The NFL has decided to use the controversial hit that Clay Matthews from the Green Bay Packers put down on Kirk Cousins on Sunday when the Packers took on the Minnesota Vikings.
Referee Tony Corrente called it based on the fact that he believed Matthews had lifted the quarter-back and then drove him into the ground – a move which breached the current playing rules.
There were many who thought the decision was controversial as there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary that was deem it a foul.
Mike McCarthy, coach of the Green Bay Packers came out in support of Matthews and said that he had done nothing wrong because this is the type of play that the line-backer practices during training as it was well within the NFL rules fixed for the 2018 season.
That remark didn’t exactly go down well with the NFL top brass as a few hours later they decided to put together a training video featuring Matthew’s hit of Cousins and send it out to all NFL teams in order to explain what isn’t acceptable in play.
The NFL rule concerning this type of playing makes it clear that the strategy of catching the passer from behind his legs, lifting and pulling him in an upward direction will be considered a foul.
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The Green Bay linebacker was very emotional with all the controversy surrounding the hit as it portrays him in a bad light. The fact that the NFL is going to make a video and use his play as an example of what not to do does not provide him with any comfort.
In a statement, Clay Matthews said
I have so many emotions running through as far as what a terrible call it was. I thought I hit him within his waist to chest, I got my head across, put my hands down. The worst part is, we’ll probably send it in and you know what they’re going to say? They’ll find fault on me because they’re going to agree with the refs. I don’t know
McCarthy says that there are grey areas with the new NFL rules on roughing and wants more clarity on the same. He went on to say that while they supported player safety, it was also important for the NFL to ensure that the linebackers were not put at a competitive disadvantage.
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