"If you don't have a QB, you don't have a chance to win" - NFL EVP trashes roughing the passer controversy

This time last week, the NFL world was trashing the league in the wake of roughing the passer calls that changed the course of two games. In the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' win against the Atlanta Falcons, Tom Brady was able to hold off a comeback attempt due to the call. In the Kansas City Chiefs game, it gave Patrick Mahomes extra time to make a comeback.

Fans have been begging the league to change the rule. Speaking about the penalties on NFL Live, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent defended the referees' decisions to throw the flags. Here's how he put it:

"Well, we support those calls. Why? Because in Article 11, this is the one rule where the judgement you give to the referee... to call that play in real time. So if that's what both Carl and Jerome did in those two particular games, if that's what they saw, the rule allows us to say yes to support it."

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He went on to further defend the rules, claiming that the game is better with the new rules in place:

"It's a different game today. It's a safer game today. It's a better game today. 'Troy, why do you say that?' 91 of the top 100 shows last year on television were NFL games. Why? Because of the quarterback play. [The fans] want to see points scored and I think we all have an appreciation - if you don't have a QB you don't have a chance to win."

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Have a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL been injured this year?

Roughly 14 quarterbacks have missed or are expected to miss at least one snap of the 2022-23 season due to injury. Names on the list include but are not limited to Baker Mayfieid, Daniel Jones, Trey Lance, Justin Herbert, Mac Jones, Zach Wilson, Kenny Pickett, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater.

While roughing the passer has entered the zeitgeist of the football fanbase, fans could argue that injuries are as big of a part of the game as they've been in the past. Tua Tagovailoa's injury has been used as "Exhibit A" by those claiming the rule has done little to protect quarterbacks.

Will the league cave in to public pressure and make changes to one of the most disliked rules in sports?

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

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Edited by Nicolaas Ackermann