Every year, the NFL closes their eyes, spins around three times, and throws a dart at a rule to emphasis. Their pick for 2024? Illegal formations, cracking down on those cheatin’ offensive tackles trying to line up off the line of scrimmage as far as possible to combat the game’s top EDGE rushers.
It could mean great things for T.J. Watt.
In the first half alone, Baltimore was flagged for illegal formation four times. Three of them against LT Ronnie Stanley for aligning too deep along the formation, a penalty for not having the required seven players on the line.
The common complaint last year were accusations against tackles lining up too deep, getting too early of a jump off the snap, or both. In the offseason, the Competition Committee decided to crack down, giving teams plenty of notice before tonight about the emphasizing.
These calls occurred in the preseason, ex-Steelers OT Chukwuma Okorafor once flagged thrice for it, but the Ravens are the first team to truly feel the squeeze in games that count.
A crackdown like this isn’t because of one picky crew. It’s a league-wide mandate from the top down. With all NFL eyes on this game, every offensive line coach, coordinator, and head coach will be informing their guys to make sure they’re on the ball lest a procedural penalty negate an explosive play or key conversion.
Advantage, defense. Getting on the ball will soften the corner for EDGE rushers like T.J. Watt. Tackles will have to be even more concerned about setting the edge and getting depth and width, making them vulnerable to inside rushes and counters. It applies to anyone the Steelers face, Broderick Jones and Dan Moore Jr. will have to be on their P’s and Q’s and facing someone like the Falcons’ Matthew Judon out of the gate won’t be easy.
In time, the message will be sent and the refs won’t make every week a flag-fest. By the end of September, things will calm down. But it’s enough time for Pittsburgh to take advantage. Since being drafted in 2017, no one has more Week 1 sacks than T.J. Watt’s 11. He’ll face a quality tackle in Atlanta’s Kaleb McGary Sunday afternoon. But McGary might be thinking about his alignment and the ref’s watchful eye as much as he will Watt.
