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NFL penalties have gone too far

Nothing is quite like the first week of the NFL season. The sound of NFL Red Zone on the television, perhaps a party to start off the year. It’s the only time all season that each team has an equal shot at winning it all. Yes, even Browns fans have reason to be excited. However, there is one thing that can ruin the fun in any game – referees. Referees have always had an impact on the game. Nobody is perfect, so errors will undoubtedly be made, especially in the eyes of the fans. However, this past week of football may have topped all previous weeks. Week one of the 2018 NFL season was the worst week that NFL referees have ever collectively had and it is not even close. Over the course of the past decade or so, the NFL and its officials have tried to come up with ways to make the game safer. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) for short, is real and player safety is crucial if the game wants to survive. This past offseason, the NFL made it clear that if a defensive player goes helmet to helmet with another player, it will be a penalty. In addition, the NFL made a rule where any late hit on a quarterback, especially with full body weight landing on the player, would not be tolerated. Big hits have always been game changers for the defense. With these new rules, they are still game changers, but for the offensive team instead. The job of a defensive player is to tackle the opponent. The bigger the hit, the better chance the tackle will be successful. With the new rules, not only does it penalize the defensive player for a very good tackle, but it also gives the offense an advantage because of the penalty. In Monday night’s game, Oakland quarterback Derek Carr barely got rid of the ball as he was subsequently tackled to the ground. Once a routine play has now turned into a penalty for roughing the passer due to full body weight being on Carr after the hit. Simply put, defensive players should not be penalized for their job. When a 250-pound man is running close to full speed and already lunging for the tackle, he cannot control where his head will hit or if his body will be too much on the quarterback. Players can adjust their bodies, but when they are already in the motion of a tackle, it is near impossible, especially when the only thing on their mind is to sack the quarterback or deliver a hit big enough to cause a fumble. The NFL should rethink these penalties. Player safety is key, and there is no dispute to that; however, these players have always been taught to tackle these ways. It would be hard to change that, and even so, big hits and helmet-to-helmet blows will still happen. When it comes down to it, it is part of the game. Hopefully, player safety can keep taking strides so that the game can continue. After all, safety is key to all sports. If the game can become safer, it will only allow it to last longer. However, these penalties need to stop, for the good of the game. Mat Mlodzinski can be reached at matthew.mlodzinski@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Mlodzinski_15.

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