NFL Pass Interference Rule Change on Table that Could End Green Bay Packers

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On the surface, the NFL’s catch-rule is more broken than the recently sued Adrian Peterson. From the majority of fans’ perspectives, the announcement that the league is considering changes to what is (and what isn’t) a reception, is a positive.

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America’s most popular sports league is also flirting with the idea of limiting pass interference (“PI”) penalties, to a maximum of 15 yards. Unlike tweaking the catch rule, this potential game-changer is MUCH more controversial.

A lot of football fans are for the idea of mirroring the college rules. I’m just not one of them. If it wasn’t for the reason below, this proposal would have me a lot more pissed off:

Touché. A quick shout-out to Dane Mosher (@DaneMosher7) for that one. On behalf of my blood-pressure levels, thank you.

To back up his statement, I peeled back the onion to the 2016 season.

If you’re wondering ‘why not 2017?’, TWO WORDS: Brett Hundley

You were right, Brett. That shit was fun. #SKOL

Anywho, unlike last year, Aaron Rodgers played the entire 2016 campaign. During that season, the ten accepted defensive PI penalties against the Packers’ opponent, averaged 29.8 yards per flag. For comparison purposes, the Vikings, Lions, and Bears average gain in the same circumstances were 14.5, 20.15, and 20.0 respectively.

When I consider how much altering the PI rule would piss Rodgers and the rest of Wisconsin off, I’m not nearly as opposed to making the switch. With all the losses Green Bay has taken lately, any more defeats and they’ll need some help calming down.

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For proponents of the change, who aren’t part of SKOL Nation; taking game-changing plays out of the refs hands as much as possible, is one of their main pitches behind Tuesday’s announcement.

While that is true, there is one con that I can’t look past:

To double-down on the shout-outs, appreciated, Hunter Hanowski (@HunterHanowski).

In my opinion, a standard accidental PI where a CB gets his hands on a WR a split-second too early, should NOT have the same consequences as a CB who gets torched deep, only to tackle his man, avoiding a sure touchdown and only 15 yards worth of penalty. Despite its rarity, it bothers me when something similar to that happens in NCAA matchups. If the change is made, with the NFL being much more pass happy than the college game, it’s bound to be more common place at professional level.

I know it seems impossible, but the day the Packers’ don’t start a season with a future HOF QB under center is bound to come. Unless another NFC Championship gives all members of Minnesota Sports Fan a heart attack, we plan to be Vikings’ fans longer than Rodgers is the Packers QB. Pressing for the rule change now, just because it will spite our biggest foe, could come full circle and bite us in the ass, a handful of years down the road.

There has to be a more reasonable, meeting-in-the-middle type of solution. As for what that might be, that’s the type of stuff the league’s stiffs in suits get paid to mess up.

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

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