Clay Matthews, of the Green Bay Packers, hurts the NFL after a controversial penalty kick: "I think they're getting soft"

Green Packers linebacker Clay Matthews (52) beat Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith (11) in the second half of the game.

(AP)

Green Bay star Packers Clay Matthews blasted the NFL on Sunday after receiving a controversial penalty in Sunday's game, saying the league was "softening."

Matthews tackled Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith late in the third quarter of the Packers' 31-17 loss. Matthews seemed to have played football, rolling Smith around the chest and pinning him to the ground for a sack. However, the linebacker was penalized for approaching Smith with his body weight.

Matthews, who received a similar penalty for attacking Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​at last week's meeting, spoke of the controversial call at the end of the match.

"Unfortunately, this league is moving in a direction that, in my opinion, does not please many people. I think they're going limp, "he told the media, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. "The only thing difficult for this league is the fines they impose on players like me who play hard."

While social media users collapsed, NFL Football Operations defended the call in a tweet: "It's a mistake to force the smuggler – the defender lands with all or most of the weight of the defender "on the smuggler. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 (b). "

The rule stems from a controversial game last season where Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone from a room where he was driven to the ground. Players can not fall on quarterbacks with all or part of their body weight.

"Obviously, when you face a guy from the front, you're going to land on him," Matthews said. "I understand the spirit of the rule, I said weeks ago. But when you have a hit like that, it's a football match.

The Pro Bowl's six-time defender said that he had even gone to Smith and asked him what he could have done differently. He did not elaborate further.

Referee Craig Wrolstad, who threw the flag on Matthews, told reporters after the match that Matthews could have done more to avoid the penalty.

"Unfortunately, this league is going in a direction that I think many people like, and I think they're getting soft."

– Clay Matthews

"If you have a shoulder against him and you have left most of his weight or released him when he fell, then he would have been fine," Wrolstad said, according to ESPN. "But in my opinion, I decided that he had landed on him with all or part of his body weight there."

Matthews is the first defensive player since 2001 to be called for handling the smuggler in each of the first three games of the season, Green Bay News reported, citing ESPN statistics and information.