Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across the NFL powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team. Redskins fans, sign up HERE to join FanPulse.
Will the Redskins win or lose in Week 1?
This one was pretty much in line with how I responded. The way I see it, without having seen anyone play ball yet this year, if you think your team is better, the right answer should be a touchdown. I mean, the Cards are rocking a new coach, a new scheme and a new quarterback. Jay Gruden’s offense and the young and studly defense in burgundy and gold should have this one covered.
How confident are you in the direction of the team?
Very confident: 28 percent
Somewhat confident: 49 percent
Meh: 16 percent
Not very confident: 7 percent
Not confident at all: 0 percent
So 77% of us are confident about the direction of the team—at least to some degree. I would definitely argue that this is the highest that number has been in a while. Maybe 50% of us are always at least somewhat confident, but I don’t think a third of us have been very confident for a while. I can see my batches of Kool-Aid are finally being prepared correctly!
What is the worst NFL rule?
Here is where we really begin to differ, and where I find myself in the smallest minority. With no simple majority here, I will consider the jury deliberation to be ongoing. Listen, the helmet rule could turn into the worst rule. But measures in the name of safety deserve some space. Purists/traditionalists of the game were raised during a time when people laced ‘em up while taking time off of accounting and law clerk jobs. Today, human beings are literally built to play this game. The monsters that lace ‘em up these days need at least some help to curb their instinct to destroy opposing players. It doesn’t go unnoticed by me that the only safety rule on the list won out...hahaha.
Fumbling out of the end zone is a tough rule, but after the Redskins/Ravens game two years ago, I feel like...it’s a pretty good rule. The catch rule is a thorn in the side of this pass-happy era, but they are moving in the right direction of getting it right.
The pass interference rule, to me, is the worst of the choices. The helmet rule, the catch rule and the fumbling rule can be and are reviewed and interpreted in slow motion replay. (This has not endeared the masses to these rules.) The pass interference rule is straight real-time interpretation. And NFL teams take advantage of this fact. I am not even arguing that it should be all to be reviewed—should it? I am arguing that teams throw the ball up in the air and let their receivers draw insane calls that referees feel compelled to give, and it changes the outcomes of games. I hate that. You can tell if a fumble wasn’t a fumble or if a guy made a football move or if a ball hit the ground to correct mistakes made by referees. Instead of beating up the referee’s judgement and adding more replay, I say the penalty yardage has got to be fixed. Only intentional fouls should be spot penalties, and I have all the faith in the world in referees to make that call—they do it in basketball all the time. Other infractions should be ten or fifteen yarders...at least in my humble opinion. End zone infractions stay the same.