Troy Vincent on Roughing the Passer Controversy: 'You've Just Got to Play'

NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent had a simple message to defenders worried about being flagged for roughing the passer with additional emphasis being placed on landing with most or all of one's body weight on the quarterback.

"You've just got to play," Vincent said Tuesday, per Jarrett Bell of USA Today. "You hope that no player is thinking about a rule. You want to play with a free mind."

His comment comes after Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Breeland Speaks was about to sack Tom Brady during Sunday's game but eased up because he thought the New England Patriots quarterback threw the ball and didn't want to be flagged, per Bell. Instead, Brady pump-faked and scored a touchdown with his legs.

"Tom did what we've seen Tom do a thousand times," Vincent said. "He stepped up in the pocket, the defender didn't make a play or create a sack. But you don't want any player thinking about a penalty or being fined, but you hope that he makes an adjustment to some of the things being put in place."

While the roughing the passer penalties and complaints from players, coaches and even some quarterbacks dominated headlines in the early portion of the season as Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews and others were issued questionable penalties, Bell noted there were only three flags for the infraction during Week 6's slate.

That is a significant drop from Week 1 considering Tom Pelissero of NFL.com noted the 14 roughing the passer penalties called even before multiple Monday night games more than doubled the 2017 average of 6.8 per week.

The drop in penalties comes after what Bell described as "an early-season emergency conference call with the competition committee," but there has already been significant cost as players attempt to adjust to the emphasis on the rule while making split-second decisions during fast-moving games.

Outside of Speaks' mistake, Miami Dolphins defensive end William Hayes tore his ACL while attempting to avoid a roughing the passer call while sacking Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

"I wish the guy would have just landed on me instead of tearing his ACL. ... For him to tear his ACL, nobody wants that. I don't want that," Carr said of the play, per Michael Gehlkenof the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The rule figures to remain under the spotlight as the 2018 campaign continues, but Vincent wants defensive players to simply play and not think about the rule during a game.