Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith is the latest player to chime in on the NFL’s new helmet rule, which has been nothing short of a disaster so far in the preseason.
Smith, who watched one of his teammates get hit with one of the worst penalties we’ve ever seen on Saturday, shared the perspective that it’s not physically possible to follow the new rule.
Harrison Smith: "As defensive players, we're not resistant to these [rule] changes. They just need to be … physically possible, I guess."
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) August 20, 2018
This comment echoes what San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman had to say in a pointed and accurate Twitter rant on Sunday.
To all those ppl including those who made the rule. I want a video of YOU running full speed and being lead by anything but your head while also attempting to bring down a moving target. You will soon realize it’s impossible. https://t.co/QFyENU6LKf
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) August 19, 2018
There is no “make adjustment” to the way you tackle. Even in a perfect form tackle the body is led by the head. The rule is idiotic And should be dismissed immediately. When you watch rugby players tackle they are still lead by their head. Will be flag football soon.
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) August 19, 2018
The NFL has to know that it cannot continue calling penalties on plays like many that have been flagged this preseason. The league has been compiling a database of all the flagged hits so far this summer and likely will make tweaks to how it calls them during the regular season.
That being said, it’s all just so confusing right now, because form tackles, with players leading with shoulder pads while making a point of getting their head out of the way have been deemed illegal.
Just a mess
Flag was on Fuller pic.twitter.com/JXzRTtYBiX
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) August 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/JoeAno1/status/1030278575579189249
If this continues to be the case going forward, then the NFL might as well legitimately put flags on players and ban tackling outright.