Titans head coach Mike Vrabel disagrees with new NFL agenda

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media before practice on Wednesday. During the press conference, Vrabel was asked about the new NFL agenda to target illegal contact penalties during the 2022 season. While Vrabel had not seen the reports from Mark Maske of the Washington Post or anything else confirming the new league-wide […]

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Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel watches his players during practice at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. Nas 0907 Titans 018

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media before practice on Wednesday. During the press conference, Vrabel was asked about the new NFL agenda to target illegal contact penalties during the 2022 season.

While Vrabel had not seen the reports from Mark Maske of the Washington Post or anything else confirming the new league-wide focus, the reigning NFL Coach of the Year did express his disagreement with the idea and said he hopes it is not a thing this season.

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"I hope not," said Vrabel. "The points of emphasis…we should stop using them. We should emphasize the entire rules of the game and clarify what we want done so that we have 17 crews who are as consistent as possible."

While Vrabel may be hoping that NFL officials avoid targeting specific penalties, early results from the 2022 preseason show that it's already begun.

22 illegal contact penalties were called by NFL officials during the preseason this year. 15 of those came during week one.  Just one year ago, only seven illegal penalties were called during preseason action.

As for Vrabel's opinion, it's hard to disagree with.

From roughing the passer, to hitting defenseless receivers, the NFL has had a tendency to target specific penalties as a means of eliminating unnecessary violence from the game and protect the players.

As a result, the standards for many of these penalties have remained inconsistent, making some of the simplest football moves "illegal" in the eyes of officials.

It's hard to coach, and even harder to play at the NFL level. Those jobs both become more difficult when it's unclear what is or isn't allowed.

What Vrabel told the media on Wednesday should be the standard for all coaches and executives across the NFL. Emphasizing the entire rulebook and striving to set league-wide standards should be the priority.

Consistent officiating is good for football. Creating "points of emphasis" to target specific penalties is not.

Image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com-USA TODAY NETWORK