The NFL Owners Approved A Rule Change That Will Probably Lead To The Elimination Of Kickoffs When They Should Just Be Adopting The XFL's Awesome Kickoff Rules
Without kickoffs, would we even know the names Devin Hester, Dante Hall, or Josh Cribbs? Three players who were absolutely electric in their day because of their very special skill set. A skill set that included lightning speed, ankle-breaking changes in direction, and just enough screws loose to run full speeds at 11 guys trying to take your head off.
With the NFL's new rule change anything fair caught inside the 25-yard line automatically puts the ball at the 25. This means unless you're an Antonio Brown level psycho who wants to deliberately piss off your coach, there is zero reason to ever return a kickoff again. And once the returns dry up you know the owners are going to push for the elimination of the play all together. The writing is on the wall.
On the one hand I get it. Kickoffs haven't been exciting since they moved up where the ball is kicked from and gave the returning team the 25-yard line for kneeling in the end zone. And owners want to protect their investment as players tend to get injured on kickoffs more than any other play.
But there is another option. And all the NFL would have to do is swallow its pride and admit that someone else came up with an innovate and exciting idea besides them. It's called the Low Impact Kickoff.
If you're anything like me you probably haven't seen this in a game because you don't watch terrible off-brand football. The USFL and XFL might as well be the TJ Maxx and Marshalls of the football world. It's like watching low level college football except all the coaches are coordinators you vaguely remember but have gained 50 pounds.
But in this instance the level of football being played doesn't matter because the idea is awesome. Zero injuries in 2020 (albeit with far fewer games) with an insane return rate and a deeper starting position. I'm sold.
The ball is kicked from the 30-yard line while both teams are lined up five yards from each other at the other team's 30 and 35-yard lines. Neither team can move until the ball is caught and then at that point it essentially becomes a organized interception return minus the defenders looking to detach unsuspecting offensive player's heads from their bodies.
This adds excitement back to the kickoff, keeps it as safe as football can ever be, and allows for guys at the bottom of the roster to still have jobs. Because if kickoffs go away then you know teams are going to carry way less special teams guys and way more skill players. And if that happens who knows if we ever get another gem like Will Compton.
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I feel like NFL coaches could scheme the shit out of this formation and we would get some awesome results. I want to see what Kyle Shanahan can do drawing up Xs and Os for the Low Impact Kickoff. All of sudden that becomes one of the most exciting parts of the game instead of a throw away play where you know you have time to take a piss. After all, the league wants more scoring doesn't it?
Let's keep the kickoff in the game and the special teams players on the roster. Because without kickoffs we diminish the accomplishments of the great returners of the past. And without special teams guys who knows where the next generation of great football journalists will come from. And we must protect football content like this…