The NFL Competition Committee reviewed the high number of roughing the passer penalties around the league in the first three weeks of the season but will not be making any adjustments to the emphasis it has placed on the rule.
According to a statement from NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent, the Competition Committee spoke at length regarding the way the league has been enforcing penalties for defenders for landing on quarterbacks with their body weight. It was decided to continue to enforce the rule -- which has been on the books for more than a decade -- as written.
Statement from @NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations @TroyVincent23
Video – contact on the QB https://t.co/IiR8sfBkq7 pic.twitter.com/9Xt5f5Arwi
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) September 27, 2018
There have been 34 roughing the passer penalties called through the first three weeks of the season, including four in the Steelers' game last Monday night against the Buccaneers -- two on each team. Another potential penalty on defensive end Cameron Heyward was picked up.
"I don't know what we're supposed to do," said defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who was called for one of the roughing penalties for landing with his weight on Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
"I guess we're supposed to gently lay them on a mattress."
The league offered this video to teams and officials for clarity purposes.
To ensure consistency in officiating the roughing the passer rule, the @NFL Competition Committee clarified techniques that constitute a foul. Examples of permissible and impermissible contact on the quarterback: pic.twitter.com/ODU6FMGeIW
— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) September 27, 2018
Ben Roethlisberger was the beneficiary of having two of the roughing penalties called in the game against the Buccaneers. He didn't necessarily think both were warranted, feeling one called on defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was a legal hit.
“There’s a lot of them. I don’t want to criticize the officiating, especially when you’re talking about a penalty that helps the quarterback out," he said. "I was surprised at the first one. The second one I thought was legit – (Jason Pierre-Paul) hit me in the helmet. It was kind of like hearing that loud ring when your helmet gets hit. There’s sure a lot of them. I can’t imagine the fans at home are enjoying it too much.”
The league previously spoke with officials in the preseason regarding how they were penalizing players for leading with the helmet, something that was called 51 times in the first two weeks of the preseason.
But after a Competition Committee meeting was held to clarify the rule, the instances of it being called fell dramatically.