The Continuity Factor and NFL Team Success

[Bullaholic]

This may be stating the obvious, but I think the most successful NFL teams are the ones that are able to retain the core of their players and coaching staffs over several seasons. Look at New Orleans, New England, and to a lesser degree--Green Bay. It must be next to impossible to maintain any kind of a successful system with the revolving doors due to free agency and almost constant coaching changes. The Cowboys have had several coaching and player changes over the last few seasons, and now there are rumors of Rob Ryan being a candidate for the Jacksonville job after only 1 season. This is an impossible situation even for players of above average intelligence to handle. I think this is the single biggest factor in the terrible execution we have seen in many NFL games this season, which has been compounded by the extra-long CBA off-season. Here are a few things I think would increase the quality of NFL play greatly:


1. Allow teams to use the franchise tag on more than 2 players.

2. Full-time officials.

3. Eliminate pass interference altogether, or at least make it a 15 yard penalty.

[Emerson1]

How would eliminating pass interference altogether make play better?

and thanks for posting, I found your business card bury in my coat pocket and couldn't remember your username.

[Bullaholic]

How would eliminating pass interference altogether make play better?

and thanks for posting, I found your business card bury in my coat pocket and couldn't remember your username.


I've gotten on my "Eliminate PI" soapbox on here several times, Emerson, and I still think I have a very valid argument.

PI occurs to some degree on nearly every pass route in the NFL. Some are called---others are not for the same degree of offense and varies from game-to-game by official. I have lost count of the game-changing PI penalties which have had major effect on major game outcomes. Let the recievers and DB's fight it out for possession on pass routes as long as there is no holding or knocking down of receivers. If a receiver can push off to make a catch--allow it. Conversely, if a DB can knock a receiver off his route anytime--allow it. All infractions, other than the PI, are covered by holding, or defenseless receiver penalties already. At the very least, PI should be reduced to a 15yd penalty.

As to your finding of my business card---now you know the name of the man in the Dos Equis commercials. :D

[Farmersfan]

I've gotten on my "Eliminate PI" soapbox on here several times, Emerson, and I still think I have a very valid argument.

PI occurs to some degree on nearly every pass route in the NFL. Some are called---others are not for the same degree of offense and varies from game-to-game by official. I have lost count of the game-changing PI penalties which have had major effect on major game outcomes. Let the recievers and DB's fight it out for possession on pass routes as long as there is no holding or knocking down of receivers. If a receiver can push off to make a catch--allow it. Conversely, if a DB can knock a receiver off his route anytime--allow it. All infractions, other than the PI, are covered by holding, or defenseless receiver penalties already. At the very least, PI should be reduced to a 15yd penalty.

As to your finding of my business card---now you know the name of the man in the Dos Equis commercials. :D



But wouldn't this also apply to offensive holding and pretty much any other penalty? Why only PI? How many times do we see long plays called back on very marginal holding calls and then see some twice as bad not get called? I think the holding call on the O-line is far, far less consistent than even the pass interference calls. Only traveling in the NBA is called less consistently........

[Bullaholic]

But wouldn't this also apply to offensive holding and pretty much any other penalty? Why only PI? How many times do we see long plays called back on very marginal holding calls and then see some twice as bad not get called? I think the holding call on the O-line is far, far less consistent than even the pass interference calls. Only traveling in the NBA is called less consistently........

None of the others carry the "death sentence" potential of PI, Farmer.

[Bullaholic]

Watched some of Philly and Seattle last night. Horrendous play by Philly and not-so-good by Seattle, either. I think NFL fans need to demand a better quality product than we are receiving right now. There are only a few teams who can even deliver an "NFL" quality prouduct right now for the prices which are being charged to the average fan. Perhaps the short pre-season can be used as an excuse this season---but if the low quality continues next season, something needs to be done. Again, the team continuity factors posted above are largely to blame, IMO, and the NFL is continuing to shoot themselves in the foot as far as team quality of play is concerned.

[Farmersfan]

None of the others carry the "death sentence" potential of PI, Farmer.



I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "death sentence" Bull! But in my opinion getting a score overturned because of a subjective holding call is far, far worst than getting a pass interferrence penalty against your defense! In most cases the PI penalty is preferrable to giving up the score. D-backs will interfer on purpose which in my opinion should be called and penalized way harsher!

[Farmersfan]

Watched some of Philly and Seattle last night. Horrendous play by Philly and not-so-good by Seattle, either. I think NFL fans need to demand a better quality product than we are receiving right now. There are only a few teams who can even deliver an "NFL" quality prouduct right now for the prices which are being charged to the average fan. Perhaps the short pre-season can be used as an excuse this season---but if the low quality continues next season, something needs to be done. Again, the team continuity factors posted above are largely to blame, IMO, and the NFL is continuing to shoot themselves in the foot as far as team quality of play is concerned.


It's all relative to quality QB play Bull. Last night's game had one of the worse QB performances that I have ever witnessed and the whole game sucked. Jackson for Seattle is the #26 rated QB in the NFL and he looked like Tom Brady when compared to V. Young. V. Young is rated the #50 QB in the NFL and in my opinion that is giving him credit he doesn't deserve. If you look at the top rated QBs in the NFL you have to go 14 spots before you find a QB that can even run well. (Jason Campbell and he isn't even a running QB). Only 2 of the top 20 QBs in the NFL are known as running QBs. Cam Newton(#18) and Donovan McNabb (#16). Yet the trend at this position is slowly moving towards the M. Vick, Tim Tebow or Cam Newton type even though we see repeatedly year after year after year that this style doesn't work well in the NFL.

[Bullaholic]

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "death sentence" Bull! But in my opinion getting a score overturned because of a subjective holding call is far, far worst than getting a pass interferrence penalty against your defense! In most cases the PI penalty is preferrable to giving up the score. D-backs will interfer on purpose which in my opinion should be called and penalized way harsher!

PI could be up to 99yds (assuming a QB could throw from his own endzone to the opposite endzone), Farmer, and it is frequently greater than 15yds.

[Farmersfan]

PI could be up to 99yds (assuming a QB could throw from his own endzone to the opposite endzone), Farmer, and it is frequently greater than 15yds.



But how many yards was prevented by committing that penalty? the team committing the penalty should NEVER benefit from doing so. Yet they often do in the game of football. It's the same with offsetting penalties on each team when one team scores. How is it ok to remove points from one team while the other team suffers nothing more than having to defend the play over again? Repeating a down because of offsetting penalties is retarded because it rewards the team that performed poorly on the previous play and penalizes the team that performed well on the same play! If the penalties are to "offset" then the previous play should stand as it was played. In my opinion......

[bwdlionfan]

But how many yards was prevented by committing that penalty? the team committing the penalty should NEVER benefit from doing so. Yet they often do in the game of football. It's the same with offsetting penalties on each team when one team scores. How is it ok to remove points from one team while the other team suffers nothing more than having to defend the play over again? Repeating a down because of offsetting penalties is retarded because it rewards the team that performed poorly on the previous play and penalizes the team that performed well on the same play! If the penalties are to "offset" then the previous play should stand as it was played. In my opinion......

I've never thought of it that way, but I think I agree