New Kickoff Rule Will Hurt Bucs
March 23rd, 2011
Joe has already written that the new kickoff rule, which will have the ball spotted at the 35-yard line and increase touchbacks, will hurt if not neuter Michael Spurlock.
Seems as though good guy Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times believes it will hurt the Bucs as a whole.
Holder decided to do a bit of research and found just how the Bucs will be impaired by Richie McKay’s latest attempt to turn football into seven-on-seven flag football.
On the surface, this would seem to have a negative impact on the Bucs. They tied for seventh in kickoff returns with 24.3 yards per attempt, led by Micheal Spurlock (25.7 yards per attempt).
Joe was not aware the Bucs were that proficient in kickoff returns last season. But this boils down to the all important field position. It isn’t so much where the ball will be kicked off from. What many fans seem to pass over is that this new kickoff rule gives the kick coverage team less ground to cover in order to defend a return.
In other words, a kick coverage team will get downfield much quicker.
March 23rd, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Not to worry……catching KO’s from the 35 is Dexter Jacksons sweet spot….
this will be his year…
March 23rd, 2011 at 5:52 pm
I just don’t see why this was changed. Have the NFL given any kind of reason for this? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
March 23rd, 2011 at 6:04 pm
I think this whole thing is way overblown. Kick offs were from the 35 not that long ago. There will still be plenty of opportunities. Even if it hurts us on offense, it will help us on defense (maybe we can actually get some touchbacks). This is one of those things that’s a big deal now, but we will forget all about it once the season gets started (say it with me, if there is a season).
March 23rd, 2011 at 6:45 pm
The line between player safety and pussifying the game gets a little fuzzier every year…
March 23rd, 2011 at 7:58 pm
The irony is that most kickoff return injuries occur at impact as the returner catches the ball.
Now the coverage team will hit the returner even faster, when he’s had less time to react, and will likely result in more injuries.
At least that how it would seem to me.
I really do not see how this would reduce injuries.
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Strong legged kick off guys will be more of a premium cause you can now almost eliminate any reurn game if u got one who can boot it through the endzone from the 35.
March 23rd, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Upside is that this makes it more appealing to try an onsides kick. The unexpected onsides kick is always an exciting play.
March 23rd, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Freeman had many successful drives starting behind the 20. He’ll just have to get better at it as well as ALL teams do. I dont like the rule change but this affects all teams not just the Bucs. I don’t see how it’s worse for the Bucs.
March 24th, 2011 at 2:39 am
I don’t understand. Aren’t they trying to make the game safer? I don’t see how moving the kick team closer to the receiving team is any safer.
March 24th, 2011 at 8:32 am
@espo
That’s exactly what I said. Makes no sense to me either. I really do not see teams purposely getting touchbacks all that much more. Back when it was on the 35 before, there were still plenty of kick returns.
This really isn’t new…it’s the exact same way it use to be, right? Back before they were moved to the 30?
March 24th, 2011 at 9:07 am
When you face a returner like Devin Hester or Josh Cribbs, teams will purposely kick the ball out of the end zone. It will take the most exciting players out of the game. If teams don’t have explosive return guys, teams may kick shorter and try to blow a guy up. Force a turnover or pin the team deeper than the 20 if possible. The only times it will affect anything is with the most exciting players to watch. Thanks for taking that away from us NFL…