billyt81

People keep complaining about their perceived increase of DBs committing pass interference. I haven't noticed this and I thought that refs have been more strict about how DBs play WR down the field? I assume y'all are saying in the case of blowing up a defenseless receiver at the moment a catch is being made they're stricter but allowing more clutching and holding in general. I know that offensive single season passing stats are getting better and better and as long as the refs call the games consistently for all teams I prefer less penalties. Anyway I was surprised that so many shared this opinion. As far as Cooks goes, I think he's gonna win rookie of the year and very possibly be All Pro. I think he'll put up numbers as good or better than Julio Jones next year.

Utah_Saint

It's more than just perceived. It's grabbing and holding on to receivers during the route, sometimes the entire route. The Seahawks were pointed out the most but several other teams were doing it too.

The belief is teams will commit defensive holding and pass interference constantly, knowing the refs will only throw a few flags per game. These teams would rather take a couple penalties each game but consequently shut down the opposing teams offense.

The Wall Street Journal, of all places, did a story about it and several of the major media outlets did follow up articles.

The Seattle Seahawks Defense Relies on a Brazen Tactic: Rampant Interference - WSJ

The NFL rules committee discussed it and decided to make pass interference a focal point and crack down on it next season.

Is NFL planning to get tighter on defensive holding and illegal contact? | Seahawks Blog | Seattle Times