Quarterback Push Could Be Outlawed by NFL Next Season

[Gmo11]

I'm fine with it if they only outlaw it on QB sneaks. As has been stated it's an impossible play to stop no matter what you do. It's not about the eagles. Every team will be doing it next year. Chris Jones is 300lbs leaped over the line hugged hurts behind the line of scrimmage and two dudes just shoved the both of them forward for 2 yards. It's ridiculous.

[TONKA56]

It's basically an unstoppable one yard play that any team can do. There really is no good reason why anyone should punt or kick on 4th and 1 if that play is allowed.

That makes no sense. Why doesn't and why hasn't every team used it on every short yardage play for the last 40 years then? Why has it suddenly become a problem only now?

[GordonGekko80]

It's simple:

Whistle off the play where no immediate forward progress is made. Period.

It always left me wondering: pass to the right, receiver gets ball, gets tackled, then a second and a third opponent gets in and pushes the receiver back. So many times the play gets whistled dead only a couple of seconds after they push him back that it's a miracle non has gotten hurt on those plays... It would be easy to fall on the guy losing the balance backwards...

[kartanoman]

It's simple:

Whistle off the play where no immediate forward progress is made. Period.

It always left me wondering: pass to the right, receiver gets ball, gets tackled, then a second and a third opponent gets in and pushes the receiver back. So many times the play gets whistled dead only a couple of seconds after they push him back that it's a miracle non has gotten hurt on those plays... It would be easy to fall on the guy losing the balance backwards...

This is quite true; however, go back to Super Bowl IV, Lenn Dawson swings a pass out to Otis Taylor, the Minnesota CB appears to halt his progress, until Taylor pulls a spin move and takes it to the house. Now, by definition, we can say Taylor's forward progress was not stopped, which it wasn't. But let's say he was contained for one more second, and then breaks loose, was his forward progress stopped?

That will be the kind of discussion which becomes commonplace and I'd suggest the game might suffer because of it.

This is where the delicate balance of competition and player safety need be weighed equally.

It's like what constitutes a QB sack. One time it used to be the "in the grasp" rule. Then, it evolved into "grasp and control." I don't even know what the definition is anymore.

I'll say this much. If you are on the NFL Competition Committee, you have very few friends and many folks disgruntled at you. Maybe that's why John Mara is far more understanding of the ire of Giants fans.

Peace!