95yo Former Vikes Coach- Rule Change Ideas

[Bill from NYC]

12 hours ago, RobbRiddick said:

I like the idea of stopping the clock if a team kneels down. I guess we'd complain when our team is trying to run out the clock but it would definitely make it more exciting. Of course, some people might say the losing team should have conserved their time outs and that this takes away some of the strategy

I like it too because now, the Bills no longer suck. If we have a lead and the game clock is winding down, let's allow the Bills to take a knee and win the game for a change!!!

I would be very pissed off if they suddenly inserted this one yard rule now that the Buffalo Bill have Josh Allen who on a good day can beat anybody. 😣

Edited May 23, 2022 by Bill from NYC

[Billy Claude]

The games are already too long.   No need to lengthen them even more.

[Rochesterfan]

13 hours ago, BillsShredder83 said:

I love all 3 of these ideas! Of course I don't think I've enjoyed a single change Goodell has made to the game, so these will never happen.

 

What do you all think? Out of the 3 I like the fair catch the least, but wouldnt mind any one of these

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2022/05/21/bud-grant-urges-nfl-to-change-rules-to-reduce-kneeldowns-fair-catches-touchbacks/amp/

 

I would complain to people about the idea that when the trailing team was out of timeouts, the quarterback starts kneeling down and the fans are leaving,” Grant said. The answer always was, ‘There’s nothing that can be done about it.’ I kept thinking about it and decided, ‘Yes, there is. The team on offense has to make a yard — 1 yard — or the clock stops. A few things can happen when trying to make a yard. You can get stuffed. You can fumble. You can get a penalty. And you keep the fans interested."

 

There’s no fair catch in Canada, but the coverage also has to give the returner 5 yards. NFL people hear this and they’ll say, ‘It will increase injuries.’ The 5-yard cushion makes all the difference. My opinion is there won’t be a real increase in injuries, and the punt would become an interesting play.”

 

“Why bother, if your goal is to make the kickoff the most-nothing play in football? They say it’s about safety. Injuries happen on every play,” Grant said. “They have made several changes on the way you can block on the kickoff. They can keep those. But you wait three minutes through a timeout, they come back, kick off, walk the ball out to 25. It’s ridiculous. Move the kickoff back 5 yards [to the 30], and if you don’t bring it out, you don’t get rewarded with the 25. You get the ball at the 15.”

 

It is obvious why Bud Grant isn’t a part of the modern NFL.  These are terrible and the first 2 are going to require judgement by the Refs and then people will complain about that.

 

The forward a yard rule - how do you write it - is it a full yard, half yard, forward progress - because then are you stopping to measure or is it just an attempt.  Plus the worse plays for both OL and DL for injuries are short yardage/goal line.  Plus QB sneaks give unnecessary shots at the best players.  It is totally stupid for very little overall impact.  The kneel down is the best play when you are ahead and the worst when losing, but it is perfectly fine.

 

The five yard fair catch rule - why are fair catches an issue?  Why open a guy up to a huge hit when the NFLPA has been working on getting rid of those hits where the player can’t brace.  The NFL already does a poor job of enforcing the safety zone around these players - can you imagine the outrage if a guy is 3.5 yards but in the air launched at the guy.  
 

These are all fixes looking for non-existing issues.  The NFL and NFLPA have been working on these changes - specifically to get away from the Bud Grant era of football with players - playing through these injuries and repeated long term collisions in short space.

 

For some reason - you always blame Goodell when in reality these changes all come from the competition committee of coaches and GMs with discussion with the NFLPA many times.  The changes are designed to specifically help keep players healthy and playing and to lessen the chances of additional concussion suits.  Goodell does not make the rules - that is a committee of coaches and GMs.  Goodell is the face of the owners only.
 

Overall Bud Grant is looking to bring back 1970’s football - get over it.  Games are close and they have increased ways to keep them closer, but don’t make part of that lead to more high injury situations.  
 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2022 by Rochesterfan

[CA OC Bills Fan]

I was thinking similarly to Mickey regarding the 1 yard rule. Do you really think that at the end of the game the rules should change just to let the team that couldn't win otherwise have a better chance to come back at the end? Or, if that's the rule for the entire game, what does that do to the length of the game? The NFL over time has made efforts to keeping the game moving, not make it longer. One rule they changed several years back (which is different at the end of each half by the way) is that they used to stop the clock whenever the ball carrier went out of bounds. They changed it to stopping the last 2 minutes of the 1st half and last 5 of the 2nd half, the rest of the game they stop it just until the ball is spotted (usually takes 5 seconds or less).

 

By the way, do you remember that in the past the clock is stopped while they spot the ball after a sack? It seemed like near the end of the game there were times it was better for a sack than a short gain. It game the team trying to make a comeback a few extra seconds to get to the LOS for the next play. I can't remember if it was just sacks or if any play losing yards had the same rule, possibly that's where Bud Grant is coming from. I do remember there were many times when I was a kid when a team that seemingly had the game won would lose a fumble and then lose the game with a chip shot FG.

[WhoTom]

12 hours ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

2- pass interference: never have I understood the rule of having to turn back to the ball. A guy has you beat. You are running towards him to catch up, the ball comes over your head and you don’t turn around…it’s pass interference. Why would you ever turn around? You are already beat. As long as you don’t touch the WR, it should be a good play.

 

If you don't touch the WR, it is a good play. No PI unless there's contact.

 

The reason you have to look back for the ball (when there's contact) is to show that you're going for the pick, as opposed to blatantly trying to stop the WR who beat you from making the catch.

 

[Rochesterfan]

13 hours ago, stuvian said:

Bud Grant's forgotten more football than Goodell will ever know

 

It is a good thing then Goodell doesn’t put rules in.

 

Bud Grant comes from a different era and really should no longer be taken seriously in regards to modern football.  These rules harken back to a pre-lawsuit day.  
 

 

[BearNorth]

Competition committee decides the rules:

Rich McKay (Chairman) – president and CEO, Atlanta Falcons [Coaches' son]

Katie Blackburn – executive vice president, Cincinnati Bengals

Chris Grier – general manager, Miami Dolphins

Stephen Jones – executive vice president, Dallas Cowboys

John Mara – owner, NY Giants

Ozzie Newsome – executive vice president, Baltimore Ravens [Former Player]

Frank Reich – head coach, Indianapolis Colts [Former Player]

Ron Rivera – head coach, Washington Commanders [Former Player]

Mike Tomlin – head coach, Pittsburgh Steelers [Former Player]

Mike Vrabel – head coach, Tennessee Titans [Former Player]

 

This is the current competition committee, notice the number of former players on it.  All of the former players have a ring [Reich & Tomlin as coaches, Newsome as an exec]. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

6 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

The kneel down has never struck me as one of football's glaring problems screaming for a solution.

 

However, when it comes to rule changes that ruined the game, the worst-ever may be the "tackle box" rule.  I don't know why they ever made this rule except to give a competitive advantage to the offense.  I say intentional grounding is intentional grounding.

 

Wow, I've kept that inside for a long time.  What a relief!

You have history backwards. The QB could get rid of the ball to escape a sack anywhere in the past. They established the tackle box to benefit the defense. If the defense successfully rushes the passer the QB no longer can just toss the ball anywhere to avoid a sack.

1 hour ago, WhoTom said:

 

If you don't touch the WR, it is a good play. No PI unless there's contact.

 

The reason you have to look back for the ball (when there's contact) is to show that you're going for the pick, as opposed to blatantly trying to stop the WR who beat you from making the catch.

 

Agree they removed faceguarding as PI a while ago.

[Doc]

Not that I would want this either, but how about just eliminating the kneel-down?  Make teams have to run a real play.

[stuvian]

59 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

It is a good thing then Goodell doesn’t put rules in.

 

Bud Grant comes from a different era and really should no longer be taken seriously in regards to modern football.  These rules harken back to a pre-lawsuit day.  
 

 

omitting his CFL knowledge and experience is wasteful and short sighted

[Charles Romes]

15 hours ago, Beast said:

I like that gaining a yard rule.

Everybody likes it. But the league will NEVER pass a rule leading to more injuries. Nor will the players sign off to such a rule. 

[Rochesterfan]

7 minutes ago, stuvian said:

omitting his CFL knowledge and experience is wasteful and short sighted

 

Does his CFL knowledge make him understand why the coaches and GMs changed the rules?

 

He is still going back to a old era that modern coaches and GMs are trying to move away from.

 

Does his knowledge exceed Reich, Newsome, Vrable, Tomlin, and Rivera who all sit on the competition committee and implemented the rule changes he is proposing against?

 

Bud Grant is an incredibly knowledgeable football man, but his rule suggestions do not fit with what the modern Coach and GM want - nor what a more powerful NFLPA demands - which limits the plays that lead to the most injuries.  
 

He is from an era where it was ok to physically beat the heck out of each other and you got a concussion “you just got your bell rung - smelling salts and get back in”.  Therefore forcing teams to try and run a play versus goal line defense trying to prevent you from getting a yard would be a plus in his day.  Today there is no reason for it - just increased risk of needless injury.

 

 

 

[RyanC883]

15 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

Instead of kneel downs you’d probably get QB sneaks to get that yard and the league doesn’t want to put its darlings in jeopardy.

 

just had it off to a big back, or run a screen play, etc.  

45 minutes ago, Charles Romes said:

Everybody likes it. But the league will NEVER pass a rule leading to more injuries. Nor will the players sign off to such a rule. 

 

then why even bother with OT in regular season games?  

[MRW]

1 hour ago, RyanC883 said:

 

then why even bother with OT in regular season games?  

 

My hot take is OT should actually be eliminated for regular season games. Win in regulation or accept the tie. Then in the playoffs, OT is just an extra quarter, and you keep going if still tied.

 

I think I'm on an island on this one though, nobody wants ties. I just think it could lead to some interesting decisions at the end of games - go for 2 and the win, or take a tie?

[glazeduck]

All 3 of these ideas are terrible.

[Jerome007]

9 hours ago, Zerovoltz said:

Also....if it's 35-3...are we really making the kneeling team gain a yard.  

Good point.

 

Overall, not bad ideas, but nothing to go all out for, at all.

[chris heff]

Bud Grant is also the guy that wouldn’t let any kind of heaters for his players in Metropolitan Stadium., apparently frostbite makes you tougher.

[Paup 1995MVP]

6 hours ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

Does his CFL knowledge make him understand why the coaches and GMs changed the rules?

 

He is still going back to a old era that modern coaches and GMs are trying to move away from.

 

Does his knowledge exceed Reich, Newsome, Vrable, Tomlin, and Rivera who all sit on the competition committee and implemented the rule changes he is proposing against?

 

Bud Grant is an incredibly knowledgeable football man, but his rule suggestions do not fit with what the modern Coach and GM want - nor what a more powerful NFLPA demands - which limits the plays that lead to the most injuries.  
 

He is from an era where it was ok to physically beat the heck out of each other and you got a concussion “you just got your bell rung - smelling salts and get back in”.  Therefore forcing teams to try and run a play versus goal line defense trying to prevent you from getting a yard would be a plus in his day.  Today there is no reason for it - just increased risk of needless injury.

 

 

 

 Bud Grant certainly has more knowledge of the NFL game then Vrabel and Rivera.  Not sure what Reich has done to get all the kudos except have his team completely unprepared in their playoff or bust game against the Jags last year.  (Loved him as the Bills QB.  Just don't think he is as great a coach as some like to say.)  We shall see what he can do w a mediocre Matt Ryan this year.  And I would put Grant on the level of Newsome and Tomlin.  

 

Safety is obviously important.  But the kickoff has become a waste.  Kick from the 30.  If its a touchback, bring it out to the 20.  The rule did not need changing.  

[K-9]

Victory formation is my favorite play on offense. Here’s a novel idea; how about not being behind late in a game and allowing your opponent the option of running it? 

 

To the victor go the spoils. 

 

[djp14150]

21 hours ago, Brianmoorman4jesus said:

3 rules Id change if it was up to me…

 

1- overtime: you play 10 mins. Whatever the score is it is. You can have the ball 1x you can have the ball 5x. It’s plenty of time. Stop the other team. It’s that simple 

 

2- pass interference: never have I understood the rule of having to turn back to the ball. A guy has you beat. You are running towards him to catch up, the ball comes over your head and you don’t turn around…it’s pass interference. Why would you ever turn around? You are already beat. As long as you don’t touch the WR, it should be a good play.

 

3- fumbles/lateral/arm going forward issues: make every ball that doesn’t go past the line of scrimmage a fumble. Even if it’s a forward pass. You don’t reach the line, it’s live. Then none of the questions about arms and angles and what not, ever come up.

 

you can’t defend by putting hands over receivers eyes even without touching the receiver.

then you will have balls intentionally batted to be behind the line. Reviews would need to be done on those.it’s moving the lines but the lines still gets crossed.