NFL claims Clay Matthews committed “body weight” violation

Posted by Mike Florio on September 23, 2018, 4:03 PM EDT
AP

Last week, a key roughing the passer penalty on Packers linebacker Clay Matthews was attributed to Matthews lifting Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and driving him into the ground. This week, Matthews drew another flag, for a different violation.

The league office has posted on Twitter an explanation that the foul occurred because Matthews landed “with all or most of the defender’s weight” on Washington quarterback Alex Smith.

Of course, it’s impossible to know with certainty the reasoning for the foul, given that the explanation came not from the referee but from 345 Park Avenue. It appeared to be a “body weight” violation. With so many ways to rough the passer, however, who knows?

Last week, the controversial call on Matthews was balanced by an equally controversial roughing call on Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks. This week, the foul on Matthews came after Washington defensive lineman Daron Payne appeared to drive Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers into the groin, but no flag was thrown.

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49 responses to “NFL claims Clay Matthews committed “body weight” violation”

  3. .
    The Groin Drive is not illegal! apparently!
    “This week, the foul on Matthews came after Washington defensive lineman Daron Payne appeared to drive Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers into the groin, but no flag was thrown.”

  9. As a 6’8 260 pound man I can assure you there aren’t many ways to bring me down without going low or landing on me with your body weight. They clearly don’t want people hitting QBs anymore. Looks like the future prototypical NFL QB is the Jared Lorenzen type.

  11. You know the NFL is in damage control when they already issue a statement before the flag even hits the ground. Games should be decided by players not officials. Remember when every once in a while, you’d watch a game and not notice the officials. Now you cant watch a drive that isnt importantly impacted by the officials. The game is unrecognizable.

  13. By that definition then may as well flag any other QB sack. The NFL is such a joke under Goodell, not only do they not know what a catch is, they can now add not knowing what a QB sack is to that list as well.

  14. I usually laugh at those who say they’re not watching anymore. I’m not laughing after watching the NFL exact revenge on the Packers for making the league look incompetent all week. I’m not a conspiracy kinda guy … This was blatant…the whole game.

    The league should be embarrassed…they’ll just deny it. …and everyone will know they’re lying. It’s like watching Bahgdad Bob or Sarah Huckabee…yeah, it’s that bad.

    Still, congrats ‘skins fans.

  15. Gotta come up with a way to make this fair. Either put 4 flags on the QB and make it all defenders try to grab or blow the whistle anytime 2 defenders hands are touching QB.

  21. Oh, forgot to add that the Pack played like crap and the ‘skins didn’t. Weird dynamic.

    Congrats to ‘skins

  22. Al Riveron is the head of officials.
    he is the buffoon making these arbitrary self serving explanations for his inept, iridiculously pathetic NFL officials. Watching them blow call after call in multiple games at the same time is reaching a new low and for the 1st time since the mid 60s im thinking about giving the nfl the weekend off next week.
    al riveron is just a bad joke.
    it has to stop.soeone is responsible

  24. pkrlvr says:
    September 23, 2018 at 4:06 pm
    I just don’t anymore…can’t believe I waited 6 mos for this crap product!
    —————
    Why didn’t you believe me all along I told you that roster was garbage.

  26. Complain all you want, but it’s the result of the Aaron Rodgers injury.
    The QB who has made his career on phantom penalties and do overs, while the sports media marvels.

    The penalty is ridiculous.
    You all were begging for new penalties after Rodgers got hurt.

    Be careful what you wish for.

  27. More games, more horrible calls. It’s like the NFL can’t stand people watching football. It’s not bad enough to have poor officiating, the league immediately stands behind that same poor officiating. Matthew’s has been flagged 2 weeks in a row for horrible calls. Today’s didn’t have much of an impact on the game, but still a bad call. Maybe the game comes out different though. No one will ever know. The Minnesota game? Yeah, the outcome was changed by officials.

  30. As much as it sucks it was very obvious. Terrible rule, but obvious call

    You’re absolutely right. This is pretty basic stuff here. He drove the quarterback into the ground, which the rule forbids.

  31. I’m not a Pack or CMIII fan in the least, but it sure seems like the league cuts that guy exactly zero slack.

  32. “Body Weight Violation”, I wonder if this is like when you come into camp overweight and they fine you by the pound? That being said, I’m glad for his sake, and that of his wallet, that Vince Wilfork is retired. ‘Cause if they fined by the pound, Big Vince would be broke if he ever hit a guy that way.

  33. This is getting ridiculous, who the heck wants to watch this stuff ? If you can’t tackle, what are you suppose to do ? disgusting. They minus well put flags on the quarterback and see if the defense can get it, then call it a sack.

  34. Vikings fans shouldn’t be talking crap about the Packers Roster, not today. It just makes you look stupid

    Bears may win the North by default

  35. I think an NFL official with limited playing experience put through a change with lots of unintended consequences.

    I do understand why they want to make a change but like many things the NFL does, it is very poorly discussed and executed.

    Nobody wanted to see Aaron Rodgers get hurt last year. But it happens. Now the hilarious overreaction is to try to make it nearly impossible to tackle the QB.

    As long as a QB can run, fight off a defender to try to complete a pass or avoid a sack, you have to be able to wrap up and tackle.

    If they want to make them more like a punter or kicker then ok, but…trying to have it both ways is really a terrible idea.

    I do think it is more than a bit ironic that the team that did lobby for changes was robbed of at least one win, and at least one big play today.
    And the Packers need to sit their QB to heal up before his knee gets any worse.

  38. Dirt Mathews has earned this scrutiny – he is one of the top three dirtiest players in the NFL and does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Even though I loathe Alex Smith, Dirt Mathews did drive him into the ground with his weight. Dirt deserves to be suspended for the rest of the year. This is his SECOND such penalty that is supported by the replays. We must end the tenure of players like him so that the sport can be cleaned up. He will always play dirty and there should be no room for headhunters like this buffoon.

  41. For the trolls out there blaming Aaron Rodgers for this rule, let’s set a few things straight:

    1. The Anthony Barr hit was not a penalty, and should not have been one.

    2. If this is the basis for the rule, the QB was out of the pocket and was a runner. Not sure what difference that really makes, but in the Barr / Rodgers scenario, it’s what happened.

    3. The hit by Kendricks on Rodgers, while one of two defensive penalties on the play, was horrible. It was a textbook hit on a QB in the pocket.

    4. The Matthews hit on Cousins was a textbook hit. Period. QB was in the pocket and throwing the ball when hit in the waist.

    5. The league felt so strongly that both the Kendricks hit and the Matthews hit were included in the “teaching tape” sent by the league to teams, and both players were fined for the personal foul penalty…..oh, wait…none of that happened. Despite Al Riveron’s idiotic “doubling down” on both hits, neither player was fined, and neither play was included in the teaching tape.

    6. Matthews hit today was clean, period. In no, way, shape, or form was it malicious or dirty, nor was it roughing. Riveron once again opened his mouth to confirm he needs to hire a PR guy.

    7. By Riveron’s description of “lifting and violently throwing a player to the ground, then landing with all or most of his body weight on the player”, David Payne should’ve been flagged for his hit on Rodgers. By the method in which they’ve called RTP so far, it was a penalty. By the eye of anybody who has ever watched football for 10 minutes before this season, it wasn’t a penalty, at all.

    8. The trolls who want to refer to this as “The Aaron Rodgers Rule” and blame Rodgers for the creation of this rule are the same MENSA candidates who would blame Daryl Stingley for the Jack Tatum hit.

    9. I’ll say it again: The league looks at QB’s as ratings drivings. They could not care less about lineman getting rolled up on, or fullbacks getting their “bell rung” on every play. Quarterbacks – particularly very good QBs – drive ratings. Ratings drive huge TV contracts. Follow the money.

  42. It’s beyond ridiculous. Defensive players can’t hit QB’s high, low, in the middle, land on top of them, etc etc. The game play is being ruined by textbook tacking being declared penalties by the refs These QB’s are still football players so unless you want them to play under flag football or 2 hand touch rules this new rule and others need to be eliminated. We are one step from putting QB’s in a pink tutu and having free reign over the play of the game. Can’t touch the QB because he’s special.

  43. lebrickie says:
    September 23, 2018 at 5:09 pm
    Dirt Mathews has earned this scrutiny – he is one of the top three dirtiest players in the NFL and does not deserve the benefit of the doubt. Even though I loathe Alex Smith, Dirt Mathews did drive him into the ground with his weight. Dirt deserves to be suspended for the rest of the year. This is his SECOND such penalty that is supported by the replays. We must end the tenure of players like him so that the sport can be cleaned up. He will always play dirty and there should be no room for headhunters like this buffoon.
    ==========================================================================================
    Do you watch much football? Although the guy has played dirty at times, so have a lot of others. The roughing call on him against the Bears was earned, the calls each of the last two weeks haven’t been. You’re the only person I’ve seen so far that agrees with the rules on roughing the quarterback.

    Tell me, how should Matthews have levitated over Smith on that sack? Are you thinking magic, or rockets on his cleats?

  44. This rule sucks (and was emphasized because of Rogers injury last year) but it was properly officiated. I think it should go away but for this week I’ll take it as the rule is the rule

  45. .
    So when Jay ALford drove brady backwards in the air 5 yards to END another pats attempt to beat the Giants in a SuperBowl that is now an illegal hit.
    Just stupid. his momentum to get there before the throw was not stoppable.

  46. So, if the linebacker can’t hit the qb with his helmet, doesn’t that leave his body? Sometimes they’re just going to fall that way if the defender is coming straight on. If the NFL wants to institute a rule that a qb is down on contact, that would alleviate any problem. It would essentially make it touch football.

  47. Looked like a good tackle. If they’re not going to allow that, then they should just make an in-the-grasp rule like touch football for the QB. The defender grabs the QB with both hands, and it’s a sack. That is how weak it’s getting out there. MLB playoffs start next week.

  49. I feel bad for the Lions tonight, I can already imagine it’ll go down like this…

    “Personal foul, number 99, looking at Tom Brady in any manner other than dreamy-eyed. This leads to the automatic ejection of 99, his coach, and every defensive player on the team, causing an immediate forfeit of the game.”

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