Defensive Backs and Pass Interference

The disadvantage that defensive backs in the NFL have to play with is really abhorrent. Bill Polian's rule change that disallows illegal contact has changed the nature of the game. I find this rule to be repulsive. It was obviously pushed to advantage finesse teams over more physical teams. Football is a physical game, and the defense has very little advantage going up against the offense: the offense knows the play and the snap count. The defense can only respond with smart play and physicality. An element of that has been taken away because Bill Polian demanded change.

The defensive backs of the Patriots played, in my opinion, very well against the Indianapolis Colts. I don't think you can classify it as whining when you say that Ellis Hobbs was incorrectly called for pass interference. He had position, leverage, and was playing the ball. In fact, he was tackled to the ground by Reggie Wayne. What was most obscene about the play was that the Colts were given yardage that put them near the goal line instead of being penalized ten yards. Rodney Harrison was also tackled by Dallas Clark in a somewhat less egregious case of offensive pass interference (no call was made in this case, and Harrison appeared happy even though his team should have been the beneficiary of a flag - this for me really underscores how bad the situation is).

It's no secret that Bill Polian is a competitive guy and has done everything in his power - through legitimate channels - to give his team an edge. What's sickening about it, though, is that the NFL continues to take the bait and calls plays his team's way even when the Patriots have done everything correctly. The perfect example is last year's AFC Title Game, during which Ellis Hobbs was flagged for pass interference in a crucial play that gave the Colts a first down and goal to go. The NFL has since admitted that the incorrect call was made (Go here for the exact info.) It's extremely unfortunate that Hobbs continues to be the target of bad calls when he is playing solid defensive back - perhaps he has earned an unwarranted reputation with officials through some prodding from the Colts or other teams? That might explain the Randy Moss offensive pass interference call. As for Hobbs, I suspect that Sunday's call will also force the league to admit once again that it was wrong.

Credit the Patriots for rebounding from pass interference penalties, but pass interference penalties, and any penalties in the defensive secondary are huge. When a team is flagged for breaking the Bill Polian - Ty Law rule, or for committing defensive holding, or for defensive pass interference, the offense gets an automatic first down. On critical plays, particularly third down plays, these flags are tremendous momentum swings. In many cases, teams gain huge yardage for pass interference calls. The Colts gained nearly eighty yards on two pass interference calls (one of which was clearly incorrect). What these plays do for the course of a game and a team's momentum is unknown - that is what's so troubling about this issue. If something were done, we wouldn't have to deal with hypothetical questions.

So what should be done? Because defensive pass interference is such a game changing play, I think it should be limited to ten or fifteen yards and an automatic first down (like in college football). Bill Belichick has repeatedly suggested this rule change when asked about it in interviews. He cites how the judgment of an official on something that happens so quickly can lead to huge chunks of yardage without any form of review. I completely agree. Defensive backs have been hampered by rule changes to the point that they cannot play very aggressive football for fear of being penalized. The league needs to do something to level the playing field and to prevent incorrect calls from adversely affecting the course of a game. Of course, officials are human beings and will not always make the right calls and at times may fail to make a call when one is warranted. The change to the college football rule seems to balance both situations adequately.

Obviously, viewers like to see high scoring games. I would argue that defensive battles and offensive execution are the key components to a good game. The second half of Sunday's Colts-Patriots game showed this. Aside from a questionable offensive pass interference penalty on Randy Moss, the officials called a decent game (relative to the first half). When you let offenses and defenses play and only call the clear violations you get good football games.

Pass interference in the NFL is becoming more and more like charging in the NBA, where players stand in front of others to gain a foul. The league has made numerous questionable rule changes (from not blowing the whistle when action seems to stop to the Bill Polian rule change of illegal contact), but I believe a pass interference rule alteration is the most important for the integrity of the game. I do not have statistics to show an increase in pass interference penalties, nor do I have any evidence that today such calls are less accurate than in the past. I simply think an adoption of the college rules will take the game out of the officials hands and leave it in those of the players - at least to a degree and in a way that enhances the game.

These are the types of issues that sports writers should be addressing. Forget the garbage on Page Two and CNNSI.com. I'd like to read an intelligent debate on this issue.