But the NFL and its officials continued to crack down on players who do as much as breathe in a quarterback's general direction.
Late in the third quarter against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, Matthews shot out of a cannon for Redskins quarterback Alex Smith, sacking him and briefly landing on top of him as the two hit the slick grass of FedEx Field.
This is a foul for roughing the passer - the defender lands “with all or most of the defender’s weight” on the passer. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9(b): https://t.co/s9YKN8NLuT #GBvsWAS pic.