Quote:
Originally Posted by Buffalo Bob
10-20, more like 35 years or so. It was the 1978 season where they made the head slap illegal. I remember the specific time because I was playing High School ball and most those type rules followed the pros. They also changed the way they called holding and illegal use of hands. 1977 and before a defender could hit a blocker in the head while the blocker had to keep his hands close to his jersey. Most O-lineman were coached to grab their own jersey while blocking to prevent being flagged. Also starting in 1978 you were only allowed to contact a receiver once, but still you could knock him down anywhere on the field as long as the ball wasn't in the air.
Do to these evolving rule changes favoring the offense you can only compare quarterbacks against their peers that played in the exact same time period. Quarterbacks were not protected if they stayed in the pocket back when Sonny Jurgensen played, roughing the passer was rarely called and you could hit them in the head, clothesline them and horse collar them. A 37 year old immobile Peyton Manning would have been watching the Super Bowl from a hospital bed or a wheelchair if the 2013 season was played under rules of the "dead ball" era. He probably would not have lasted 4 games.
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Today's young fans and media don't get it. They throw around "greatest of all time" and they do not understand how much the rule changes favored today's QB's and receivers. It is not the same game. Not even close.