football is played via plays that coaches relay and that require full participation and requires zero freelancing
unlike bball, baseball, soccer and other sports where you can kinda get away from doing your own thing within a certain extent...
especially old school players, they see any players (other than qb audibles and even that can be very contentious ) trying to run some other play on purpose, and its finna be a problem. football culture back then was a lot more army/military-like too.
its like the boss telling you we're doing this on next meeting and you're doing another thing when in front of people. youre likely to get fired. it is what it is
All of that makes sense when the decision could cause a season changing injury, or potential change the outcome of a game.
It didn't affect the outcome of the game so this is mostly propaganda. If you want curmudgeonly conservatives to decide what you watch say that.