The dumbest rule in the NFL: New rule change

[The Jokeman]

21 minutes ago, T&C said:

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2023/05/24/nfl--kickoff-returns--new-fair-catch-rule--football

 

"The proposal passed despite strong pushback from coaches and players across the league who argued the rule change will create uglier plays with squib and corner kicks that make fair catches impossible."

Fair enough but when I read coffin and corner I think of punts that roll out of bounds vs uncatchable. 

[Motorin']

14 hours ago, scuba guy said:

I actually thought the dumbest rule in the nfl is when a offensive player fumbles the ball out of the endzone.

Ball goes to the def.

 

I don't love that rule, but at least there's some logic to it. If an offense fumbles the ball out of their own end zone it's a safety and the other team gets the ball. 

 

I think the dumbest rule that ever existed was the sideline catch rule when a receiver jumped and caught the ball, got hit and landed out of bounds without getting a single foot down.

 

The refs could rule it a catch if he would have come down in bounds had he not been hit... But he was hit! And forced out of bounds before completing the catch. That call was always infuriating. 

[Bray Wyatt]

13 hours ago, The Red King said:

 

Seahawks, opening kickoff of the second half.  Was a complete surprise, we ran under and caught it.  Ref ruled their player signaled for a fair catch and we interfered.

 

Ah glad someone remembered the play I was talking about!

[mrags]

McDermott will still draft and keep at least 5 special teamers on n the roster even after the NFL does away with kickoffs altogether 

[T&C]

2 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

Fair enough but when I read coffin and corner I think of punts that roll out of bounds vs uncatchable. 

Yeah, I think a lot of people think of a punt that hits inbound and goes out at the 1 or 2 Yd line. I do too. Teams will be coming up with ways to use this to their best advantage for sure. Wonder if we'll see the flat line kickoff a lot this year.

[BigAl2526]

On 5/23/2023 at 11:50 AM, T&C said:

This is where the coffin corner kick comes into play...

I don't think so.  Coffin corner kicks are punts that go out of bounds deep in the receiving team's territory.  Do that on a kickoff, and the ball comes out to the 40.  Teams could try to make more use of a squib kick.  I don't think you can fair catch a ball that has hit the ground.   

[ngbills]

Can we now move the $10M on special teamers to D Hopkins? Never got the obsession with STers when it has been clear the NFL is making changes that drastically decrease the value of ST play. Pay your kickers and no one else matters. Draft and sign young DB and LB that can be used on ST's that have less importance. Maybe we develop them from ST players to contributors rather than guys that play only ST and will never play anything else. 

[ScottLaw]

27 minutes ago, ngbills said:

Can we now move the $10M on special teamers to D Hopkins? Never got the obsession with STers when it has been clear the NFL is making changes that drastically decrease the value of ST play. Pay your kickers and no one else matters. Draft and sign young DB and LB that can be used on ST's that have less importance. Maybe we develop them from ST players to contributors rather than guys that play only ST and will never play anything else. 

Yep… the late rounders should be the special teams demons at this point… not the Sirian Neal’s, Cam Lewis’s, and Tyler Matalevich’s who are overpaid to strictly play special teams and look mostly lost when they have to actually play their respective positions… hell, even Hynes is way overpaid.

 

100% that money would be better served for another quality starter on offense or defense.

[ngbills]

47 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Yep… the late rounders should be the special teams demons at this point… not the Sirian Neal’s, Cam Lewis’s, and Tyler Matalevich’s who are overpaid to strictly play special teams and look mostly lost when they have to actually play their respective positions… hell, even Hynes is way overpaid.

 

100% that money would be better served for another quality starter on offense or defense.

Those are my thoughts exactly. With our RB additions, you could argue Hines has minimal value on this team. Cutting Hines, Neal, Lewis and Mata would give us $8M+ and that could pay for a pretty good player - Hopkins or similar level. 

[Billsfanatixs]

On 5/23/2023 at 11:33 AM, Dablitzkrieg said:

 

Do not like this change at all. Takes away strategy for a big part of field position battle 

[BillyBilliams]

On 5/23/2023 at 8:45 AM, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Might as well do away with kickoffs and start at the 25. They want to get rid of the play anyway.

 

Beane and McDermott would be furious.  Who would they draft if Special Teams wasn't a thing?  

[Bill from NYC]

On 5/23/2023 at 11:54 AM, ScottLaw said:

And yet McBeane still heavily prioritize Special Teams as the league progressively go away from it. 

Reminds me of a previous coach.

[Big Turk]

Any strategy of trying to pin a team back with a good kick just pretty much went out the window...they can simply just fair catch it from anywhere on the field now.

[Limeaid]

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/05/20/opposition-increases-to-new-fair-catch-rule/

 

Quote

The next evolution in the kickoff rule was supposed to be the adoption of the NCAA-style rule that results in a fair catch inside the 25 being placed at the 25. That apparently won’t be happening.

 

As recently explained by Albert Breer of SI.com, special-teams players and coaches have accelerated the opposition to the rule.

 

 

Quote

One concern with the rule is that it will spark more squib kicks inside the 25, which couldn’t be fair caught and would have to be returned. That could create more, not less, chaos on special teams.

 

 

IF the new rule was utilized it would make punters who are corner coffin kickers and good squib kickers even more valuable.  Moorman was one of them.

[Doc Brown]

5 hours ago, ngbills said:

Those are my thoughts exactly. With our RB additions, you could argue Hines has minimal value on this team. Cutting Hines, Neal, Lewis and Mata would give us $8M+ and that could pay for a pretty good player - Hopkins or similar level. 

An interesting strategy would be for Hines to return kickoffs even deep in the end zone if you load up with special team aces in the return game.  Especially if other teams prioritize Special Teams less.

[LabattBlue]

Just get rid of the kickoff already.  They have reduced its impact on the game to next to nothing.  After the other team scores, you just get the ball on the 25, and away you go. 

Edited May 26 by LabattBlue

[ngbills]

13 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

An interesting strategy would be for Hines to return kickoffs even deep in the end zone if you load up with special team aces in the return game.  Especially if other teams prioritize Special Teams less.

The term special team ace is overrated. These are nfl players. One guy may be slightly better but the difference is not huge. It’s more preparation than players. So if your team practices special teams more than others maybe you outperform, rather than signing better players. 
 

Overall though special teams play has drastically been marginalized. It’s becoming less and less important. Focusing on special teams would be like saying we know it’s a passing league but we are gonna sign every good run blocking OL, WR and TE and run the ball since everyone else is focused on the passing game. How would that work out?