Write On Sports LLC - "New rules and the Raiders" by Mykle Van Hausen

New rules and the Raiders

2008-05-19 23:49:24 | By: Mykle Van Hausen

How might the new rules implemented in 08' affect Oakland?

At the 2008 NFL annual meeting in Palm Beach Florida several rules were changed, some added and some ignored.

Of the ones passed there are several that could directly affect the Oakland Raiders chances in the season to come.

1. Defensive com gear

For years offenses have enjoyed (and abused) radio head sets in selected players helmets to communicate with the side lines.

In 2008 the defensive side of the ball will enjoy the same.

Whether people see the new ruling as an imbalance finally righted or a response to "Spygate" is a personal opinion, but as with most things, its probably a little of both.

The latter does lend credence to the fact the Patriots tactic may have been effective.

How does this affect Oakland?

Probably not much.

Whether the radio can help the defenses read is another matter.

This year help from the sidelines in making reads for the defense could be a lot faster and smoother taking pressure off on field players and letting them play rather than think as much.

Radio transmissions are likely not allowed after the teams line up, but this may be my interpretation of the rule. (Take that Belicheck!)

My interpretation of the new rule could help the Raiders young and still gelling defense.

2. Repeal of the Force Out rule

Initially done to "open up the game" in conjunction with rules like the five yard chuck, the force out rule left game changing calls to the speculation of refs. As far as many are concerned, thats rarely a good thing.

Thanks to the new change, in 08', a player has to come down in bounds with both feet in order for it to be a catch.

How might this affect Oakland?

Plenty.

Whether the league meant to or not, the old rule helped protect receivers as converging coverage sometimes pulled up instead of simply blasting the opposing player out of bounds on sideline calls.

Oakland has a couple of fine corners and line backers that can do some heavy hitting themselves, but one doesn't have to look far into the injury history of Oakland's receiving corps to know how this change may come home to roost.

It does mean teams may have to use the middle of the field more in red zone passing attempts and with a pair of decent receiving TE's and RB's, Oakland could fair better than most.

Their coverage backers, Morrison, Howard and the addition of Safety Gibril Wilson give them a distinct advantage in most of these match up scenarios as well.

For the most part, Oaklands receivers are fairly large them selves (a staple of West Coast Offenses) giving them more of a chance against coverage in bump and run and in close.

The modification of the old rule will be interesting to see in teams red zone play calling and in injury to key offensive skill players.

It may also do something the NFL hadn't planned and didn't like.

Lower scores.

3. Elimination of the 5 yd Face Mask penalty

All face masks infractions will be of the flagrant 15 yd variety in 08', with an emphasis on OFENSIVE face mask calls. see Emmit Smith

How might this affect Oakland?

Badgered by bad calls and an apparent bias against the Raiders and owner Al Davis, this penalty revision is almost guaranteed to cost Oakland somewhere down the road.

Just like there is holding on every down, theres contact with defensive face masks all along the line, not just occasionally in open space.

Whether these will be called "Illegal hands to the face" or "offensive face mask" still leaves the matter in the hands of the refs leaving calls subject to conjecture.

This penalty can also cost runners yardage if they're worried about stiff arming a tacklers face mask and will likely too, result in lower scores.

This one sounds like whining from some Coaches, but the head aches and game altering decisions this change will bring about will haunt them and in all likely hood given their past, the Raiders too.

4. Roller from Center is now a live ball

Last season, Bears Center Olin Kruetz flubbed a snap to Brian Griese that the Eagles "recovered". The apparently game changing play was whistled dead.

Some sight this as the reason for the rule change, but last year Oakland Center Jeremy Newberry hiked the ball to himself on more than one occasion.

Thinking his QB was "under Center" Newberry hiked the ball between his legs only to find his QB back in Shotgun formation.

Literally caught with the ball between his legs and no one to grab it, the plays were called dead.

Embarrassing yes, but if it happens in 08, Centers are fair game.

How will this affect Oakland?

Jeremy Newberry is gone (San Diego has been rumored to interested in him) and this tweak probably won't be as much of a concern.

Oakland struggled with center-quarterback exchanges last year, but new hire, John Wade from Tampa Bay, and a consistent QB instead if last years rotating 3 should help.

Of note to some NFL fans and especially the Raiders was the lack of change in one rule.

5. Calling time out to negate a possibly game changing field goal.

I won't go into last years match up with the Broncos and Mike Shanahan's "ingenius" use of a time out that eventually cost Oakland the game.

The league did think about tabling the matter, but it was decided since the tactic failed on occasion, it righted itself.

Affect to Oakland?

Hopefully, very little.

Controversial kicker Sebastian Janikowski hasn't proven his mettle yet, but he is due for a good year and despite missing the second attempt in Denver from 52 yds out, had a decent season.

He hasn't been consistent enough, but has shown improvement each year.

Raider fans can only hope rule change number six doesn't bite him.

6. Big Brother can Review Field Goals and Extra Points

This one shouldn't be too much of a problem since Oaklands high powered offensive weapons and attacking D should be putting a lot of points on the board, but do we really want these guys taking up MORE of our time reviewing plays we at home can decide in 10 seconds?

And why don't they get a tv feed?

Sigh...

Affect on Oakland?

Probably very little.

It took a very publicized freak play week 11 in 07' with the Browns and the Ravens to bring this one to prominence, but the odds of it becoming a factor more often seem very small.

With a fine tradition of being severely Anti-Establishment, the Raiders and their fans are always leary of new policies and rule changes from the League, still, tweaks to old ones and the addition of new rules are a forgone fact of a League in transition.

How the new crop will affect the team will only be borne out in 08', but if tradition stands true, you can bet at least one of them will cause controversy in Oakland.

Comments

Deke 463 commented,
Outstanding article
May 24, 2008 7:24 p.m.

Pook 187 commented,
Thats the shizz...
June 9, 2008 3:45 a.m.

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