NFL Week 5 recap: Modifications to concussion protocol, first coach firing and officiating controversies

Muricas News  — 

We’ve had adjustments to the concussion protocol, the primary coach firing and officiating controversies.

One other week within the NFL, and no finish of speaking factors.

With Week 5 within the books following the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ 17-point comeback victory towards the Las Vegas Raiders, let’s take a look at the most important speaking factors from the previous seven days.

The largest story coming from Week 5 comes after two controversial roughing-the-passer penalties had been known as in two days.

The roughing-the-passer penalty is a rule which was carried out in an try to guard quarterbacks from hits which are deemed “unwarranted by the circumstances of the play” by the referees – in different phrases, hits which are manner over the road.

The rule has been up to date over latest years to extend the safety supplied to quarterbacks. Nonetheless, latest occasions have elevated scrutiny on the penalty and when it's being known as.

First, Grady Jarrett was deemed to have roughed Tom Brady on Sunday on a key third down because the Atlanta Falcons tried to mount a comeback regardless of it trying like Jarrett had simply tackled Brady. The resultant penalty helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers maintain onto the ball and finish the sport with a win.

And on Monday, the Chiefs’ Chris Jones was known as for a similar penalty after touchdown on Raiders QB Derek Carr, regardless of stripping the ball and in addition showing to brace his fall.

The 2 penalty selections have been lambasted by gamers, commentators and followers since and have elevated requires a evaluation system to be put into place for these conditions.

It’s unclear about whether or not systemic adjustments will occur because of these two incidents, however such controversial penalty calls have led to guidelines being tweaked or modified prior to now – simply take a look at the go interference evaluation change which happened after the ending to the 2019 NFC Championship sport between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams (though that didn’t final very lengthy).

In mild of latest occasions involving Miami Dolphins beginning quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the NFL and NFL Gamers Affiliation (NFLPA) introduced on Sunday they had been implementing new concussion protocols to additional defend gamers.

And it simply so occurred that the primary participant to be dominated out from a sport underneath these new guidelines was Tagovailoa’s substitute, Teddy Bridgewater.

The 29-year-old suffered a blow to the pinnacle throughout his first snap of the sport. Though Bridgewater handed his analysis and had no signs, a spotter noticed him stumble, based on Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

Stumbling is a thought-about an indication of ataxia because it demonstrates impaired motor operate. The league defines ataxia as “abnormality of stability/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech brought on by a neurological difficulty.”

Below the brand new rules, a participant exhibiting indicators of ataxia whereas being evaluated for a concussion can be prohibited from returning to the sport.

There have been different gamers dominated out of video games throughout Week 5 due to the brand new protocols – Pittsburgh Steelers tight finish Pat Freiermuth and New Orleans Saints huge receiver Chris Olave – because the league and gamers affiliation try to guard gamers higher.

While you tune into an NFL sport, you need to see high-flying feats of athleticism, huge performs and many factors – see Sunday’s high-flying 38-3 demolition that the Buffalo Payments laid on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Nonetheless, this season, offenses normally are discovering it tougher to attain plenty of factors like in recent times.

Exterior of the juggernaut groups – the Payments and the Chiefs, for instance – changing lengthy drives into touchdowns has turn out to be tougher and that huge play capability appears to have dried up for some.

Within the final week, we’ve seen a tedious 12-9 Indianapolis Colts win over the Denver Broncos (which noticed the Denver devoted leaving the stadium in a mass exodus earlier than time beyond regulation), we’ve seen the reigning champion Los Angeles Rams rating 10 factors at dwelling and we’ve seen Detroit Lions get shut out 29-0 by the New England Patriots.

Now, this might all be a blip. It might simply be that gamers are nonetheless getting warmed up having not performed in preseason. It is also that defenses have wised as much as the performs and schemes which have beforehand labored.

Nevertheless it appears a shocking pattern given how the league gave the impression to be going, with extra offensively-minded coaches being employed and schemes being revolutionized to max out these high-powered assaults.

On Monday, Matt Rhule turned the primary NFL coach of the 2022 season to be fired after he was let go by the Carolina Panthers.

Rhule has loved a depressing time in Carolina, with a 11-27 document in two-plus years. His firing got here a day after a 22-point dwelling loss to the San Francisco 49ers which left the staff with a 1-4 document this season.

Rhule joined the Panthers on a seven-year, $62 million contract in 2020 having beforehand coached school soccer with Baylor and Temple. Based on NFL.com, he’s the primary ever Panthers coach to serve fewer than three full seasons.

However he’s struggled to discover a quarterback since becoming a member of. He’s tried out Sam Darnold, Teddy Bridgewater, Cam Newton and PJ Walker earlier than buying and selling for Baker Mayfield this offseason. None of those choices have offered a long-term resolution on the sport’s most vital place, as Mayfield endures a tricky begin to the 12 months.

Though Rhule has been changed on an interim foundation by defensive go sport coordinator/secondary coach Steve Wilks, the Panthers’ subsequent rent might be an vital one, with the roster interspersed with some proficient gamers, corresponding to operating again Christian McCaffrey, huge receiver DJ Moore and defensive finish Brian Burns.

It’s unclear if the Panthers will select to reboot their roster with a brand new teaching workers – normally carried out by buying and selling away one of the best gamers in trade for draft property – or will hope a change of personnel will change the momentum of the group.

However for Carolina followers, it's yet one more irritating season having final made the postseason in 2017.