Kickoff Strategy

[Chaos]

19 hours ago, Gugny said:

If a team is up by three with, say, 13 seconds left in the 4th quarter … are they allowed to squib kick it?

The music city miracle is also non-repeatable with this rule change. 

[Low Positive]

21 hours ago, Low Positive said:

The way that they have it set up, the returner pretty much gets to the 25 before contact so there is little advantage to kicking returnable balls. 

I have to amend this statement after last night’s game. They get to the 25 is they field it in that 20-yard zone. If they’re dumb enough to return a kick from the EZ, then all bets are off. 

[4merper4mer]

Four moron teams so far.  All a stupid kicker has to do is kick it 12 yards and fall on it.  Are these kickers so slow they can’t beat guys from the other team that are fifty yards away?

[Brand J]

13 hours ago, Process said:

What about moving players closer to the landing zone so the returner will get tackled sooner, on average? I just think the 35 is too much for a touchback.

The 35 isn’t too much if what you actually want are more returns. It was initially the 35 like the XFL model, but owners decided to move it back to the 30. Something needs to be done about the touchbacks, or they’ll just have to eliminate this aspect of special teams.

[Chaos]

1 minute ago, Brand J said:

The 35 isn’t too much if what you actually want are more returns.

These really are not "kickoff returns", in the sense they resemble any kickoff return before this season.   They are kind of random scrum type play.  Maybe it will become interesting.  But for all intents and purposes, the NFL has eliminated kickoff returns.  

[TheFunPolice]

In bad weather games there might be more returns.

 

In general, when you think about it most things that happen during a kick return are bad for the returning team.

 

Holding penalty: happens seemingly 1/2 the time and even more on any significant return. Then you're backed up in your own end. 

 

Fumble

 

Bad return that doesn't get to the 30

 

Actual good returns are quite rare

Edited September 7 by TheFunPolice

[RiotAct]

 

[4BillsintheBurgh]

I'm having the kicker knuckle it down to the 5 yard line, trying to get it in between the returners. Either the ball bounces around some or it hits in the field of play and goes out of the endzone putting the ball at the 20.

[without a drought]

They might need to move touchbacks out to the 35 if they want returns.

[unbillievable]

53 minutes ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

I'm having the kicker knuckle it down to the 5 yard line, trying to get it in between the returners. Either the ball bounces around some or it hits in the field of play and goes out of the endzone putting the ball at the 20.

 

No one in the world has a leg that can knuckle ball it 45 yds to get into the 20yd landing zone. Remember, it has to land there, and not just bounce into it. You'll just be giving it to them at the 40.

 

Most kickers can get it to the endzone; but we'll still be seeing some returns due to weather. Also, some teams invested in returners so they'll give them a shot (like GB) to take it out of the EZ. 

 

Overall, it's a rule that gets them as close to eliminating kickoffs without actually doing it.

 

 

Edited September 7 by unbillievable

[Livinginthepast]

On 9/6/2024 at 2:26 PM, LabattBlue said:

Just get rid of the kickoffs, unless you want to onside kick near the end of the game.  This new rule only made kickoffs more useless. 

I thought about that as well. If you get rid of KOs then how do throw in the chance of the onside kick for a team that has to get the ball back before time expires? Of course the NFL has already ruined onside kicks and made them even less likely to be recovered with their stupid tweaks so maybe the idea is to get rid of all kick offs.

[Process]

Settled. Kick it deep. 100% of the time. 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

22 hours ago, without a drought said:

They might need to move touchbacks out to the 35 if they want returns.

100% 

 

maybe even the 40

 

after today why in the world would you not accept the ball at the 30 if you are kicking?

 

 

[Georgia Bill]

1 hour ago, Process said:

Settled. Kick it deep. 100% of the time. 

Yep.  That last attempt to be "strategic" and kick a line drive in the landing zone at the end of the game cost us, with the Cards getting the ball at the 40 yard line.  It's just not worth getting fancy.  Not to mention the Cards kickoff return for a touchdown.  The best thing you can have now is a kicker who can kick it out of the end zone every time.   The league will still see more scoring with all those starts moved up to the 30.

[klos63]

I wonder if the league took bad weather into account when making this rule. 

You get a real windy game late in the season,  you'll see a lot of drives starting at the 40.

[ColoradoBills]

1 minute ago, klos63 said:

I wonder if the league took bad weather into account when making this rule. 

You get a real windy game late in the season,  you'll see a lot of drives starting at the 40.

 

Whether they did or not, outdoor teams (especially with grass fields) will have more returns than indoor or turf stadiums.

With and against the wind on bad weather days will put a lot of strain on special teams.

The TD return and the OOB kick wouldn't happen in a dome.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

The worst players on the roster almost cost them the game.

 

Kick it in endzone every time

[The Frankish Reich]

16 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

The worst players on the roster almost cost them the game.

 

Kick it in endzone every time

There is zero incentive not to kick it through the end zone. Which puts a premium on guys who can kick it through the end zone nearly every time. Which apparently we don't have.

[JP51]

16 hours ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

The worst players on the roster almost cost them the game.

 

Kick it in endzone every time

Oh the venom I spewed after that.... 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

4 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

There is zero incentive not to kick it through the end zone. Which puts a premium on guys who can kick it through the end zone nearly every time. Which apparently we don't have.

I still think he was told to kick it short. Now maybe that's because he knew he couldn't kick it long enough. Not sure. It was windy but more cross wind than anything else. 

He should be able to hit a line drive deep enough to at least get to the endzone.