Competition Committee Nonsense

[CM Hooe]

Interestingly the NFL also passed a rule that will essentially ban non-traditionally colored fields, a la Boise State's smurf turf. All field colors must be approved by the NFL.

[dsallupinyaarea]

Quote: Originally Posted by CHooe

Interestingly the NFL also passed a rule that will essentially ban non-traditionally colored fields, a la Boise State's smurf turf. All field colors must be approved by the NFL.

Geez. The NFL is becoming really "buttoned up".

[justamush]

If they want to reduce big hits on receivers, they should get rid of the illegal contact rule. If you were actually allowed to bump (not hold) receivers more than 5 yards down the field, it would slow them down and possibly reduce the amount of violent collusions occurred by receivers and defensive backs colliding at full speed.

They would never do this though because it would hurt the passing game, and we can't have that.

[TheMatrix31]

Quote: Originally Posted by CHooe

Reviewing what actually changed, I think terrible may be an overreaction. It's just five yards. Certainly a puzzling move, however, and I'm not convinced it makes the game that much safer. More touchbacks IMO means more times for set plays means more plays in a game, meaning more total opportunities for injuries. The net effect of the rule change IMO is that there's less of an emphasis on kickoff specialists, specifically kick returners, and kickoff coverage specialists. Anyone who is a special teams ace will remain on a roster for skills with regard to the punt return game now. It does also put more emphasis on teams' offenses and defenses, which honestly are the players the NFL wants to showcase anyway, right or wrong.

I think it's going to kill offenses. No such thing as starting out with great field position on kickoffs anymore.

[CM Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

I think it's going to kill offenses. No such thing as starting out with great field position on kickoffs anymore.

I agree that this likely will have the net effect of decreasing the total scoring in games, and it likely will reduce the average starting field position.

I disagree that there will be "no such thing as great field position on kickoffs", however. Even from the 35, not every kicker is going to be able to get the ball to the end zone. The best kickoff specialist I have seen yet, that being UVa's Kurt Smith who played with the Cavaliers in the early-to-mid 2000s before the NCAA moved kickoffs from the 35 to the 30, only recorded touchbacks on 58% of his kicks. That in-and-of itself is an admittedly ridiculous number, but the point is there were many opportunities for kick returns off of him.

There will still be kick returns, and there will still be kick return touchdowns, but they will simply be less frequent.

[iAM-IncReDiBLe-]

Yea basically those guys who are only aren't good enough to be a full time player at a position but are great at returning kicks will have their opportunities to do it lowered an make them getting drafted even less. This hurts those guys also.

[SPTO]

Quote: Originally Posted by dsallupinyaarea

Geez. The NFL is becoming really "buttoned up".

Becoming? The league has been "buttoned up" since Tagliabue's been Commissioner in 1990.

Anyways, I see this new kickoff rule lasting a year or two at most and we'll go back to the traditional kickoff rule. The unintended consequences of killing the kick return game will force the league to see that this was a mistake.

[TexasBorn1]

I think people are overreacting

They reverted to the old kickoff rule of kicking from the 35. Great return men will still get there's and this does a little bit to improve safety, nothing wrong with that. Only a few kickers are capable of booting it to the endzone anyway

and the replay rule is an definite improvement. We have replay might as well make the best use of it