Benny The Jet;1788585 wrote:If you watch Ohio State, this is similar to what the try to do almost every kickoff, and they've gotten pretty good at it. One of the best opponent starting field positions in NCAA. They try to sky it, and let their speed guys fly down the field and try to murder the returned waiting for the ball to come down. Even if he fields it at the 10, it's been hanging in the air so long that guys are already on him and may only get to the 20. Seems like a counterproductive rule to me, if they want to end game to be no more returns on kickoffs.
I really like the new NFL return rule, but it will not result in less returns. Kicking teams will more try to use the play as a defensive weapon, like they should have been all along, to try to make the return team return the ball and try to pin them back and maybe hit the jackpot with a fumble. The premium will be on the kicker to kick it high to come down on the 5 yd line about 10 yds in-bounds with flight such that the ball won't bounce toward the goal line or out of bounds. The pressure will really be on the returners to make good decisions on fielding the ball. The returners might take a lot more risk in not fielding a ball and let it drop in hopes it will go into the EZ and they can cover it there to get it on the 25, or better yet go OB(where do they get it if it goes OB anyway?). You might even see a few fair catches at the 7 yd line. It has always pained me(like it does in baseball with runners on 1st and 3rd to have the defense just let the runner have 2nd on the steal) to see teams not try to take advantage of this with current rules and instead just blast the kick thru the end zone. With this rule and the new longer extra point rule it takes two consecutive plays that were often non events and makes them a lot more interesting and possibly very consequential, thus making taking a break thru the XP, the commercials, the kick-off, and more commercials be much more risky to the viewer of missing a pivotal and exciting play.