”
“If you’re a quarterback, you’ve gotta protect yourself and your players,” Brady said. “It shouldn’t be the responsibility of your opponent to protect you. It creates really bad habits for players. You feel like I can basically do anything. I can run and not slide. I can throw my receiver into coverage and not have any repercussion for it.
“They’re actually gonna blame the defensive player for making a good, solid hit. Now the defensive player is like, ‘Oh, I can’t do that even though I feel like it was an offensive mistake.”
The NFL would counter that rewarding quarterbacks for mistakes is nothing more than an unintended consequence. The priority — at least they say — is protecting defenseless players.
Brady said the same is also true for when quarterbacks get clobbered. He mentioned a play during a Chicago Bears’ preseason game where a blitzer leveled Justin Fields and was called for a penalty. In Brady’s eyes, the offense was rewarded for a mistake with 15 free yards.
Brady has been around forever and may not be going away anytime soon, but it sounds like he prefers the old school way of doing things.
Comments
Personally, I think he's right, the NFL has gotten a bit soft, I mean, you look at a quarterback the wrong way, 15 yard penalty.
He is right, but don’t try to be mr outspoken of the NFL now that your in your golden years. I mean for the past 20 years we hear him dance around questions better than anyone and now he wants to talk straight up?
And look at the way that hit was delivered - all shoulder to chest and shoulder. Tremendous clean hit.
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I wasn't trying to say it was a dirty hit. I just like that clip.
Tom Brady has benefitted more than most by the rules changes. in fact, at least the "tuck rule" came to be because of him. understanding that makes it sort of disingenuous to suddenly want to chastise the NFL. besides, this is a slippery slope the NFL has been on since the early 1970's, getting worse every year, and Belichick is a master and working between the rules.
most rules in Sports tend to even out over time, when they adversely affect one aspect of the game rule changes pull back toward the center. sometimes I wonder if the NFL is more interested in high scoring or close games. the League seems to like stuff such as 24-21 or 21-17 instead of 31-10, but they'll settle for the occasional 45-41 type game. the rule changes seem determined to even the offense and the score, yet Teams like New England, KC, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Seattle manage to outwit things and stay ahead.
the only place where the NFL has been successful is with the NFC East, but who wants a division where everyone sucks???