FanPost

What's Up With The Kickoffs


I know we are just one week into the season and a lot of teams are still knocking the dust off and are prone to make a few more mistakes than usual but I have notice a lot of kicks returned to TDs already.  I thought the idea was that they moved the ball to the 35 yard line to make more touchbacks and eliminate some injuries but it looks like it has had a different result.  I don't have the stats available to check this out but it seems that a lot more kickoffs are being brought out of the endzone and the kick coverage has been somewhat slack thus far. Is this a result of the e kickoff rule and teams expecting their kicker to get touchbacks?  Maybe they have spent less time on coverage.  I think this is also bleeding into the punt teams as well, as most special teams speed players cover both punts and kickoffs.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like to see a returner take one to the house every now and then, but at the rate it's happening now it's gonna get boring.  It will go from "Man, did you see player X take that kickoff back for a TD?  That kick really has some wheels on him."  to  " Oh look, Player X just scored on another kickoff.  I wish someone would tackle that kid so we can see what the offense can do."

 

I have also noticed that some kickers are still having a problem getting the ball to the endzone.  I was expecting to see some kicks go through the uprights.  There are plenty landing in the EZ but I have seen quite a few caught at the 2 or 3 yard line and produce a good return. 

 

It just seems like another one of the NFLs rules going the wrong way from what they expected.  And I may be alone in this but I think they should have left it at the 30 and kept the emphasis on kick coverage.  I don't remember that many injuries coming from kickoffs in the first place,  seems to me thaey were coming from the offense when a receiver or running back caught a helmet up the nostril during a cross pattern. 

 

Am I the only one that feels this way?  let me know what you think 

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