This fourth-down NFL rule change makes so much sense. And if it passes, you can thank the Houston Texans.
The other NFL team in the Lone Star State is asking that all fourth-down reviews come automatically from the replay booth. Add them to the list of automatic reviews that include scoring plays at the end of each half or overtime and turnovers.
Why would this NFL rule change matter so much? Currently, a coach must use one of his challenges if he thinks a fourth-down play didn’t go the way he thought it did. If you make a fourth-down review automatic, then the red flag stays in the coach’s pocket.
NFL teams submitted 15 potential rule changes by Monday’s deadline. The NFL Competition Committee will hear all 15, plus propose any of their own changes.
Two other teams want to tweak instant replay. The Lions want coaches to be able to challenge a penalty for a personal foul. Detroit also would like replay officials to be able to consult on penalty enforcement. Then a third deals with a coach’s challenge. The Lions want three coach’s challenges in a game. That’s if a coach is successful on at least one of their two review requests. The NFL only allows three if a coach is correct on two challenges.
Detroit also offered a tweak to game-day roster rules. The Lions want to designate a third quarterback as active.
The Rams also offered a tweak to the review guidelines. The team is asking for roughing the passer penalties to be reviewable. And, the Rams want a coach to be able to challenge the penalty. This was a big push at mid-season last fall, when Tom Brady, then Derek Carr were the beneficiaries of controversial roughing penalties.
The competition committee is part of the owners meetings, which happen in late March in Phoenix. It takes 75 percent approval from NFL owners for a rule change to pass.
There is a new rule that’s received overwhelming support. Twenty-five teams — that’s 78 percent — proposed to make the preseason roster cutdowns to only one day.
Meanwhile, the Eagles want to bring back the jersey numbers 0 and 00. The NFL eliminated the numbers 50 years ago. But so many teams are retiring numbers. And, players love the single digits. Philadelphia also wants the game clocks to look more like those in basketball. In the final 30 seconds of each half, the Eagles want the clocks to display the tenths of a second.
And the Chargers would like for wildcard teams the opportunity to be seeded higher in the playoffs than a division champion. That’s only if the wildcard team has won at least four more games than the division champ.