Has the NFL gone too far with rule changes favoring the offense over many decades? | Page 2

SanDiego49er · 2012-01-08T06:47:24-08:00

IMO the NFL has gone too far with the rule changes for the offense over the course of many decades. It seems every week, month and year more and more records get broken. 600 + yards of offense. 5,400 passing yards. TD records. Everything else. You can't hit the QB high. You can't hit the QB low. You can't hit the QB if they slide. You know there was a time you could do all of these and viciously. Can't jam a WR or TE down the field. You used to be able to rough them up all the way down the field. You used to be able to head slap O Linemen on the pass rush. O Linemen couldn't even use their hands to block at one point. Every time there is a push off by a WR they call it pass interference on the DB. I get that the average fan thinks they want to see offense and touchdowns. But there was something about the purity of the true historical game over many years and several decades. Defense mattered too. And getting people off the field mattered. Now you try to post 50 and hold the other team to 40. I think they have messed with the integrity of the game and the balance of offense, defense and special teams. It used to be all of those mattered in pretty equal proportion. But now one is weighted massively more. To me I take all these "records" if you want to call them that with a grain of salt. I would put 1 or 2 or 3 asterisks by them. These aren't real records by the old style of football. They were playing under totally different rules 10, 20, 30 years ago. And the longer ago you go back the more dramatic the change. I don't think the real little kid young fans even realize it. You aren't comparing the same thing. It's not even in the same ballpark for rules and enforcement of the way the game is called. The advantage to powerful offenses is just massive now. And out of balance IMO (***).

Jan 8, 2012 at 11:22 AM

#16

SanDiego49er
Veteran
Posts: 52,318

Originally posted by Janitor:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by BenQ:
M
O
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E
Y

Why is there more money in that? Don't people like defense too?

It seems the sad truth is no. People only want to see lots of offense

Defense was always a part of the purity of the true historical game. Getting the other team off the field was something to be proud of. A 3 and out was something to celebrate if your team could force it. What happened to that?

Jan 8, 2012 at 11:25 AM

#17

susweel
Hall of Nepal
Posts: 122,129

Guess the Giants and Falcons didn't get the memo.

Jan 8, 2012 at 11:28 AM

#18

Janitor
HOF Food Reviews
Posts: 49,052

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by Janitor:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by BenQ:
M
O
N
E
Y

Why is there more money in that? Don't people like defense too?

It seems the sad truth is no. People only want to see lots of offense

Defense was always a part of the purity of the true historical game. Getting the other team off the field was something to be proud of. A 3 and out was something to celebrate if your team could force it. What happened to that?

Don't know.

Jan 8, 2012 at 11:28 AM

#19

Janitor
HOF Food Reviews
Posts: 49,052

Originally posted by susweel:
Guess the Giants and Falcons didn't get the memo.

The exception that proves the rule.

Jan 8, 2012 at 1:43 PM

#20

captveg
Veteran
Posts: 29,662

It's a lot like homeruns became in the early 2000s: incredibly boring because they were too frequent.

Jan 8, 2012 at 5:37 PM

#21

FlayvaMeister
Veteran
Posts: 7,565

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:
Defense was always a part of the purity of the true historical game. Getting the other team off the field was something to be proud of. A 3 and out was something to celebrate if your team could force it. What happened to that?

Just maybe, it can be blamed on the over commercialisation of the game ...
coupled with, the mind-set of today' average NFL fan. Anyway, that how I see
it - 'cause, "It all about The Benjamins"

Jan 8, 2012 at 6:44 PM

#22

SanDiego49er
Veteran
Posts: 52,318

Originally posted by Janitor:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by Janitor:

Originally posted by SanDiego49er:

Originally posted by BenQ:
M
O
N
E
Y

Why is there more money in that? Don't people like defense too?

It seems the sad truth is no. People only want to see lots of offense

Defense was always a part of the purity of the true historical game. Getting the other team off the field was something to be proud of. A 3 and out was something to celebrate if your team could force it. What happened to that?

Don't know.

LOL.

Jan 8, 2012 at 8:25 PM

#23

horsecore
Veteran
Posts: 4,280

Yes.

The recent slew of former players coming out to sue the NFL probably has something to do with the explosion of recent rule changes regarding defenseless players as well.

I've mentioned it before but this season's NFL makes me f'ing sick. Michaels and Collinsworth were having a discussion last night about how the old mantra of "defense wins championships" may be dead. F that. That Loins vs. Aints games was a joke.

I hope the Niners crush the Aints on Saturday. They owe me one.

[ Edited by horsecore on Jan 8, 2012 at 8:26 PM ]

Jan 8, 2012 at 8:38 PM

#24

overthemiddle
Veteran
Posts: 653

There was plenty of offense before the rule changes. Dont like the rule changes and really I think this era of football is symbolic of the steriod era. Both are bad for the sport.

Jan 8, 2012 at 8:43 PM

#25

BobS
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Posts: 12,143

I think as a whole the zone only cares about taking some of the physicality out of the game. I doubt many of them realize the evolution of the rules has strongly favored the offense. As evidence of this somebody compared 1981 Montana numbers to 2011 Smith saying they were similar. I believe I was the only one who explained they weren't. I also see many posts questioning why certain Qbs from the 60's and 70's were in the Hall of Fame with such poor numbers. I explain over and over and not many seem to listen. San Diego, I think you are the first one other than me to mention about lineman not able to use their hands to block while getting hit in the head. You have to be over 40 to remember that as somewhere around 1980 is when beating on a lineman's head was disallowed.

[ Edited by BobS on Jan 8, 2012 at 8:44 PM ]

Jan 8, 2012 at 9:19 PM

#26

SanDiego49er
Veteran
Posts: 52,318

Originally posted by BobS:
I think as a whole the zone only cares about taking some of the physicality out of the game. I doubt many of them realize the evolution of the rules has strongly favored the offense. As evidence of this somebody compared 1981 Montana numbers to 2011 Smith saying they were similar. I believe I was the only one who explained they weren't. I also see many posts questioning why certain Qbs from the 60's and 70's were in the Hall of Fame with such poor numbers. I explain over and over and not many seem to listen. San Diego, I think you are the first one other than me to mention about lineman not able to use their hands to block while getting hit in the head. You have to be over 40 to remember that as somewhere around 1980 is when beating on a lineman's head was disallowed.

I wasn't around at the time but I know it was the case. And the rules are massively favoring the offense now.

Jan 8, 2012 at 9:24 PM

#27

kray28
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Posts: 12,925

National Flag Football League

Jan 8, 2012 at 9:27 PM

#28

SanDiego49er
Veteran
Posts: 52,318

Originally posted by kray28:
National Flag Football League

It's becomming like flag football. How long before 2 hand touch...

Don't hit high, don't hit low, don't hit a defenseless WR, don't hit too hard, don't hit to the head. All of this was legal 10, 20, 30 years ago.

Jan 8, 2012 at 9:44 PM

#29

BobS
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Posts: 12,143

Well, I have been watching football for over 40 years and played in High School and College in the 70's before most of the rule changes favoring the offense took effect. It seems every time I share the difference between then and now no one listens or cares. I honestly believe most young guys think we have the best class of QBs ever because we have ten or so 4,000 yard passers every year. Guys like Bart Starr throwing for 2,000 yards a season and an 80 passer rating are in the Hall of Fame because the NFL offenses weren't into passing and all the quarterbacks weren't any good. A lot of these 4,000 yard QBs are masters of the timing route. Well before the 5 yard chuck rule, you could do anything but tackle a receiver as long as the ball wasn't in the air. That basically eliminated any pass play based on timing, I could go on and on. Also the league did not protect quarterbacks, they were fair game. Most took a bad beating which limited their effectiveness.

Jan 9, 2012 at 1:55 AM

#30

SanDiego49er
Veteran
Posts: 52,318

Originally posted by BobS:
Well, I have been watching football for over 40 years and played in High School and College in the 70's before most of the rule changes favoring the offense took effect. It seems every time I share the difference between then and now no one listens or cares. I honestly believe most young guys think we have the best class of QBs ever because we have ten or so 4,000 yard passers every year. Guys like Bart Starr throwing for 2,000 yards a season and an 80 passer rating are in the Hall of Fame because the NFL offenses weren't into passing and all the quarterbacks weren't any good. A lot of these 4,000 yard QBs are masters of the timing route. Well before the 5 yard chuck rule, you could do anything but tackle a receiver as long as the ball wasn't in the air. That basically eliminated any pass play based on timing, I could go on and on. Also the league did not protect quarterbacks, they were fair game. Most took a bad beating which limited their effectiveness.

They don't really have a clue and you will never convince them. They think past QB's were TEH SSUUUXXOOORRSSS....

And todays QB's are the greatest generation of QB's ever. But it's all the rule changes.