Press Challenges, Frustration For Jamel Dean And Friends
August 17th, 2022
Cornerback Jamel Dean got an education at practice today against the Titans in Tennessee.
First, much love for the Titans for allowing Joe to stand on their sidelines during practice against the Bucs. What a cool experience.
That’s where Joe shot this picture.
The scene came shortly after Jamel Dean was flagged for illegal contact in pass coverage. The teams were on to the next play and Dean was getting a lesson/explanation — on the Titans sideline — from one of the referees at practice.
Joe was listening but Joe will let Dean explain, as he told Joe after practice.
It all revolved around the NFL’s new emphasis on calling illegal contact on defensive backs, which made a lot of headlines recently. ESPN reported there were 36 flags for illegal contact for the entire 2021 regular season but 15 last week in preseason.
“So I guess, again press coverage and you got a good jam on a guy and now after five yards you can’t ride him like you used to last year, “Dean explained. “So I guess now after the five-yard mark it’s considered illegal contact.
“We’ve worked on it in practice but it was always like if hands are on then be looking for the ball; if you’re looking for the ball and your hands are on and you’re riding it’s good.
“We always thought if you look for the ball, then it’s good. But I guess the rules changed.”
It seems every year it gets harder and harder to be a defensive back, all part of the unspoken effort to jack up scoring and please fans who largely prefer that over punting.
Dean had more to say after Joe turned off the recorder. Joe just hopes the Bucs blitz-and-press style of defense isn’t affected much by the new emphasis on illegal contact.
On the flip side, it’s also a great rule tweak for a Bucs team that throws more than any other.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:03 pm
Good stuff Joe.
I wonder what Mike Evens numbers would look like if he didnt get grabbed and held all the time.
Any way of comparing PI calls against? I would put ME in the top 5 all time
August 17th, 2022 at 2:04 pm
For Christ sake, these guys are barley allowed to play defense as it is. Now the league wants more illegal contact flags? What’s next, banning bump and run coverage? This is only diminishing the cornerback position further. The idea of a #1 shutdown corner is quickly becoming a thing of the past. This makes GOBs ass red like no other topic.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:11 pm
“It seems every year it gets harder and harder to be a defensive back, all part of the unspoken effort to jack up scoring.”
And passing stats. That’s why you cannot fairly compare quarterbacks across the eras.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:11 pm
Miller and Kirwan on SXM last week felt the emphasis on these flags will be in the preseason, and should taper off considerably once the regular season starts. They cited the “leading with the head/crown” flags thrown in preseason, but rarely in real games, of a few years ago.
Just like players, refs also have a point of emphasis and something to work on in the preseason. Let’s hope these flags aren’t called all year long, cuz like GOB said, they are dumb.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:15 pm
I sure miss 90’s/Early 2000’s Football growing up
I love rules for safety, but the rules always favor the Offense and it’s completely unfair, unbalanced and out of whack
…..on the bright side, at least they didn’t lessen the QB target zone (of which QB’s can duck their heads into anyways before getting clobbered and draw a penalty for contact to the helmet…..yet they only have a 3-4ft strike zone to hit whilst flying at 20mph’s. The overcorrection for rules favoring the offense is right on par for the overcorrections we make as a sensitive, extreme and rash society today, so at least I’m not surprised 😂🤷♂️😜
August 17th, 2022 at 2:18 pm
Already thinking about the way Lattimore covers Evans.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:42 pm
This all started with the crying colts GM Bill Polian. They couldn’t beat the Patriots, so he bellyached long and hard enough to the league office, and got the rules changed. After that, things changed forever. Many of the guys from my era, wouldn’t be able to operate today. Before long, the league will adopt the CFL rule, that allows recievers running starts. You can’t tell GOB that some of this isn’t connected to fantasy football, and the massive revenue it generates.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:42 pm
What I don’t like with defensive penalties is that most give the offense an automatic 1st down… if a receiver gets held..1st down, though there is no evidence he would have caught the ball, made enough yardage or even got the ball thrown to him. This si the same with many defensive penalties, so to be fair if the offense commits say hands to the face, interference, holding, etc it should be automatic 4th down. Let’s make things the same for both sides of the ball.
August 17th, 2022 at 2:50 pm
there could be a positive in it. Show press and play zone, more picks. There are not many TB’s in the league with the experience to pick apart zones. we are looking for more turnovers after all.
August 17th, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Billybucco
No doubt. Thats what i thought of first too. I think lattimore is a stud. But he does a lot of jersey grabbing in And out of cuts from receivers. Especially against big mike
August 17th, 2022 at 3:09 pm
The football equivalent to the NBA hand check rules that freed up offensive players from getting stonewalled and basically forced players to being better 1 on 1 defenders. Nothing the players can do but smarten up and adapt. Kind of why I stopped buying into the “elite” CB discussions, because the rules have been tailored to facilitate more offensive to keep and put butts in seats.
August 17th, 2022 at 3:13 pm
In the end it’s all about money. More passing yards implies higher scoring which is more popular, so more revenue and advertizing dollars for the league. Throw the Fantasy nonsense in and it all multiplies.
August 17th, 2022 at 3:20 pm
Dean “guesses” the rules have changed? He should know by now what the rule is even if it is a new one this year. What is this guessing crap? That’s not how a top team should operate.
August 17th, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Good point, Mr. M.
August 17th, 2022 at 3:47 pm
Dooley, exactly. I’m not paying 10% of my cap on an “elite” corner, unless he’s Deion freaking Sanders. It’s part of the reason Belichick let JC Jackson walk, and I agree. Spend it on QB, WR, LT, and pass rusher.
August 17th, 2022 at 3:51 pm
As long as they call it both ways I am fine. SNF against the Aints we couldn’t buy a holding on their DB’s. It was sickening
August 17th, 2022 at 3:56 pm
this rules adjustment if applied fairly should benefit the Bucs as ME13 gets held all the time by Saints corners Saints team will get hurt by this no matter who they go against
August 17th, 2022 at 4:19 pm
https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-best-cornerbacks-pess-coverage-2021-nfl-season these are the top 10 press corners Dallas and Saints will be hurt by this new emphasis
August 17th, 2022 at 4:51 pm
This should really help Mike Evans who is physically molested constantly beyond 5 yards….
And, shouldn’t bother our defenders who constantly play 10 yards off the WR.
August 17th, 2022 at 4:54 pm
Getting really sick of the annual neutering of the defense year after year after year.
Gooddell is straight garbage.
August 17th, 2022 at 5:21 pm
Guess the offense needs to score more points. Guess defense is supposed just stand there. This is football?
August 17th, 2022 at 5:29 pm
Bigger recievers like Evans, don’t get calls because they’re 5-6 inches taller than the DBs guarding them. Not saying it’s right, but it’s just a fact. Officials are always going to allow more contact against bigger recievers. I hate the NBA comparison, but Shaq was always pounded on. NFL refs have a hard job. These plays are happening at light speed. GOB has always advocated for challenge flags on PI and OPI calls.
Many of the calls we get upset by, are off the ball. Unless it effects the play, the refs should swallow the whistle. Look at the way Superbowls are officiated. That should be the gold standard.
August 17th, 2022 at 7:14 pm
Spot on with the fantasy football angle GOB. BUNCHA BULLISH
August 17th, 2022 at 9:24 pm
The league should eliminate the spot foul on PI. It’s ridiculous. I much prefer the collage rule. 15 yards at most. It would certainly make thing more fair, for the beleaguered DBs. How many times have we seen teams down in a game, and simply chuck it up, praying for a call. Joe Flacco and Big Ben made careers off it. If anything, the refs should look at it like the hail mary. We don’t see PI, or OPI called on those plays, hardly ever.
August 17th, 2022 at 11:50 pm
IDK, I think the game would be better if the. DBs would let go after 5 yards like their supposed to. When you see an iso on a DBs/receiver going one on one it’s a constant hand battle between the two. DBs need to learn how to make plays on the ball and not the man. If they’re unable to do that then let them play zone. Same thing for the receivers. No pushing off or screening DBs from the ball. Remember when TJ got that huge first down in the 4th quarter of the 2020 NFC championship game? The GB guy grabbed his shirt and stretched it a foot. Then these guys calling the game said the refs “HAD”. to call it but it was a bad time for it. lol. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
August 18th, 2022 at 10:12 am
WTF?
As a former DB, it really has gotten ridiculous. They’re not going to be happy until every score is 40 to 40