WEBVTT - Bills by the Numbers Ep. 37: Which Penalties Will Increase or Decrease in 2022? 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.000 Hey, it's Bills by the Numbers, brought to you by 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:06.720 FanDuel make every moment more coming up? What penalties were 0:00:06.720 --> 0:00:09.959 the biggest problems for the Bills in twenty twenty one? 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:12.440 We take a look. Will the points of emphasis for 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:15.720 officials this year be a benefit or a problem for 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:18.720 the way the Bills play on offense and defense? We 0:00:19.040 --> 0:00:23.560 discuss plus, former head of NFL Officiating Dean Blandino, joins 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.239 us to tell us where we can expect to see 0:00:26.280 --> 0:00:29.960 penalties go up or go down? Steve, there's a flag 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:43.239 on the play. So happy to have you here with 0:00:43.320 --> 0:00:45.440 us on Bills by the Numbers. Bills Wall of Famer 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:48.720 Steam Pasker, Bills insider Chris Brown with you as usual, 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.559 and it's a yellow flag edition of Bills by the Numbers. 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:56.360 We begin with the following facts. The Bills had the 0:00:56.520 --> 0:01:00.279 sixth most penalties against in the league last year one 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:04.360 hundred and thirteen called against, seventh most in net penalty 0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:08.080 yards and second in the league, and automatic first downs 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:12.040 awarded to the opponent via penalty. They did get better 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:13.720 from the first half to the second half of the 0:01:13.760 --> 0:01:17.120 season in twenty twenty one, reduce their penalty accounts slightly, 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.400 and they were at their best Steve in their two 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:24.080 playoff games, with just three penalties assessed in the wildcard 0:01:24.160 --> 0:01:27.360 round and three in the divisional playoff. But coach McDermott 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:30.240 always wants better. As we know, as much as a 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:34.600 coach emphasizes it, how realistic is it, Steve to get 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:39.920 your roster to be more disciplined in the area of penalties. Yeah, 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:44.759 it can happen. I'm you always over emphasize it because 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:46.400 it always makes it seem like you're going to play 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:48.920 soft and play scared if you're trying not to get penalties, 0:01:48.960 --> 0:01:51.200 and the truth, that's not really the truth. The truth 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:56.000 is you have to make an effort. Particularly most of 0:01:56.000 --> 0:01:58.040 these you think about in the secondary and up in 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:00.720 the offensive line and in the defensive line where you 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:02.880 get a lot of defensive holdings. That kind of thing. 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:06.800 Also you get guys. A little of it can be 0:02:06.800 --> 0:02:10.720 attributed to coaching, because if you get your team into 0:02:10.760 --> 0:02:14.640 a matchup that they can't win an individual matchup, that 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:16.520 guy's gonna get desperate. He's not going to get one 0:02:16.560 --> 0:02:17.960 to get beat, and he's gonna latch on and get 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:20.520 kind of holding penalties out of desperation because he can't 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:23.000 win that matchup. Same thing, and it's the same kind 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:25.520 of It's not just in pass coverage with a linebacker, 0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.440 running back, or what have you. It's also an offensive 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:31.040 lineman getting matched up with an elite pass rusher that 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:33.240 they know they got neat help on and don't get any. 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:35.560 So a little bit of that is coaching and matchups 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:37.440 and getting your guys in a position where they can win. 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:41.000 But there's no question players can be disciplined and think 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:44.120 about that stuff. A player gets fewer penalties when he's 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.280 really confident and really prepared, and that does fall on coaching, 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:50.359 right and I think coach McDermott would be in the 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:52.800 same boat as most coaches. As we've heard over the years, 0:02:53.760 --> 0:02:57.680 the effort penalties you can stomach to a certain degree. 0:02:58.000 --> 0:03:02.040 It's the pre snap unforced error penalties that drive coaches 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:06.160 up a wall. And there was some of that. Although 0:03:06.160 --> 0:03:10.320 the Bills were not ranked highly in the area of 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:12.920 presnap penalties last year, they had a fair amount. I 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:15.040 think they were somewhere in the lower third of the 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.120 league though in number of pre snap penalties called against. 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:20.880 Dallas was the worst team in the league and penalties 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:24.760 by far, and it wasn't even close. We can get 0:03:24.800 --> 0:03:27.320 into that a little bit later. On the good side, 0:03:27.840 --> 0:03:31.360 As I said, ninth fewest pre snap penalties the most 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.200 popular penalties called against the Bills, and I imagine this 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:37.080 is largely the case for the thirty one other teams. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:43.000 Offensive holding twenty three infractions, false start eighteen infractions, defensive 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:49.240 holding thirteen penalties, defensive PI nine, unnecessary roughness eight, and 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:52.800 roughing the passer eight. We knew holding was a point 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.800 of emphasis last season, so that's no surprise, Steve. Which 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:58.440 one of these penalty categories might surprise you the most? 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:02.480 Concerning the Bill style of play. False starts are always 0:04:02.480 --> 0:04:06.240 a problem. You give one a game, Yeah, they had 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:09.080 eighteen and seventeen games. That's not awful. And I think 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:13.160 defensive pass interference is tough because I think those are 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.479 the really tough ones because those are so it's a 0:04:16.520 --> 0:04:18.560 spot foul. So if you're thirty five yards down the 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:21.560 field and you get an pass interference, the ball is 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:23.480 spotted right at that spot, so it's a thirty five 0:04:23.560 --> 0:04:26.640 yard completion. Those are really really tough, and I think 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:29.360 any team would tell you, you know, they can put 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:32.120 up with kind of a five yard penalty and you 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:36.480 know the next down, giving up a thirty five yard 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:39.200 explosive play because of an official through a flag is 0:04:39.200 --> 0:04:41.359 a really tough one to swallow, right. The one that 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:44.599 surprised me was roughing the passer and the fact that 0:04:44.600 --> 0:04:47.640 there were only eight if you go back and think 0:04:47.640 --> 0:04:50.520 of twenty twenty one. To me, if you asked me 0:04:50.560 --> 0:04:53.919 what stood out most about officiating, it was how quick 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:57.159 the flag came out for roughing the passer. You barely 0:04:57.240 --> 0:05:00.159 breathe on a quarterback, and the flag was coming out 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:02.760 last year, and that, from what we understand, is going 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:07.800 to be relaxed this year. Glancing blows inadvertent contact to 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:10.479 the head or neck area or below the knee are 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:12.479 not going to be called this year, so we shouldn't 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:17.480 see as many. But seeing seeing eight for roughing the passer, 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:19.839 if you ask me, I would have guessed twice that 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:22.960 would have been flagged against the Bills and most teams 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:25.119 for that matter. One of the instances too is the Bills, 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:28.400 you know, didn't have a dominant pass rush, so and 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:32.160 also with the with the current you know atmosphere in 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:36.039 the league, you get roughing the passer calls the Bills 0:05:36.080 --> 0:05:38.680 do a lot because their secondary is really good and 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:41.400 the quarterback of the other team is extending the play 0:05:41.600 --> 0:05:45.000 and you're chasing, chasing, chasing, chasing, and then you reach 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:47.520 into that gray area of what wasn't an extra step 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.440 you give that to declare himself as a runner. You 0:05:50.480 --> 0:05:52.559 feel like, as a defensive lineman, you've got to force 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:55.240 that guy to throw the football, so you're pushing it 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.920 to the very end he throws it you you double 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:01.680 hand shove him out of bounds. It's a penalty. Yeah, 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:04.839 that's pretty frustrating for a defense, particularly when he chased 0:06:04.839 --> 0:06:07.480 the guy all over the yard. Yeah, And that's probably 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:10.800 why unnecessary roughness was up there too, because once that 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:14.560 quarterback's out of the pocket, he's not necessarily a quarterback 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:16.240 if he declares himself as a runner, and if he 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:18.200 gets out of bounds just as you get there and 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:21.359 you knock him after he's taken a step out of bounds, 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:23.800 you're getting hit for unnecessary roughness. And I would if 0:06:23.839 --> 0:06:26.200 you ask me to guess, I would say four of 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:28.920 those eight unnecessary roughness calls against the Bills last year, 0:06:28.960 --> 0:06:32.279 it probably hits like that, and it's pretty frustrating too, 0:06:32.320 --> 0:06:34.520 because what happens if the quarterback pump fakes and you 0:06:34.839 --> 0:06:37.000 don't double chuck him, He's still got the ball and 0:06:37.040 --> 0:06:39.560 you didn't get him on the ground, So you never 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:42.960 That's how fine the line is, how fast it happens, 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:45.440 and you know it's it's a lot to ask of 0:06:45.520 --> 0:06:50.640 a defender, but all of us would agree when push 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:54.000 comes to shovey, you need to protect the guys throwing 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.760 the football. I think, Yeah, nobody wants to go see 0:06:58.600 --> 0:07:03.000 Joe Toby Percy Joe, Yeah, we don't want to go 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:06.520 see Joey Bagadonnut's played quarterback even for the other team. Yeah. 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:09.920 So it's a star driven league and they protect those guys, 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:12.560 and with good reason. The entire franchise rests on their 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:14.720 ability to line up every week. Okay, you mentioned the 0:07:14.720 --> 0:07:18.160 Bill's defense, So, knowing the points of emphasis this season, 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:22.840 which include tighter calling of illegal contact, looser calling of 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:28.520 defensive pass interference, and more leniency with respect to roughing 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:32.040 the passer as we mentioned, what do you foresee for 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:35.320 Buffalo's defense in twenty twenty two? Knowing we expect the 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:38.520 pass rush to be significantly better this year, They're gonna 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:40.280 be some times where it's gonna be frustrating because they're 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:43.320 gonna get home and they're gonna get called for penalty. Um, 0:07:44.080 --> 0:07:46.000 they still will call hits to the head on the 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:51.040 quarterback if it's forcible. They still will call load shots 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:55.320 on the quarterbacks legs. They still will call the extra 0:07:55.400 --> 0:07:57.760 step and a defender puts the guy on the ground, 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.920 And I think you're a seat have more instances to 0:08:02.320 --> 0:08:05.760 have judgment calls against the Bills because their pass rush 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:08.320 is going to be closer to the quarterback by and large. 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:11.080 So yeah, I think it's going to be a frustrating 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:14.840 year at times for Bills fans watching their team play 0:08:14.920 --> 0:08:18.160 so well up front and then you know, having them 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:21.680 force an incompletion on third down and get have to 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:23.640 give them a first down because of a penalty in 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:26.559 the pocket. Yeah, my fear is out of the pass 0:08:26.600 --> 0:08:28.400 rush will be better, So that means there are going 0:08:28.440 --> 0:08:31.600 to be around the quarterback more. And even though roughing 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:34.440 the pastor might be called less and there might be 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:38.080 more leniency in that area, I think with the frequency 0:08:38.160 --> 0:08:40.880 with which this defense is expected to be around the quarterback, 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:42.280 I think the number is going to be about the 0:08:42.280 --> 0:08:44.199 same in terms of the roughing the pastor calls that 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:47.000 we've seen in the past. And yes, you're right, that 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:50.880 is going to be supremely frustrating for Bills fans watching it, 0:08:51.160 --> 0:08:55.120 either in the stadium or at home on their televisions. 0:08:55.360 --> 0:08:57.960 Flip that around now, Steve, and do you believe Buffalo's 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:01.520 offense could be even more difficult to stop in light 0:09:01.559 --> 0:09:04.720 of some of these changes more illegal contact calls? And 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.080 we know the separation that the Bills receiving corps can 0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:12.960 get with alarming regularity at times. Lighter though on roughing 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:17.720 the passer, yeah, that's where mine you know, as a 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:21.040 former guy who practice being a wide receiver and then 0:09:21.080 --> 0:09:25.480 covered kicks on Sunday, I felt like that was all 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:28.520 The rules have always been tilted towards the offense, particularly 0:09:28.559 --> 0:09:32.000 in the secondary, and I always thought, right, when you 0:09:32.040 --> 0:09:33.840 see this, it's going to be like, well, there are 0:09:33.840 --> 0:09:38.240 going to be some players who have much better seasons 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:41.240 statistically than they otherwise would have with these penalties the 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.120 way they're called, because some players are just in that 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:49.080 are in that level of being able to just get 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:52.400 enough separation, and this will give them more separation. It 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:54.600 will help them be a better receiver. They're gonna have 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.839 some I don't want to say mediocre, but by NFL stands, 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:00.200 you're gonna have some guys that are more effective than 0:10:00.240 --> 0:10:02.719 they otherwise would have been because these rules, and I 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:06.840 think particularly smaller guys who are less physical, who can't 0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:09.439 get jostled around at the top of their route, are 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:12.200 gonna be You're gonna see him standing by themselves in 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:17.520 a field, Mackenzie like Zaie McKenzie, Cole Beasley, Shakier, all 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.480 of those guys out of Jameson Crowder and of course 0:10:20.640 --> 0:10:23.920 Digs as well, because he, you know, he's a same 0:10:24.000 --> 0:10:26.959 kind of guy as a route runner. Precision, those guys 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:31.360 are gonna have more separation or draw more flags, draw 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:35.120 more flags, no question about it. Yeah, I foresee a 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:38.720 lot of three five yards and yeah, and a fresh 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:41.480 set of downs. Yeah. And that's the point of it. 0:10:41.679 --> 0:10:44.760 That's basically one of the caveats of this. They want 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:47.280 they want to see more, more points, more yards. Well, yeah, 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:49.480 And the reason I foresee that is because this receiving 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:53.520 corps is based on or is largely made up of 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:58.720 receivers who get early separation in the down. And if 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.000 you want to prevent that and you grab a little 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:05.839 bit or you know, past five yards you can get 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:07.800 a lot of flags against this Billings and even trying 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:10.280 to even grabbing the jersey to stay with the guys 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:15.679 so he doesn't get separation that falls under and you know, 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:19.640 you're it's the same. It's the same penalty. So yeah, yeah, 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:21.960 it's it's gonna be a problem for defenses. They're gonna 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:23.880 have to really struggle with it and and try and 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:27.880 keep up. It's it's stacked against them, no question about it. 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:30.199 And that's why I think in this day and age, 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:33.240 the Bills have been served so well by the quality 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:35.360 of guys they have in their secondary. That they've got 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:38.760 top notch guys at every spot, and that that means something. 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:40.920 It really does. The league may argue, hey, we're throwing 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:42.720 the defense at home. We're gonna lighten up on the 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:46.040 defensive pass interference, allow more hand battles, and I was like, 0:11:46.800 --> 0:11:50.440 I'll believe that when I see it. Um thing, if 0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:54.360 the balls in the air, Yeah, it's penalty, right, We'll 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:56.240 see how they call it. It will be interesting, to 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:58.439 say the least. We move ahead now to the Numbers game, 0:11:58.480 --> 0:12:01.319 where Steve is going to yes and see if he 0:12:01.360 --> 0:12:03.800 can nail down the players who drew the most penalty 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.400 flags for the Bills last season. So, Steve, we need 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:11.319 five of the top ten players for penalty flags for 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.880 the Bills in twenty twenty one. What do you say, 0:12:15.280 --> 0:12:22.280 all right, who got the most penalty I'll say ed Oliver. 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:25.640 Ed Oliver is right at the bottom of the top 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:30.600 ten with five penalties. This could be offense or defense. 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:35.800 Offense or defense. Top five flag drawers for the Bills 0:12:35.880 --> 0:12:43.120 last season, Darryl Williams number six, six penalties assessed against him. 0:12:43.160 --> 0:12:53.200 Spencer Brown. Spencer Brown is number three with seven buttger Nope, 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:57.480 not on the list. Dawkins beon. Dawkins tied with Spencer 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:04.400 Brown for seven penalties. You need one more to satisfy 0:13:04.520 --> 0:13:08.240 my quota of five. You are four for four. I 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:11.600 think right missed miser you got, so you're four for 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:18.400 five on your guesses. I'll say, we'll see who you 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:25.280 have a I'll say, uh, Levi Wallace, you got the 0:13:25.360 --> 0:13:30.760 guy in the top spot eight penalties assessed. That's a 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:33.280 guy that you met, Like we were talking about, it's 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:37.840 a tough spot. He's not elite athleticism and so if 0:13:37.840 --> 0:13:39.600 he's playing a fast guy and it feels he's got 0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:41.560 to grab, he's got to grab, and you got back, 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:43.920 I get him. That was hit five out of ten. Yeah, 0:13:44.600 --> 0:13:47.440 eight penalties assessed against Levi Wallace. That was the most 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:52.280 on the team last year, obviously in Pittsburgh. Now Dion Dawkins, 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:57.320 Spencer Brown, Jordan Poyer all with seven last year, tied 0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:01.640 with Daryl Williams for six, Seranne who got some special 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:06.040 team last year, and then three the last four players 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:09.320 tied with five along with ed Oliver Tredebous White with five, 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:14.240 Emmanuel Sanders with five, and Dawson Knox with five. So 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:18.320 offensive pi. Dawson Knox also got a couple holding calls 0:14:18.360 --> 0:14:22.000 I believe, and a false start. I think Emmanuel Sanders 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:24.200 had a couple of false starts last year of memory serves. 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:26.480 But Steve, you just whipped through that thing like a 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:28.600 hot knife through butter. I do know this team. I 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:32.000 don't know anybody else, but I know this team. Good 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:35.640 effort there. New customers can get their first bet risk 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:39.240 free up to one thousand dollars. Sign up today by 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.840 going to sportsbook dot FanDuel dot com or by downloading 0:14:42.840 --> 0:14:46.160 the fan duel sportsbook app FanDuel Sports Book, an official 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:49.480 partner of the Buffalo Bills. Here now to help us 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:53.080 with the points of emphasis four officials this season is 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:57.080 the former head of NFL officiating and the current Fox 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:01.640 Sports NFL rules analyst. It's Dean Blandino, who recently put 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:04.080 together a right up on the thirty third team where 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.320 he shares which penalties are likely to go up or 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:13.640 down in twenty twenty two. Let's talk with Dean. All right, Dan, 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:17.320 let's begin here. As you pointed out in your write 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:20.400 up end video on the thirty third team, total penalties 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.480 were up from twenty twenty to about fourteen per game 0:15:23.480 --> 0:15:25.960 in twenty twenty one. But I think that was expected, 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:28.600 knowing there was a huge drop in holding calls back 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:30.960 in twenty twenty, and that's the most popular penalty called, 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:33.360 I believe if I have my facts right. But it 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:35.800 was still down from the historical average of sixteen to 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:39.040 seventeen a game. So with the points of emphasis this 0:15:39.120 --> 0:15:43.000 season for the officials, do you think we'll move closer 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:48.040 to the historical average? I do. I think twenty twenty 0:15:48.240 --> 0:15:53.040 was somewhat of an anomaly. The holding calls were historically low, 0:15:53.600 --> 0:15:58.880 and the Competition Committee recognized that. And look, officials aren't 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:03.120 going to call every hold that occurs, but they do 0:16:03.200 --> 0:16:06.320 a really good job. And for the most part, in 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:09.080 you know, the last twenty five thirty years, you see 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:11.240 about three holds per game. It was down to two 0:16:11.280 --> 0:16:14.760 in twenty twenty. I think the officiating department, in conjunction 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:16.960 with the Competition Committee, did a good job in twenty 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:19.560 twenty one of just getting you know, getting the foules 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:21.960 you needed to get to focusing on the point of attack. 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.320 But I think with some of the other points of emphasis, 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:28.880 illegal contact, things like that, I think we will see 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.280 the number rise. I don't know if we'll get to 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:35.360 sixteen sixteen and a half where we've been, but but 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.320 I think you'll probably see closer to fifteen thousand. What 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:44.680 drives the movement on points of emphasis? Yeah, so that 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:48.240 comes from typically can come from a lot of different sources. 0:16:48.280 --> 0:16:52.120 It can come from the players. The Competition Committee meets 0:16:52.160 --> 0:16:56.480 with members of the NFLPA, current and former players to 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:00.680 address their concerns that happens at the combine. In Indianapoli, USUM. 0:17:00.800 --> 0:17:05.639 The coaches, there's a coach's subcommittee. Andy reid Is and 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:10.119 John Harbaugh on that. Other coaches, you know, Ron Rivera, 0:17:10.280 --> 0:17:13.200 some other from the Competition committee, they've worked together. They 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:16.800 look at different trends, and that's where that taunting emphasis 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:20.040 came from last year, really the coaches. They felt that 0:17:20.200 --> 0:17:24.399 the sportsmanship, some of the in your face stuff, stuff 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.920 directed at your opponent, was starting to rise, and they 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:30.640 felt that they wanted to curb that. So that's where 0:17:30.680 --> 0:17:34.359 those points of emphasis come from. Typically it's sportsmanship or 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:39.000 players safety, and where you see those things like downfields, 0:17:39.119 --> 0:17:41.560 you know, the contact if you want to help, you know, 0:17:41.600 --> 0:17:43.800 the passing game, keep that in a good place though, 0:17:43.880 --> 0:17:46.960 that's kind of where that comes from. You mentioned illegal 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.359 contact already, Dean, and we know that's going to be 0:17:49.359 --> 0:17:53.960 a point of emphasis this year. Only thirty six such 0:17:54.000 --> 0:17:57.360 penalties called last season illegal contact, which is probably why 0:17:57.400 --> 0:17:59.800 it's a point of emphasis this year. But what kind 0:17:59.840 --> 0:18:04.080 of spike does history tell you we should expect for 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:08.760 one like illegal contact that's a point of emphasis this year. Yeah, 0:18:08.800 --> 0:18:11.240 I think the last time we emphasis emphasized that it 0:18:11.280 --> 0:18:14.280 was twenty fourteen, and the fouls tripled from the previous 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.920 same thing back in yeah, two thousand and four. Same thing. 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:21.000 But when you have to look at it in put 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.600 it in context, when you say the fouls tripled, Okay, 0:18:23.640 --> 0:18:26.800 if we had thirty six last year, we triple that, right, 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.320 we end up at let's say one hundred, a little 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:32.080 over one hundred, you know, out of two hundred and 0:18:32.160 --> 0:18:34.360 seventy two games. It's not like you're going to see 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:38.280 one game, right, So, so it's you'll see more of it. 0:18:38.280 --> 0:18:40.480 It's it's a point of emphasis. I think there was 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:44.040 too much happening downfield with the contact where the defenders 0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:49.080 were disrupting routes beyond five and so, and the passing 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.960 game did suffer. You know, passing yards per game dropped. 0:18:51.960 --> 0:18:54.200 It was the second lowest since two thousand and ten. 0:18:54.560 --> 0:18:57.119 And I think that was probably the biggest driver in 0:18:57.160 --> 0:18:59.560 the committee who was saying, Okay, we've got to we've 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:03.480 got to make sure that we're we're enforcing this rule correctly. 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:05.960 It's not like we're going to go out and say, hey, 0:19:06.000 --> 0:19:07.760 we've just got to throw the flag just to throw 0:19:07.800 --> 0:19:09.919 the flag. You got to enforce it correctly. So they 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:13.879 felt that the officials weren't calling fouls last year that 0:19:14.000 --> 0:19:16.600 were and they want to they want to kind of 0:19:16.800 --> 0:19:18.639 you know, put that, put an end to that and 0:19:18.680 --> 0:19:20.920 make sure that they're calling the fouls that are there. 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:25.760 What do you see as the season rolls on, how 0:19:25.800 --> 0:19:28.800 big a lead time is there before the players get 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.920 used to the new standard of normal in the secondary 0:19:32.960 --> 0:19:35.000 as guys are running around, do you see a spike 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:37.000 like in the first month of the season, then then 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:39.240 it tapers off kind of thing where the players get 0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:44.880 it used to the new norm. Yeah, that's typically what happens. 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:47.240 And we've even seen it in the preseason. I think 0:19:47.240 --> 0:19:50.680 preseason week one there were fifteen you know, almost won 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:54.560 a game, which which would be, you know, significantly higher 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.040 than where we have been. And then and then week 0:19:57.080 --> 0:19:59.560 two it started to drop. And I think you see 0:19:59.600 --> 0:20:03.240 that in anytime you emphasize something, it's it's they're high 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:05.800 early and then the players start to adjust, the coaches 0:20:05.920 --> 0:20:08.320 understand where the line is, and it starts to kind 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:11.679 of regulate itself. So I would expect a spike early 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:15.000 and then as the season, as you move into probably 0:20:15.080 --> 0:20:18.359 the second quarter of the season, it'll start to it'll 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:21.119 start to come down and you'll get to, uh, you know, 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:23.320 we'll have a higher number, no question, but I don't 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:26.200 think we're going to see fifteen sixteen per week. That's 0:20:26.240 --> 0:20:28.399 that's not going to happen. And you you work with 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:33.480 the officials directly, what what kind of feedback and I 0:20:33.520 --> 0:20:36.399 guess feedback on consistency and calling it the same in 0:20:36.480 --> 0:20:38.280 one game one week and the same in the next 0:20:38.320 --> 0:20:40.000 game the nether week, that kind of thing. What kind 0:20:40.000 --> 0:20:42.520 of feedback do you get from the officials about what 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:45.879 they see and how difficult it is to administer consistently 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:49.520 across you know, two hundred and some odd games. Yeah, 0:20:49.560 --> 0:20:51.520 that's the biggest challenge you have to have. The two 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:54.879 hundred and seventy two games you've got, you've got seventeen 0:20:55.000 --> 0:20:58.639 different crews. You've got, for the most part, five officials 0:20:58.680 --> 0:21:01.400 on every crew can call illegal contact, the two line 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:04.520 of scrimmage officials and the three down field officials. So 0:21:04.560 --> 0:21:07.320 you've got over a hundred officials that you're trying to 0:21:07.359 --> 0:21:10.720 get on the same page. And that foul, that's a 0:21:10.840 --> 0:21:13.560 difficult foul because it's a two step foul. You have 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:16.879 to the official has to see the contact beyond five 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:20.280 and then find the ball now because the quarterback has 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:22.480 to have the ball in the pocket for that foul 0:21:22.480 --> 0:21:25.440 to apply. So it's not just seeing it like holding 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:27.960 and calling it. You've got to find the football. Is 0:21:27.960 --> 0:21:30.200 it gone, is it gone somewhere else? Is it thrown 0:21:30.280 --> 0:21:32.840 to that receiver? Now I have to process, Okay, is 0:21:32.840 --> 0:21:36.240 it illegal contact or is it defensive pass difference? So 0:21:36.280 --> 0:21:39.199 it's a difficult foul to call to begin with, and 0:21:39.240 --> 0:21:42.680 then to get over a hundred officials on the same page, 0:21:42.760 --> 0:21:45.560 that's the biggest challenge. And all they want is clear direction. 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:48.439 You tell us what you want, show us examples of 0:21:48.480 --> 0:21:51.000 what is a foul and what isn't a foul, and 0:21:51.040 --> 0:21:52.679 then we'll go out and do it. And if they 0:21:52.800 --> 0:21:55.360 get that, they can do a good job. If they're 0:21:55.359 --> 0:21:58.080 getting mixed messages, if they're not getting that clear direction, 0:21:58.440 --> 0:22:02.119 that's when it leads to inconsistent. And that's a perfect 0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:05.760 seguated by next question, Dean, because I was curious knowing 0:22:06.240 --> 0:22:08.719 that illegal contact is a point of emphasis, and yet 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:12.240 at the same time, defensive pass interference is from what 0:22:12.280 --> 0:22:15.400