I dont get what the NFL means when they say "defenseless"

in regards to player penalties. There was one play in particular where the defender hit the receiver to avoid catching the ball. They pretty much collided face to face. Yet the defender was flagged for hitting a "defenseless" player. How is the player defenseless? And at what point do you say the receiver is "defenseless" of their own accord? How is it the defenders responsibility to gauge when the receiver can defend themselves and when they are defenseless?

I dont know what it means, it doesnt make sense. If you arent looking at a player who hits you, they love to call flags. having awareness on the field is an actual skill and it seems they want to take it away.

Great question.

He even pulled up on the play, even though there was slight helmet to helmet contact, it was VERY incidental.

They have gone so far over the top, but yet it seems we rarely benefit from this...

therealjohncarlson":2aysuxez said:

in regards to player penalties. There was one play in particular where the defender hit the receiver to avoid catching the ball. They pretty much collided face to face. Yet the defender was flagged for hitting a "defenseless" player. How is the player defenseless? And at what point do you say the receiver is "defenseless" of their own accord? How is it the defenders responsibility to gauge when the receiver can defend themselves and when they are defenseless?

Click to expand...

Very simple. You call the penalty when ever you want to extend a drive to ensure the team will stay within the spread so your wife and Las Vegas will win on the bet of the spread.

I think it's meaning is that when the WR doesn't have a play on the DB like he would if he were to have the ball as confusing as that may sound. It's not called when both are trying to catch the ball because the DB has the same right to the ball as the receiver, so the situation is different and it only gets called when tackles are trying to be made. Is it a stupid rule, in certain situations like tonight, yes it's not the greatest, but there are times when it is very justified.

rainger":18skbkn0 said:

therealjohncarlson":18skbkn0 said:

in regards to player penalties. There was one play in particular where the defender hit the receiver to avoid catching the ball. They pretty much collided face to face. Yet the defender was flagged for hitting a "defenseless" player. How is the player defenseless? And at what point do you say the receiver is "defenseless" of their own accord? How is it the defenders responsibility to gauge when the receiver can defend themselves and when they are defenseless?

Click to expand...

Very simple. You call the penalty when ever you want to extend a drive to ensure the team will stay within the spread so your wife and Las Vegas will win on the bet of the spread.

Click to expand...

cough cough "Browners BS holding away from the ball on 3rd and 87 when Clemens was sacked in 1.3 seconds" cough cough

Flags were flying in this game. Maybe they wanted to make a Monday night cream puff statement.

It was bad. What I learned from this game is that defenders should just go limp every time they might cross paths with a receiver and just take an injury themselves instead of bracing for a protective posture.

Hawknballs":2zvv779n said:

It was bad. What I learned from this game is that defenders should just go limp every time they might cross paths with a receiver and just take an injury themselves instead of bracing for a protective posture.

Click to expand...

Its almost as if all common sense leaves them.

For example, during a punt early in the game, contact was made with the Ram return man, but it was clear our ST guy was pulling up and the contact was meaningless. The crowd boo'd. The ref shook his head no, as if to say: no intent, no foul.

But yet on other plays its as if the refs no longer have the option to use common sense. As if they are forced to throw a flag if there is any contact across the middle....

I dont get it

I think them calling it defenseless receiver was a little misleading.
Only thing I saw on both of thos hits was contact to the receivers' head on each of the plays. KJ and BB did indeed pull up, but the head contact is probably what drew the flags.

NFL . . has become Soccer apparently? Flop for Flags

therealjohncarlson":2uo84xgu said:

in regards to player penalties. There was one play in particular where the defender hit the receiver to avoid catching the ball. They pretty much collided face to face. Yet the defender was flagged for hitting a "defenseless" player. How is the player defenseless? And at what point do you say the receiver is "defenseless" of their own accord? How is it the defenders responsibility to gauge when the receiver can defend themselves and when they are defenseless?

Click to expand...

If your shoulders hit first and you glance the helmet with a receiver that does not catch the ball then that is it....... In other words shitty reefing..

scakfan":2p6j5ad1 said:

therealjohncarlson":2p6j5ad1 said:

in regards to player penalties. There was one play in particular where the defender hit the receiver to avoid catching the ball. They pretty much collided face to face. Yet the defender was flagged for hitting a "defenseless" player. How is the player defenseless? And at what point do you say the receiver is "defenseless" of their own accord? How is it the defenders responsibility to gauge when the receiver can defend themselves and when they are defenseless?

Click to expand...

If your shoulders hit first and you glance the helmet with a receiver that does not catch the ball then that is it....... In other words shitty reefing..

Click to expand...

I guess. If they meant to call helmet to helmet not sure why they called defenseless though

I don't mind targeting calls. What I can't stand are helmet to helmet calls when the receiver ducks his head down into the path of the defender.

I was befuddled by that as well. The paranoid in me is troubled that due to the physical nature of our DBS, an illegal contact or pass interference call can come at any time on the whim of a rogue official.

Correct me if I saw this wrong guys. did I see Brandon browner attempt to make a play on the ball, collide with a HUGE receiver, bounce off said gigantic receiver in which no one was hurt (and to be honest, browner looked a little worse for wear) and BB get flagged? did we all see that?

Seeker":s7mbnd5j said:

Correct me if I saw this wrong guys. did I see Brandon browner attempt to make a play on the ball, collide with a HUGE receiver, bounce off said gigantic receiver in which no one was hurt (and to be honest, browner looked a little worse for wear) and BB get flagged? did we all see that?

Click to expand...

Yes and on a subsequent play our guy tried to pull up, but momentum carried him into the receiver. Total BS.

SC

GoHawks":ml05yobm said:

NFL . . has become Soccer apparently? Flop for Flags

Click to expand...

Reminded me of this...

Sarlacc83":1rikb6t0 said:

I don't mind targeting calls. What I can't stand are helmet to helmet calls when the receiver ducks his head down into the path of the defender.

Click to expand...

Exactly. How can a penalty be called here? The only target point the defender has is the receiver's helmet.

These kinds of calls are ruining the game for me.

GoHawks":2v6yomco said:

NFL . . has become Soccer apparently? Flop for Flags

Click to expand...

I was so disgusted by the flags and our lack of any type of offense, that I literally just laughed and yelled at the tv when he flopped on that play, pretty much telling the ref he might as well throw a flag there too.

The guy literally played dead long enough to see there was no flag, then just popped right up. Personally I think something THAT flagrant should call for a penalty from the league. It was so ridiculous, laughing was the only option left at the moment