Seems like the NFL is becoming a lot like the NBA in the postseason -- time to put the whistle away and let the guys plays. Ian Allan looks at the numbers from the last three years.
On the weekend, it definitely seemed like calls were down. Defensive backs were allowed to be a lot more physical (especially in the 49ers-Packers game) and the calls on helmet-to-helmet hits were rare. In the postseason, it seems like the hit needs to be obvious to get a flag on those.
Go back and watch the key sack at the end of the Kansas City game. Alex Smith gets a helmet in the chops. In the regular season, I think that would be a 15-yarder that essentially wins the game for KC. In the postseason, nothing.
Either the refs, feeling the pressure, are scared to make those big calls unless their absolutely sure they're right, or maybe they've been instructed to make fewer calls.
At the Facebook page, a reader pointed out that San Francisco was overly aggressive with the Atlanta receivers at the end of the NFC Championship game last year.
I checked the numbers. It's not your imagination. Whether intentional or not, they're definitely calling fewer fouls in the playoffs.
In each of the last three years, there have been an average of 12-13 penalties in regular-season games (12.8, 12.6 and 12.3 in the three seasons).
But in playoff games, the average drops to only 8.8 penalties. It was only 7.8 this weekend -- 31 penalties in four games.
The average for the league is over 12 penalties per game since 2011. But in the 26 playoff games, all but four have had a below-average number.
PENALTIES IN PLAYOFFS SINCE 2011 | |||
---|---|---|---|
No | Year | ||
8 | 2011 | Cincinnati | Houston |
10 | 2011 | Detroit | New Orleans |
10 | 2011 | Atlanta | NY Giants |
11 | 2011 | Pittsburgh | Denver |
7 | 2011 | Denver | New England |
3 | 2011 | New Orleans | San Francisco |
3 | 2011 | Houston | Baltimore |
6 | 2011 | NY Giants | Green Bay |
7 | 2011 | Baltimore | New England |
15 | 2011 | NY Giants | San Francisco |
9 | 2011 | NY Giants | New England |
14 | 2012 | Indianapolis | Baltimore |
6 | 2012 | Minnesota | Green Bay |
7 | 2012 | Seattle | Washington |
12 | 2012 | Cincinnati | Houston |
8 | 2012 | Houston | New England |
9 | 2012 | Seattle | Atlanta |
18 | 2012 | Baltimore | Denver |
13 | 2012 | Green Bay | San Francisco |
9 | 2012 | Baltimore | New England |
6 | 2012 | San Francisco | Atlanta |
7 | 2012 | Baltimore | San Francisco |
6 | 2013 | Kansas City | Indianapolis |
11 | 2013 | New Orleans | Philadelphia |
9 | 2013 | San Diego | Cincinnati |
5 | 2013 | San Francisco | Green Bay |
--Ian Allan