NFL owners passing major rule changes has fans bringing up wild theories – “Every year Josh Allen loses the league changes the rules”

NFL owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell met to discuss and table changes to existing rules ahead of next season.

NFL owners passing major rule changes has fans bringing up wild theories – “Every year Josh Allen loses the league changes the rules”

Roger Goodell and the NFL owners met to discuss rule changes (Image via Open Source/X)

This season’s first meeting of NFL owners took place over the past couple of days. Whenever the owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell meet, it is to decide on various factors that can help improve the spectacle. This season, the priority was to discuss potential rule changes.

Over the course of this past season, fans and media personnel were critical of some of those rules. For starters, no one was more critical of the new kickoff rule than President Donald Trump. They discussed the new kickoff rule, but ended up just slightly modifying it.

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The idea was to see how those tweaks work this season and then decide in the next offseason. The sample size is small, which is why the NFL probably needs more time before scrapping it. But they have seen enough examples of a few rules and actions that came under a lot of scrutiny this past season.

For starters, the chain method of measuring first downs will be replaced by camera-based technology. The chain gang will still be employed as a secondary measure in case the original equipment fails. In addition to that change, Adam Schefter revealed this-

NFL owners now have passed a rule that both teams will be allowed to possess the ball in overtime in the regular season. The original proposal was for a 15-minute OT; that now has been amended to 10 minutes.

Adam Schefter wrote on X

These changes are major enough that it can change the way games are played. Now, in terms of first down completions, the margin of error will reduce. At the same time, the error margin increases significantly with regards to overtime.

Fans believe Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes’ seasons forced these changes

These new rules will come into effect this season. Fans believe Roger Goodell and the owners acted on these changes since both of them have had major influences on the results of games. Most notably, fans believe these changes primarily impact Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Fans believe those rule changes came after how they impacted Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen last season
Fans believe those rule changes came after how they impacted Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen last season (Image via Open Source/X)

They ended up benefitting from those old rules on quite a few occasions. At the same time, the chain-gang stopped Josh Allen and his Buffalo Bills to have a fighting chance in the AFC Championship game. Such fan theories litter social media. Below are examples of those comments.

Those fan theories may have a point. Josh Allen and his Bills controversially did not get the first down in that AFC Championship game even though replays showed they should have had the benefit of doubt. Camera-based technology gives every team a fair shot at the rules, as fans hope.

Tush Push ban tabled but no decision yet

Even before the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX, there were some who wanted the NFL to ban their famous Tush Push goal-line scrimmage play. Initially, the league pushed back at those demands and believed the Eagles should not be punished for being good at what they are.

After Super Bowl LIX, the Green Bay Packers were the loudest opponents of the Tush Push. Head coach Matt LeFleur and CEO Mark Murphy wanted the play banned and had officially tabled a vote at the owners meeting.

The owners discussed the Tush Push, but did not take any decision. They have not rejected the proposal to ban and instead will discuss it again at the Spring League Meeting in May. However, not everyone wants the play banned.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke for the play and likened it to something a player skill. But how the billionaires who own these franchises look at it what will decide whether the now legendary play stays in the league.

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