Clay Matthews roughing the passer NFL
Start writing a post
Sports

Clay Matthews' Hit Was Legal, The NFL Is Becoming Too Soft For Its Own Good

It will not bode well for the league if it continues these rules.

60
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB_aQRnkGDw/?taken-by=claymatthews52
Instagram

The Green Bay Packers are leading late in the game. The Minnesota Vikings have the ball and look to tie the game. Clay Matthews forces his way through the offensive line and hits the Quarterback after he released the ball. The ball is intercepted, and it seems the Packers have sealed the victory. But wait! There is a flag? Clay Matthews is penalized for roughing the passer and the play is erased. The Vikings drive the ball down and tie the game. The game ends in a tie. People review the hit from Clay Matthews and millions are upset. A penalty that should never have been called, made the game end in a tie. This type of hit was weak. Any other year, and there would be no call. But the NFL is becoming weak. There is such a push for safety, that they are ruining the game. It's great they are trying to protect players, but the lack of consistency and the types of mistakes that will cause a team to miss a win is concerning. The NFL is becoming too soft.

Of course, I am biased because I am a Packers fan, but every fan can agree, that call was bullshit. It was quite obvious that Clay Matthews did not hit him too late, and he even tried to lift his body off the ground to lower the impact to the quarterback. This mistake from the refs cost the Packers a win. It will mean something come playoff time, and mistakes like this are horrific for the league. There were dozens of hits like that against Aaron Rodgers that are never called. For this penalty to come at such a crucial time is sickening. Just thinking about this call makes me ill.

Clay was called in week 1 for roughing the passer. It could have gone 50/50 so I moved on. Week 2 comes along and we see this garbage. I become stunned and wonder what the NFL had become. But it gets worse. Week 3 comes along and Clay Matthews is called for the same penalty again. When I watched it in real time I laughed. My eyes could seriously not believe that the same call was made in three straight games, to the same player. Clay sacked the quarterback and apparently landed on the QB too hard. I was in such a fit of rage I had to laugh. We ended up losing the third game. We lost for many reasons, but this was the main one. The Packers are 1-1-1 and we have to partially blame the league.

The lack of consistency around the league has caused players to be afraid to hit. Nobody wants a 15-yard penalty, so players don't go as hard. With this, comes weaker defenses. This then causes good teams to lose because of weak rules. Take for instance the Dolphins defensive end William Hayes. This man sacked the Raiders quarterback, and while sacking him, tried to lessen the impact, which caused him to tear his ACL. This man needs surgery, misses the entire year, and can't do what he loves because he was afraid of hitting the quarterback too hard. This is the NFL. There will be hard hits. You have to accept it, and if you can't then stop playing football.

Players are getting hurt, losing football games, and breaking the hearts of millions of fans all because of shitty NFL rules. Things need to change. If the NFL continues its ways, viewership will drop more than it already is. The league needs to become consistent. Either every hit is unacceptable, or every hit is acceptable. Stop picking and choosing and be consistent.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
beer on the beach

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

7 Reasons SoCal Rocks!

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

916
woman in black and white long sleeve shirt carrying girl in red jacket in Venice beach
Photo by Jeff Hopper on Unsplash

SoCal summers are the best summers by far, and honestly, no argument is needed. But, if you aren't sure why SoCal summers are the best, here are 7 reasons why!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

25 Lyrics for Selfie Captions

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics.

53484
woman takes a selfie for social media
Pixabay

Sometimes you can't think of the perfect caption for your Instagram post. I love using lyrics as my captions because there's so many great lines in songs that just seem to fit in the moment. Here are some lyrics that could work for your selfie or pictures of you with your friends!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Bruce Springsteen's Top 7 Lyrics

Everything Bruce says in his classic rock songs.

19937
bruce springsteen album cover born in the usa

Anyone who was born and raised in New Jersey (or anywhere really) knows of Bruce Springsteen, whether or not they like him is a whole other situation. I hope that his hundreds of classic rock songs and famous high energy performances, even in his sixties he can put on better concerts than people half his age, are at least recognizable to people of all ages. Love him or hate him (I identify with the former) you have to admit that some of his songs and interviews have inspirational quotes and lyrics.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

New England Summers Are The BEST Summers

Why you should spend your next summer in New England.

3223
Marconi Beach

Three years ago, I chose to attend college in Philadelphia, approximately 360 miles away from my small town in New Hampshire. I have learned many valuable lessons away from home, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Pennsylvania. One thing that my experience has taught me, however, is that it is absolutely impossible to beat a New England summer.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments