There are a lot of NFL rules people don’t agree with, but to Grant & Danny, there’s one that needs to change immediately: the ball being a touchback for the defense if the offense fumbles forward and the ball goes out of bounds in the end zone.
That one reared its ugly head Thursday night in Philadelphia, as Justin Jefferson lost the ball and cost the Vikings at least three points late in the first half – up to a potential 10-point swing as the Eagles kicked a field goal to end the half.
In the words of Grant Paulsen: this should be a big nothingburger, but sadly, it’s the most egregious rule in the book.
“That rule is just so stupid. It is so maddening to me that anyone thinks it should be there,” Grant said. “For 99 yards, if the defense doesn’t recover a fumble in play, they don’t get the ball – but not only do they get the ball, they are gifted 20 percent of the field. That’s a chunk play plus possession…none of that makes any sense. The only thing I hate more in the NFL is ties. You know how people who run for office say they’ll do things? If I became NFL Commissioner, I would change that rule IMMEDIATELY.”
Danny agrees, and got hot about it!
“It’s so punitive, and the single-most devastating thing that can happen to a team in a league that’s very consistent in how it rules on things,” Danny said. “We have a legislative set of rules for 99.9 yards, but the minute the pylon is involved, it changes possession AND gifts 20 yards? No set of penalties does that. And, the proponents of it shrug their shoulders…I find it so upsetting, my body temperature goes up and my face gets red. It’s outrageous anyone is okay with this for a microsecond.”
So what could the NFL do?
“Maybe they just make it a 10-yard act of malfeasance, where the ball goes back to the 10-yard line,” Danny said.
Take a listen to the entire rant above!