It was such an exciting addition to EA Sports’ Madden 17 that it actually highlighted it as you installed the game. But with one quick vote, the NFL owners have made leaping over the line to block a field goal or extra point illegal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jUB7JSt8VI
And just like that, a cool new addition to our NFL highlight films are gone. The truth is, there are only so many guys that were even athletic enough to attempt such a block and if you tried it and landed on an offensive lineman, it was a penalty anyway. Now it’s gone and it feels like we barely even got to enjoy it.
It wasn’t just the owners that wanted the move banned, but the NFL Players Association, who feared as it continued to increase to used, it would get players injured.
“The jumping over on the field goal, I think, is just leading to a really dangerous play for everybody,” offensive lineman and NFLP president Eric Winston told the Washington Post earlier in the offseason. “If you jump over the center, the jumper is in a really bad spot. He can land on his head. I think the guys that are getting jumped over are going to end up getting hurt, with those guys landing on them. So I’ll be very interested to see what they’ll do there. I think something probably needs to be done.”
The truth is, only three field goals were blocked in this downright awesome fashion in 2016. Denver Broncos defensive back Justin Simmons pulled the move to not only block a New Orleans Saints extra point, but it led to a safety for the Broncos that won the game with no time left on the clock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVyxneHOcp4
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner stole his teammate Kam Chancellor’s move, doing it against the Arizona Cardinals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trIvHo9lPsE
And Shae McClellin looked a lot like his former New England Patriots teammate Jamie Collins when he leapt over the Baltimore Ravens line to block a Justin Tucker field goal.
The field goal leap wasn’t the only rule change the owners passed Tuesday. This season the NFL will institute the same head-hit ejection rule the NCAA uses on targeting calls. Replay will now be centralized in New York and senior vice president of officiating Dean Blandino will have the final call on overturning a play.
Receivers running pass routes will now be given defenseless player protection and God only knows what that’s going to look like. Crackback blocks by a back in motion are now illegal if he’s two yards outside the tackle box. Multiple fouls during the same down to stop the game clock will result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
And, lastly, the ejection for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the same game is now a permanent rule.
Other NFL moves
The Dallas Cowboys and future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten have agreed to a four-year contract extension to lower his 2017 cap number. Witten is now under contract until 2021. Last year Witten caught 69 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns.
The Philadelphia Eagles have added former New England Patriots defensive end Chris Long with a two-year contract worth $2.4 million a season. Long started seven games for the Patriots last season and played in 16. He recorded 35 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three passes defended.
Last week the Chicago Bears re-signed wide receiver Deonte Thompson to a one-year contract. Thompson caught 22 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns in 2016.
The Los Angeles Chargers re-signed running back Branden Oliver to a one-year contract. Oliver carried the ball 31 times for 108 yards and had one start last season. He caught 13 passes for 112 yards.
The Green Bay Packers added former Washington Redskins defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois on a one-year, $3 million deal. Francois started seven games for the Redskins and played in all 16, recording 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one pass defense.
Running back Cedric Peerman will return to the Cincinnati Bengals on a one-year deal. He’s one of the best special teams players in the NFL and made the Pro Bowl in 2015.
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