The NFL really needs to do something about roughing the passer

[dolphins4life]

I just saw that hit in the 49ers Seahawks game.

This happens all the time and it is ruining the game.

Players should decide the outcome of the games.

Roughing the passer penalties are getting out of control

[Pappy13]

Not gonna happen as long as the QB's make as much money for the NFL that they do. The roughing the passer penalties are ugly to look at from time to time, but not nearly as ugly as watching 3rd string QB's play. You can't have your stars on the sidelines with concussions or worse.

[fyo]

Tannehill has been on the receiving end of a handful of very late hits this season and none have been flagged. One against Baltimore last week had Tannehill release the ball and complete his follow through, after which the defender took another step, then launched and hit Tannehill with the shoulderpad right in the lower facemask (itself a penalty, regardless of timing, due to the "head or neck area" rule).

I've seen late hits on Brady and Manning as well, this season, so my very subjective opinion is that roughing penalties are down and, more to the point, toned down this year.

Trying to find some numbers to back up my gut feeling proved difficult. Overall "unnecessary roughness" penalties are way down this year, from 13.5 per week to 10.2 per week (source).

[Sunstroke]

I'm not one to complain about "point of emphasis" rules like this, because I know that the rules I'd complain about are the same ones keeping my QB healthy. That said, I've watched every 49ers game this season, and we seem to get flagged a lot for very questionable calls in this area.

[MikeO]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/15/nfl-says-hochuli-got-49ers-roughing-the-passer-call-wrong/

The league admitted it was the wrong call

[Dave Gray]

I like the spirit of the rule (protecting to QB), but it's being carried out to an extreme.  Touching a player on the helmet has become a penalty, which is silly.  If there is incidental contact in the follow-up, that shouldn't be called.  I think you have to start judging a little bit of intent.  I know people don't like crossing that line, but when you're scrambling to kill the guy 5 feet from you and you're released right as he throws, it's not really fair to flag you for making slight contact with the guy's head.

These rules are a pendulum and they swing back and forth -- it just needs to swing back a little bit.

[Sunstroke]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/12/15/nfl-says-hochuli-got-49ers-roughing-the-passer-call-wrong/

The league admitted it was the wrong call

Yeah, I saw that on NFL AM this morning. The NFL has admitted it was wrong on a number of calls in critical spots against the 49ers in the past year or two. Where is that damned time machine when you need it?