Why are we kicking it into the endzone for a touchback every time?

[Zaximus]

We're just trying to avoid more Teddy Williams penalties.  

[Vagrant]

Has anyone seen our special teams coverage since forever? If we had the option to give it to them on the 30 I would still take it over letting that trainwreck on the field.

[Khyber53]

Just trying to get those special teams on and off the field as quickly as possible. It's the weakest part of our game.

[CRA]

I got zero issue w/ them kicking it out of the endzone.   If you kick it out you never get a big play put on you.  Get cute and it is only a matter of time.

[thefuzz]

23 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

Just trying to get those special teams on and off the field as quickly as possible. It's the weakest part of our game.

Agreed, we have a good defense, and a good/great offense.

I can guarantee that opposing coaches would beg us to give them a shot, vs. having to grind their way down the field.

[Servant of Cthululelei]

4 hours ago, Wundrbread33 said:

I just don't get it.

The kicking team was moved closer a few years ago to create more touchbacks, supposedly because the league wanted to reduce injury.

Now this rule change placing touchbacks at the 25 means teams might want to kick it short, creating a return and a chance to stop the opponent short of the 25.

What gives? Am I missing something?

Seems the league is changing just to change. Why not just move the kicking team back and put touchbacks at the 20 again?

You're thinking about both changes from the kicking team's perspective.  The reason they moved the touchback to the 25 was to encourage the RECEIVING team to take a knee when they catch it in the endzone.  Over the past few years it was becoming more and more common to return every kick that wasn't more than 5 yards deep in the endzone.

However, it clearly backfired.  The incentive to take a knee is eliminated if the kicking team is intentionally kicking it short.  It was pretty obvious to most fans that this would happen, but the NFL makes stupid decisions all the time.

[Vagrant]

12 minutes ago, Servant of Cthululelei said:

You're thinking about both changes from the kicking team's perspective.  The reason they moved the touchback to the 25 was to encourage the RECEIVING team to take a knee when they catch it in the endzone.  Over the past few years it was becoming more and more common to return every kick that wasn't more than 5 yards deep in the endzone.

However, it clearly backfired.  The incentive to take a knee is eliminated if the kicking team is intentionally kicking it short.  It was pretty obvious to most fans that this would happen, but the NFL makes stupid decisions all the time.

The NFL so badly wants to remove high speed collisions from the game and they don't get much faster than special teams plays. You're right. The league assumed coaches would make their returners take a knee every kickoff because the 25 is a fairly attractive drive starting point. What they didn't assume, and fuging duh, was that opposing teams would try to find a way to use this to their advantage as well. The competition committee looks like idiots on this because the rule will probably *increase* kick returns if the teams have a weak defense and strong special teams. We just happen to be in the opposite situation.... but not many teams have defense as strong as ours.

[Growl]

Article on the Patriots capitalizing on the new rule and Belichick talking about how it won them the game: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/bill-belichick-isnt-bending-to-nfl-kickoff-rule-and-others-may-follow-suit-001819719.html

 

 

Honestly hurting your teams ability to win on every series because you're scared of an occasional play happening maybe once a season is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

 

The rules have changed. Its time to adapt.

[CRA]

13 minutes ago, Growl said:

Article on the Patriots capitalizing on the new rule and Belichick talking about how it won them the game: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/bill-belichick-isnt-bending-to-nfl-kickoff-rule-and-others-may-follow-suit-001819719.html

 

 

Honestly hurting your teams ability to win on every series because you're scared of an occasional play happening maybe once a season is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

 

The rules have changed. Its time to adapt.

Cardinals elected to return all those kicks. They could of chosen to take the  25. 

For some people are acting like Belichick forced them into it.  He didn't.  He gave them a decision and it was clear early on they were making the wrong one returning them 

[Growl]

4 minutes ago, CRA said:

Cardinals elected to return all those kicks. They could of chosen to take the  25. 

For some people are acting like Belichick forced them into it.  He didn't.  He gave them a decision and it was clear early on they were making the wrong one returning them 

CRA teams are only allowed to kneel for a touchback is the ball is received in the end zone. It is mentioned within the very confines of the article that the ball was willingly kicked high and short to provide the coverage unit the time needed to get down the field, which is what's being proposed, and I'm not sure you understand.

 

The ball is intentionally kicked high and short to mitigate return yardage rather than awarding the opposition an extremely generous spot on the 25 for free.

 

[General_Purr]

We haven't had a solid Special Teams since Nam

 

Colin Jones and Mario Addison is the top men out there

[stankowalski]

5 hours ago, greghardy'sAK-47 said:

Denver air.  Not easy to place one in that air especially with Gano having the boot he does.  Hell, he had Denver take a knee after kicking off from the 20 after the first score.  Gano would really have to let off a lot to place it up there and that's just asking to shank one OB or squib one too short.  Plus there is always that chance the return team takes one back a long way. 

So you're telling me a professional kicker...a guy whose only job is to kick a ball...can't adjust to the altitude after pregame kicks and the kicks during the game?  You really expect me to believe that as opposed to it just being Ron saying "hey, kick that fuger out of the stadium".

 

I'm guessing it has more to do with what others have alluded to or stated...our special teams coverage probably still sucks.

[greghardy'sAK-47]

1 hour ago, stankowalski said:

So you're telling me a professional kicker...a guy whose only job is to kick a ball...can't adjust to the altitude after pregame kicks and the kicks during the game?  You really expect me to believe that as opposed to it just being Ron saying "hey, kick that fuger out of the stadium".

 

I'm guessing it has more to do with what others have alluded to or stated...our special teams coverage probably still sucks.

are you really asking me if i think it is possible for a kicker to fug up while trying to get cute on the KO?  especially in place like denver, where gano has to go at it like 60% to drop one on the goal line?  

so, yes.  of course i think the plan was to just "kick the fuger out of the stadium".  i mean you didn't see him kicking any chip shots did you?  

[VerticalThreat]

RR was asked about this. They're aware of the benefits, but a "miss" in this could be a huge game changer. His comment was that in Denver they were going to let Gano do what he does best ("mash" the ball). I would assume when they're confident that Gano can drop the ball in with ample hang time for the coverage team that we'd see them do this consistently. This coaching staff has always preferred a known quantity over risking big plays.