The Death of the Kickoff Return

[Bferra13]

3 minutes ago, Dafan said:

I wish they'd just get ride of the penalty for kicking off out off bounds.  If a kicker can put it out on the 5 yard line...let it stand that way.

NFL wants scoring and points. Pretty sure points =$$$$ to them. No way they would ever do that. If they did change that, kickers would master the art of it anyways. No bueno all around.

[The Frankish Reich]

1 hour ago, Bangarang said:

Get rid of kickoffs and eliminate punting. No more extra points either. 

I would like to see only 2 point conversions. The PAT is the dullest play in football. 

[frostbitmic]

TD

Commercials

XP

Commercials

Kickoff

Commercials

 

An extra block of commercials is why they won't get rid of it. 

 

Kicking the ball through the uprights on the kickoff should be worth a point. It would be a detriment to drawing a 10 or 15 yard penalty on the XP.

[WhoTom]

23 minutes ago, Dafan said:

I wish they'd just get ride of the penalty for kicking off out off bounds.  If a kicker can put it out on the 5 yard line...let it stand that way.

 

Sure, and watch otherwise close games become lopsided.

 

With the exception of the ones to start each half, KOs follow a score. The KO gives the opposing team a fair chance at good field position so they, too, have a reasonable opportunity to score. Pinning them back at the five with a KO out-of-bounds would be adding insult to injury. Not only did the opposing team score, but they left us with crappy field position. And unlike a punt, where there's a defense trying to block it, the place-kicker has all the time in the world to set up the kick, making the old corner-coffin kick a certainty.

 

A punt is a different story. When a team punts, it's surrendering the battle to fight another day. Trying to pin the opposing team back makes good sense from a competitive standpoint.

 

 

[Rigotz]

For the fans it's an exciting component of the game.

 

For the players and coaches it's an unnecessary head-on collision between two freight trains at full speed. 

 

It's only a matter of time before they get rid of it and we'll all miss it until we don't... which should only take a couple of years.

[Brand J]

@Rochesterfan You are the king of disagreeing and downvoting everything without any rational thought or insight.

[Matt_In_NH]

I am sure it has happened but I have yet to see a fair catch everyone said would kill kickoffs.  Is this rate less than last year?

[Paup 1995MVP]

3 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

 

Almost every kickoff is a touchback now, 4/5 of them to be exact. That is death compared to earlier numbers, where just a few years ago 3/5 got returned. I’m not even comparing it to the 90s where 9/10 were returned. Remember the two TD returns Hines had last year that ignited the team? Yeah, those sort of exciting plays are being legislated out of the game, which is exactly what the NFL wants.

The kickoff return play is very exciting.  Kickoffs should have stayed at the 30 yard line.  More would be returned that way.  The NFL wants to take any and all violent high speed collisions out of the game.  The hard hit on supposed defenseless receivers is ridiculously enforced.  Intimidation can not be part of a defensive game plan any longer.  The numbers put up by WR's today is because the game is basically a physical brand of touch football.  Receivers don't have to worry about suffering serious injury like in yesteryear. 

 

Another annoyance of today's game is the amount of long FG's made.  Teams get to the opponents 40 yard line, and out trots the kicker.  I am amazed at how far these little guys can kick a football.  Is the ball different then it was in the 70's 80's and 90's?  I was happy when Justin Tucker's 61 yard kick to win the game against the Colts was SHORT!   

[ChrisWatson#21]

They sure were fun back in the days of Terrence McGee.  

[PetermansRedemption]

Could have a combined funeral for the kickoff and the onside kick. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I really don't understand why the NFL wants to eliminate kick returns. 

But then again I really don't care. I don't want a bunch of bottom of the roster players determining the outcome of a game. The Jets loss was sealed by a bunch of scrubs who couldn't make a tackle. It would have been far better if they had forced a fair catch and our defense was allowed to make a play.

[Brand J]

6 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

I really don't understand why the NFL wants to eliminate kick returns. 

But then again I really don't care. I don't want a bunch of bottom of the roster players determining the outcome of a game. The Jets loss was sealed by a bunch of scrubs who couldn't make a tackle. It would have been far better if they had forced a fair catch and our defense was allowed to make a play.

Well, that was a punt return, but I understand where you’re coming from. At the same time, guys like Devin Hester never would’ve made a name for himself if he played today. He was a position-less player, neither a corner nor a wide receiver, but was still able to carve out a successful NFL career. Some even argue Hall of Fame. There could be another Hester on a roster right now, but when most of the kicks are booted through the endzone, that player is now relegated to being an unknown.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

6 hours ago, RoyBatty is alive said:

No kickoff returns are not dead.  The Texans had an upfield blocker go all the way for a TD in a kickoff last Sunday.  The NFL will continue to tweak it until it is outlawed and deemed too dangerous.  I would suggest they start by putting a ball kicked out of or downed in the endzone back to the 20, 25 is too generous imo.

Yes, a full back 😅 we won’t see that again for another 10-20 years 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 minute ago, JayBaller10 said:

Well, that was a punt return, but I understand where you’re coming from. At the same time, guys like Devin Hester never would’ve made a name for himself if he played today. He was a position-less player, neither a corner nor a wide receiver, but was still able to carve out a successful NFL career. Some even argue Hall of Fame. There could be another Hester on a roster right now, but when most of the kicks are booted through the endzone, that player is now relegated to being an unknown.

I get what you are saying. Those plays and those players took your breath away at times. It seems like we are in the worst possible situation.  Either let it be a viable play and a part of the game or eliminate it all together

 Going to 4 min of commercial to then have a KO our of the endzone nad then 2 more min of commercials is terrible fan experience at home or in the stadium. 

 

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

5 hours ago, BigAl2526 said:

For whatever reason, the league doesn't want a lot of kickoff returns.  They won't do anything that is likely to increase the number of returns.

Kevin Everett is a good example. It’s dangerous when 2 200+ lb pieces of muscle are colliding  full speed. I wonder why punt returns are viewed as less dangerous..

Edited September 26, 2023 by ChronicAndKnuckles

[RiotAct]

 

 

[Da webster guy]

6 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

80.9% of kickoffs this year have resulted in a touchback. I do hope they go the XFL route to allow returners a chance to shine. Devin Hester, Dante Hall, Brian Mitchell, Josh Cribbs, and so many others would be obsolete today. 
 

The Endangered NFL kickoff

 

you forgot my son Leodis

 

Sincerely

 

Mrs McKelvin

[Mr. WEO]

5 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Yeah, that is true, but those are also still returned at a decent rate as well. The fair catch called in the field of play when teams kick it short resulting in a TB has not been used very often in the games I have watched.

 

How many fair catches have there been this year?

5 hours ago, JayBaller10 said:

 

Almost every kickoff is a touchback now, 4/5 of them to be exact. That is death compared to earlier numbers, where just a few years ago 3/5 got returned. I’m not even comparing it to the 90s where 9/10 were returned. Remember the two TD returns Hines had last year that ignited the team? Yeah, those sort of exciting plays are being legislated out of the game, which is exactly what the NFL wants.

 

There is no rule preventing a returner, such as Hines, from running the kick back.  They simply have to the option to fair catch it in bounds for a touchback.

 

Returns certainly have not been "legislated out of the game"

 

 

[Utah John]

7 hours ago, Bangarang said:

Get rid of kickoffs and eliminate punting. No more extra points either. 

Tackling, too.  And falling down.  And blocking.  Any kind of contact, really.  

[ExiledInIllinois]

6 hours ago, Dafan said:

I wish they'd just get ride of the penalty for kicking off out off bounds.  If a kicker can put it out on the 5 yard line...let it stand that way.

The team just scored. Have to make it fair getting ball back!