On the NFL’s opening night last Thursday, the main talking point wasn’t a one-point game between the Lions and Chiefs.
Instead, it was Kansas City right tackle Jawaan Taylor’s alignment and get-off from the snap.
The league isn’t looking to sustain a repeat of that in Week 2.
Dean Blandino, NFL football rules analyst for Fox Sports and former NFL vice president of officiating, told Sports Illustrated the league sent out its weekly training tape to its 32 clubs and officials, highlighting repeated illegal formation violations from various Week 1 action.
“On the tape this week at the very end, there are several examples of—and a couple from the Thursday night game with Jawaan Taylor—of tackles who are too far back. … That was emphasized on the training tape going into Week 2,” Blandino said. “I would expect, just from my experience, officials watch that training tape. It’s usually a very good learning tool, and it’s good for giving your officials direction. I would expect we will not see the egregious examples we may have seen in Week 1.”
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For tackles to be properly be aligned at the line of scrimmage, a part of their body must be breaking an imaginary line from the center’s belt. Typically, the helmet would be the furthest bit forward for the linemen. In Week 1, that was missed more often than is acceptable.
Blandino believes the officials will warn tackles before flagging them, which has long been a customary procedure. However, should the tackles continue to line up illegally, expect flags to fly.
Whether the emphasis wanes as the season progresses remains to be seen, as similar initiatives have been known to lessen as weeks pass.
But this weekend, watch the tackles. The league office and its officials certainly will be.
