And, while all this is going on, the largest change to the National Football League gets some clarification...

Doesn't it always seem like the biggest stories in the NFL are buried just after they put out the red meat?

In a move that will probably increase scoring a touchdown a game (because you can't play defense in this league without helmet-to-helmet hits) and the playing time of a game 15 minutes or more (because all such ejection calls are made in New York under the "non-football acts" new rule AND this rule), the NFL finally announced today the new helmet-contact rule.

Deadspin is where I'm getting the news.

It is a 15 yard penalty, as of this year to be caught:

"using any part of a player's helmet" (note that the facemask was in this rule and then removed from it -- though one could say a facemask is part of the helmet anyway, so this applies) "to butt, spear, or ram an opponent" (it was also removed for unnecessary or violent pretenses -- ANY butt, spear, or ram is 15 yards, as long as it's not incidental contact, which can happen!)

Now, that's the yardage part of it.

There is, according to the NFL, an additional set of criteria for ejecting players -- and, again, all of THOSE calls happen in New York!

How will the new @NFL Use of Helmet rule be enforced? Details below: pic.twitter.com/eerAo2lLG3

— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) May 22, 2018

The player must lower his helmet to create a linear, unobstructed, and avoidable path to the opponent.

Well, I see two problems already, before we get to a video the NFL has provided:

• The Kurt Warner hit, which I've seen a lot more of in the last 2-3 years.  Where a player will actually butt the opponent with his head into the chin and neck of another player, often causing serious (and sometimes career-ending!) injury.
• Contact to the head not using the helmet.  It appears that the "NFL Targeting Rule" will not take into account for ejection any strike during a play using hand, arm, or shoulder to the helmet of the opposition.

So the rule doesn't go far enough in the first place.

But the NFL did provide a video to try to educate the fans as to the new rules:

Today owners approved the ejection standards to go along with the Use of the Helmet rule. Here’s the rule explained with video examples from the 2017 @NFL season. pic.twitter.com/Dzs4EWGVdx

— NFL Football Operations (@NFLFootballOps) May 22, 2018

• First:  Cleveland at Indianapolis, Week 3.  Second and 19 from the Indy 17, Jacoby Brissett passes to Kamar Aiken.  After the catch, he turns upfield and is helmet-to-helmeted by Cleveland's Christian Kirksey, knocking Aiken out of the rest of the game.  It is declared a foul (though a blatant textbook helmet-to-helmet which should've been covered under previous rules, NO FLAG WAS THROWN ON THIS PLAY).  He was also NOT FINED.
• Second:  Kansas City at New England, Opening Night.  Third and 6 for New England at KC's 15.  Brady to Danny Amendola for just short of the first down, but Ron Parker of the Chiefs downs him -- using his helmet.  This one isn't as obvious, but he lowers his head with just the neck to ram Amendola to the turf.  NO PENALTY WAS CALLED on Parker.  He was also NOT FINED.
• Third:  Indianapolis at Jacksonville.  Week 13.  Second and 7 for Jacksonville at their 36.  Blake Bortles completes a 21 yard pass to Dede Westbrook, and at the end of the play, Indianapolis' Antonio Morrison lays out spears Westbrook.  NO PENALTY WAS CALLED.  He was fined in that game for a facemask, but not for this play.

In all three of the above cases, that is seen as a generic foul and 15 yards only under the new rule -- even though it appears that, in all three cases, the ejection criteria which are then shown to the viewer before further clips would qualify!

• So the first play they show after giving the criteria is Philadelphia at Atlanta, 2015 MNF Opening Weekend Doubleheader First Game.  1st and 12 1/2 from the Philadelphia 2 1/2.  Sam Bradford completes to Jordan Matthews.  He's wrapped up by one Falcon (Justin Durant) and then helmeted by William Moore, who clearly lines him up and nails him.  They call that an ejectable foul.  NO PENALTY WAS CALLED.  Moore WAS, however, fined $23,000 for the hit.

One of the reasons I see this greatly extending games is:  What is the material difference which makes that an ejection, and the Parker and Kirksey fouls especially not an ejection?  The NFL might want to explain that.

• And then, I almost don't even need to know what this one is.  Chicago and Green Bay, Week 4, the Danny Trevathan hit.  I really think the rise of BLATANT hits of this nature last season -- this one, the one on Burfict during that awful Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game, the one on Joe Flacco -- led to the new rule...  Trevathan was penalized (but not ejected!) and suspended one game (originally two) for the hit.

I think the only real question the video leaves me, as I said, is how the last two are differentiated from the first three.