Is it Time for the NFL to Make Targeting Reviewable?
After a heartbreaking loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday night, the majority of talk that ensued was about the devastating hit that Carson Wentz took from Jadeveon Clowney, resulting in Wentz’s playoff debut lasting less than one quarter.
Ultimately, the NFL did not rule Clowney to be in the wrong as no fine or suspension was issued during the week. Whether or not Clowney’s hit was illegal/dirty, it was still punishing enough to take Wentz out of the game and even cause brief memory loss. For a league that claims to put an emphasis on protecting its players (especially its star players), the lack of repercussion on Clowney says otherwise.
If the NFL really wants to protect its players, they need to start making targetting (hits to the head) reviewable.
Photo: Michael Leff/Getty Images
Even in college football, targeting has been reviewable since 2013. In fact, targeting is even an ejectable offense, adding onto a 15-yard penalty.
So, why is it that the NFL can’t get it right?
The NFL has even gone so far as to make pass interference reviewable, but not hits to the head, something that actually affects player health. However, the reasoning for why the referees did not see any harm on the Clowney hit on Sunday is a dead giveaway as to why targeting should be reviewable.
After the conclusion of the game, referee Shawn Smith ruled that Carson Wentz was “a runner and he did not give himself up”, which meant that the contact was “incidental”. There are two things wrong with this: first of all, he was being tackled to the ground by his feet, thus making him defenseless. Number two, if he was hypothetically diving headfirst instead of being tackled, he still would have been defenseless, per new NFL rules. In 2018, the NFL said that diving headfirst would be treated the same as a player sliding; both actions would result in a player giving himself up.
In fact, in week 2 of this past season, Carson Wentz was ruled short of 2-point conversion on the account of him giving himself up when he dove headfirst for the goal line. Had that play been reviewable, Clowney would have been penalized as per the NFL’s own rules.
At the end of the day, 15 yards on Sunday wasn’t going to bring Carson Wentz back into the game, nor would it have won the game for the Eagles, but it would’ve counted towards accountability of players who create an unsafe environment for the game.
With Sunday’s incident in mind, it’s time the NFL takes a step to legitimately protect its players.
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