Heading into their recreation in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their offensive teaching workers knew they wanted a plan for the gifted Micah Parsons. Final season’s Defensive Rookie of the Yr is a power on the linebacker place each in protection and as a move rusher, and Tampa Bay knew they needed to account for him each time he got here after quarterback Tom Brady.
One such play from that recreation touched off a confrontation on-line, and a debate over how the NFL views participant security with regards to defensive gamers.
Late within the first half, Brady linked with veteran Julio Jones on a deep move alongside the correct aspect of the sector. But it surely was not the completion that drew essentially the most consideration, however relatively the chip block from Leonard Fournette on Parsons as he rushed off the left edge:
Parsons rushes off the left edge, working in opposition to reserve left sort out Josh Wells. Wells was within the recreation after beginning sort out Donovan Smith left attributable to an elbow damage. With Parsons working in opposition to a backup, the Buccaneers resolve to offer Wells assist, within the type of Fournette chipping on Parsons. The chip block caught the eye of the Twitter timeline, after which Parsons after the sport, who used some … colourful language in response:
Now go watch the tape! And see what happenned when it was me and him one on one!!! You hit somebody not wanting you straight pus**y !! Cease hyping this weak as* shit it’s soccer!! https://t.co/ITprQ4ECRg
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) September 12, 2022
The clip additionally drew the eye of move rusher Von Miller, who made the case that it was a harmful block that lets “the offense tee off on our marquee move rushers:”
This block should be taken out the sport ! That is the longer term and we’re simply letting the offense tee off on our marquee move rushers! You will get the job performed with out this a lot contact! https://t.co/alEmMzEehk
— Von Miller (@VonMiller) September 12, 2022
There are guidelines in place the place the league protects defenders from chop blocks, the place an offensive participant goes low right into a defender whereas the defender is already engaged with one other blocker above the waist. In response to the NFL’s rulebook, all such blocks are unlawful, until the contact is initiated above the waist, or if the contact is “incidental.” On this play, nonetheless, Fournette stays above the waist.
Nonetheless, Parsons and Miller make the case that with the defender engaged, and his eyes within the backfield, this sort of block is harmful and dangers the “future” of the league. Miller, like many defensive gamers, factors out that whereas the NFL at all times seems for methods to guard offensive gamers — particularly quarterbacks — it isn’t typically the case that defensive gamers obtain the identical safety.
Ought to such a rule change be coming? As a washed-up former quarterback a number of months older than Brady, I’m of the thoughts that something that may be performed throughout the present guidelines to gradual these guys down off the sting, together with authorized chip blocks like this one from Fournette, are a great factor. Maybe my pricey pals on the defensive aspect of the soccer could disagree.
As for Fournette himself, he was not silent concerning the play on social media, responding with a easy GIF:
