Touchdown Discourse

Week 11 of the NFL season highlighted some of the NFL's greatest rivalries. Starting Thursday night with the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Washington Commanders, 26-18 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. Eagles quarterback, Jalen Hurts had a terrific game, completing 18 of his 28 passes for 221 yards. Meanwhile, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 22 of his 32 passes for 191 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Another division rivalry game in this week was the Pittsburgh Steelers beating the Baltimore Ravens, 18-16 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. Steelers quarterback, Russell Wilson , completed 23 of his 36 passes, while totaling 205 yards and an interception. Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson , completed 16 of his 33 passes. Totaling 207 yards, a touchdown and an interception. 

  A concerning tendency in the National Football League (NFL) is the clear preference for certain offenses when it comes to penalty enforcement. This disparity jeopardizes the credibility of the sport, despite the league's efforts to improve viewer’s enjoyment and player safety. Prioritizing offensive performance over defensive play distorts the dynamics of the game and lessens the spirit of competitiveness. The league's extreme protection of quarterbacks and skill position players is at the core of this problem. Although there is no denying the need for player safety, the way penalties are now applied, particularly for roughing the passer, has gotten so bad that defensive players are left feeling restricted. It has evolved from a strategy-based, athletic, and violent game to one that is strongly impacted by subjective officiating, where a defensive player may be penalized for a hit that was previously considered legal. This undermines the defensive part of the game by giving...