NFL: Clay Matthews hit on Alex Smith is “textbook†roughing the passer

The NFL’s new focus on roughing the passer has once again created a Sunday evening ruckus. Former NFL referee, and current NFL consultant, Ed Hocuhli explained the reasoning to PFT by phone, not long before the start of this week’s edition of Football Night in America. Calling it a “textbook� case of roughing, Hochuli said that the hit by Matthews falls squarely within the point of emphasis regarding the roughing passer foul, as it relates to the placement of all or most of the defender’s body weight on the passer.