Through the first three weeks of the NFL season, there have been 34 roughing the passer penalties, which is more than double the amount through three games last season.
The league's new rule prohibiting defenders from landing on the quarterback with their full body weight has made it nearly impossible to sack a QB without drawing a flag. Just ask Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, who has been flagged for roughing the passer in each of the first three contests.
According to Lindsay Jones of The Athletic, Matthews said the league was "getting soft" following his most recent roughing the passer penalty against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. Other defenders like J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner have also called out the NFL for their ridiculous new rule, specifically after Miami Dolphins defensive end William Hayes tore his ACL in Week 3 while trying to avoid landing on Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr. Sherman tweeted, "They don’t care about the rest of us getting hurt. Long as the QB is safe."
As a result of backlash from players, ESPN reports the NFL's competition committee is scheduled to speak on a conference call next week about the uptick in roughing the passer penalties. "There's some concern that the officials are going a little bit too far with some of these calls," one of the sources said, per ESPN.
According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the rule may not be changed this season, but it may be applied differently in the coming weeks.
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