This is not some anti-Patriots conspiracy, the very notion makes no logical sense. It isn't like New England has some inherent advantage to the "survive the ground" rule. Any rule change is as likely to benefit us as hurt us.
I disagree.
You always hear other fans talk about how the Patriots always benefit from these rules, and you know what? It's true. It's because we KNOW THE ****ING RULES.
As Brady told the Ravens, "Study the rule book."
Consider the Steelers game.
This article talks about "the history" of the catch rule, but it's really just an excuse to vent and cry and whine.
But beyond Riveron’s inconsistencies are other issues with replay reviews. Dungy said coaches now have to instruct players what to do on those questionable plays rather than what comes naturally to them.
“You have to coach that into your player,” Dungy said. “You can’t stretch. You have to go against your instincts.”
...
The Steelers don’t have specific instruction for receivers regarding the catch rule. When Tomlin was asked this week what he tells his players he was blunt: “Catch the ball.”
The Steelers don’t teach their players how to fall after a catch, but it is something they address during the offseason.
So Dungy has a revolutionary idea. You have to COACH your players. OMG. And the article points out that the Steelers don't teach their players how to fall after the catch.
Meanwhile, on the game-winning TD for New England, Gronk catches a ball down by his toes. Instead of going directly to the ground, you see him roll mid-air so he lands on his back, protecting the ball so it doesn't hit the ground.
Watch Dola on this catch against the Jaguars. He's going to the ground and pulls the ball tight to his body to get his arms and hands under the ball to protect it.
vs.
James who looks like he's going to tuck it, then reaches out, the ball is exposed and his hands are on the sides of the balland by the time it hits the ground, his hands move on top of the ball.
This is the rule. It is what it is.
One team coaches it's players how to minimize the impact of it. One team doesn't coach it at all.
One team consistently benefits from it. One team consistently gets ****ed by stupidity.
The answer should not be to simplify things for fans AND coaches who are NOT DOING THEIR JOB.
Think back to the Jets game and the ASF fumble. Forget the play for a second. Watch Butler when he gets up. He knows he caused the fumble.
He knows the rule. He's coached on this. So was Earl Thomas on a similar play near the goal line. And of course we hear for days how the Patriots always benefit from these types of plays. But then Lombardi talks about how Patriots are coached near the goal line for certain things to avoid these types of plays. You don't stretch across the goal line, you don't stretch to hit the pylon like commentators always tell us you should. Ball possession is too important.
Again, one team knows the rules and coaches specifically to avoid it. A bunch of others don't.
Changing the rules is like changing laws to protect stupid people from doing stupid things. We all lose something due to the stupidest portion of the population.
