In back-to-back weeks Browns center Ethan Pocic has been flagged for moving the football a few inches forward as he approaches the line of scrimmage pre-snap, particularly in short-yardage situation.
The call is starting to frustrate head coach Kevin Stefanski. After Pocic was flagged for a second time in the team's 36-19 loss to the Rams this past weekend, the quickly cut to an irate Stefanski appealing to the officials that Pocic wasn't trying to advance the ball maliciously.
Stefanski's vexation over the penalty was apparent in his postgame press conference too, as he explained that he had talked with officials before the game to get clarification on the situation. After following up with the league in the days since, he provided more context as to why officials are cracking down on a play that has been an ignored, minor procedural thing for years.
“It’s definitely a point of emphasis for them right now whereas it wasn’t, Stefanski explained. "We’ve gone many years here with that not being called, but now that’s how they’re officiating it, we have to obviously abide by the rules to the ‘T’ and we’re not trying to skirt any rules in these scenarios. We’re not trying at all to gain advantage, but we have to adjust based on how they’re calling it.”
To Stefanski's point, a center moving the football slightly upon their approach isn't something new. It's been happening for years as just standard operating procedure when a center picks up the ball.
What's changed recently is the on going phenomenon surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles "Brotherly Shove" play, that sees Jason Kelce lead the way for star quarterback Jalen Hurts in short-yardage situations, while Hurts is also pushed forward in an effort to pick up a first down. The play has become nearly unstoppable, and so officials are on high alert for teams trying to get a little extra leverage by nudging the ball forward and attempting a similar play as Philly.
“Yeah, it’s interesting. I’ve studied more center ball handling than ever have in my life this week," Stefanski joked.. "I think each guy’s a little bit different. Some guys take it and roll it, some guys move it back, some guys move it forward. Sometimes when you’re leaning back to talk to the quarterback or the other players, you may move the ball a little bit. So, there’s obviously a little bit of movement that goes on with every single play. I think the league is trying to make sure that there’s no unfair advantage gained by the offense in these situations.”
Even if it's commonplace, the Browns are at the mercy of the NFL. Every year there are different rules that the league seems to prioritize calling or highlighting at a larger rate simply based off the current climate of the sport. Similar to the always controversial late hits on quarterbacks that at times leave more questions than clarity about how defenders should even tackle QBs, this is just the latest penalty the league is hyper-focused on.
“There’s videos that go out each week and then you kind of know, kind of through the grapevine and then pregame [what they're looking at], Stefanski said. "I always talk to the officials every game about certain things.”
Pocic isn't trying to be devious. The 28-year-old admitted he moves the ball slightly slightly when he gets set at the line of scrimmage. He's doing his damndest to make adjustments and ensure he isn't costing his team moving forward, starting with understanding situationally when there's a heightened awareness regarding the play.
"They're just really looking for it on the short-yardage place, especially when it's getting closer on the hash mark," Pocic said. "I just got to do a better job. I just got to make an adjustment and be more conscious."
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