The NFL has made certain types of roughing the quarterback a point of emphasis to police this season in a way that it has never been enforced before, and the end result is that it has seemingly taken everybody off-guard. Five games into the season, players, coaches, officials, and presumably even the NFL itself, is still trying to figure out how to adjust to it.
One of the latest players to be hit with a roughing the passer penalty that was called into question was Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who on Sunday was able to bring Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan down for a sack three times during the team’s win.