Will the new NFL rules truly affect the Bucs?

At the 2018 NFL Owners Meetings, the league discussed several new rules to impose for the 2018 season. The most controversial one being the targeting rule.

The targeting rule has seen much push back in college. While the NFL’s version will very slightly on enforcement, the same concept applies: a player lowers his head and makes contact with his helmet, it’s a penalty. Whether on offense or defense.

Other rule changes including re-emphasizing illegal contact as well as limiting pass interference to 15 yards.

How will that affect the Bucs? Well, maybe not much. They were pretty discipline in 2017. They were tied 11th in the league for fewest penalties called against with 104 penalties. Carolina was the best with 83 while Seattle was the worst with 148.

Of those 104 penalties, Tampa Bay was called for defensive pass interference six times and illegal contact twice. The league wants to have illegal contact enforced some more as it was only called 29 times last season. It’ll be that category where we will see a big change.

Those numbers will unfortunately increase. Unless the Buccaneers continue to find ways to remain disciplined, we can expect more illegal contact calls go against. But same will go for the rest of the league,