NFL roughing the passer rules and what QB’s get the calls

With new rule changes, it has become increasingly difficult for fans to understand the rules regarding “roughing the passer” as defined in the NFL rulebook.

The most recent example of this confusion was when referees called a roughing the passer penalty on Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers. Though it looked clean to most viewers, this hit on the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins resulted in a 15-yard-penalty.

The week before, Matthews was called for the same penalty against the Chicago Bears. The only difference this time was that it was the correct call.

Then this week Matthews was again called on a clean hit versus Alex Smith and the Redskins. Clearly, there is confusion for both officials and fans.

Last year the NFL had a controversy over what actually counts as a catch, and now it seems to be what is roughing the passer is, leading many fans to frustration. The NFL seems to have a new problem on its hands that they need to fix.