The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3994121

I completely understand the loose ball review, but not the Special Teams changes. WTH? It's Football!

ESPN wrote:The committee also wants to eliminate the wedge of three men or more blocking on kick returns.

"Plenty of teams have done it with two-man wedges, some do it with no wedge at all," McKay said.

tcwest10 wrote:http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3994121

I completely understand the loose ball review, but not the Special Teams changes. WTH? It's Football!

ESPN wrote:The committee also wants to eliminate the wedge of three men or more blocking on kick returns.

"Plenty of teams have done it with two-man wedges, some do it with no wedge at all," McKay said.

Maybe we should switch to two-hand touch. If you tag them to hard and they fall down, it can be a penalty. Then we can ramp up the flopping in the league to be like other sports. Vlady Devac can then have an NFL career, too.

Its all coming together.

I don't disagree with this.

Unlike all the other collisions in football, the "wedgebuster" has guys running at full speed directly at each other. It's a rare thing when the wedgebuster actually makes the tackle, but it is more common that he either gets injured or injures the player he hit.

Plus with returners going sideline to sideline they typically run around the wedge anyway.

I think people are more likely to get hurt if the blockers are running full speed instead of making a wedge. At least thats how it went for me on kickoff in high school.

Bob 0119 wrote:I don't disagree with this.

Unlike all the other collisions in football, the "wedgebuster" has guys running at full speed directly at each other. It's a rare thing when the wedgebuster actually makes the tackle, but it is more common that he either gets injured or injures the player he hit.

Plus with returners going sideline to sideline they typically run around the wedge anyway.

The purpose of busting the wedge isn't to make the tackle of get through the blockers to the ball carrier, it's to take out those blockers so your teammates can make the play. It also forces the runner to choose a lane (making pursuit easier), or else he just hangs out behind his huge blockers and waits for something to open up.

Why don't we just play one offense against the other? First team to 300 wins.

Countertrey wrote:Why don't we just play one offense against the other? First team to 300 wins.

Well...we'd be screwed...

Chris Luva Luva wrote:
Well...we'd be screwed...

You're right...we would be. We'd have the 100 million dollar man looking on, working on his third White Castle cheeseburger suitcase.
Anyway, it's not like our downfield blockers have been worth a damn in years anyway...but just because you don't use a wrench that you have in your toolbox doesn't mean you won't need it someday.

Irn-Bru wrote:

Bob 0119 wrote:I don't disagree with this.

Unlike all the other collisions in football, the "wedgebuster" has guys running at full speed directly at each other. It's a rare thing when the wedgebuster actually makes the tackle, but it is more common that he either gets injured or injures the player he hit.

Plus with returners going sideline to sideline they typically run around the wedge anyway.

The purpose of busting the wedge isn't to make the tackle of get through the blockers to the ball carrier, it's to take out those blockers so your teammates can make the play. It also forces the runner to choose a lane (making pursuit easier), or else he just hangs out behind his huge blockers and waits for something to open up.

That's kind of my point. The Wedge and wedge buster are unecessary as they cancel each other out. The only thing they accomplish is that they open themselves up to season-ending/career-ending injury.

Chris Luva Luva wrote:

Countertrey wrote:Why don't we just play one offense against the other? First team to 300 wins.

Well...we'd be screwed...

Or we let our D play O I can see Los at WR he'd probably catch everything!!

Bob 0119 wrote:That's kind of my point. The Wedge and wedge buster are unecessary as they cancel each other out. The only thing they accomplish is that they open themselves up to season-ending/career-ending injury.

I grant you high school is nowhere near the speed, size and power of these brutes on the receiving teams, but in my experience as a sophomore wedge-buster (cannon-fodder, my Oakie HS coach proudly called us), my ONLY job was to run full speed at that sucker and sacrifice my body to bust it up, just as Irn-Bru said. While it sometimes stung like hell, I never came close to even a game-ending injury.

Interestingly enough, I DID see some opponents' get hurt on our kickoff returns, and by and large it seemed to occur because they hesitated right before impact. Whether that's true or just my perception I don't know, but it sure seemed that way to me at the time....

whether or not the players are in a wedge or in a line or on eachothers shoulders they are still running full speed at eachother. this rule change isnt going to lower the number of players injured during special teams play.

the other rule, the tom brady rule may keep some guys from having their knees destroyed but it will also allow qbs to be way more patient. some of these line men are huge! im surprised every time they stand up after a play. qbs are going to have so much more time... good for high scoring passing Os and a plus for JC?


also, id like to see a couple teams put guys in teams of two and make a super wedge of two man wedges.

DANA POINT, Calif. -- Ed Hochuli and other NFL referees can rest easier Wednesday after team owners passed a rule allowing video replays on a loose ball that could be either a fumble or an incomplete pass.

Hochuli famously ruled Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler to have thrown an incomplete pass in the final moments of a Week 2 game against the San Diego Chargers last season. However, replays clearly showed it was a fumble that the Chargers recovered, but the play wasn't part of the review process. Denver kept the ball and won the game seconds later on a Cutler touchdown pass and a two-point conversion.

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Interesting SD ended up making the playoffs and Denver didn't.