Too Many Touchbacks.... WTF!!

[thunderkyss]

There was a time, when you had to have a freak'n leg to get a touchback. You weren't crap for a kicker if you couldn't get the ball to soar high enough & far enough to allow your team to get down the field & prevent the other team from gaining just 20 yards. Now, I can do it. (Maybe )

Is the idea now to just give the other team 20 yards? I'm hearing these dumb ass anouncers gushing over these pitiful kicks that puts the ball in the stands..... what the hell are they thinking?

To me, it's the same thing (sorta) as a punt. You don't go and pick a guy who can punt the ball from your 40 yard line into the stands. You get a guy with skill & talent who can put that ball on the 2 yard line.

I would have thought the rule change was so that initial 20 yards a kick returner gets isn't unchallenged. Now they're getting 20 yards regardless.

I would have thought Kickers would have been working on getting the ball higher & inside the 5 yard line.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

There was a time, when you had to have a freak'n leg to get a touchback. You weren't crap for a kicker if you couldn't get the ball to soar high enough & far enough to allow your team to get down the field & prevent the other team from gaining just 20 yards. Now, I can do it. (Maybe )

Is the idea now to just give the other team 20 yards? I'm hearing these dumb ass anouncers gushing over these pitiful kicks that puts the ball in the stands..... what the hell are they thinking?

To me, it's the same thing (sorta) as a punt. You don't go and pick a guy who can punt the ball from your 40 yard line into the stands. You get a guy with skill & talent who can put that ball on the 2 yard line.

I would have thought the rule change was so that initial 20 yards a kick returner gets isn't unchallenged. Now they're getting 20 yards regardless.

I would have thought Kickers would have been working on getting the ball higher & inside the 5 yard line.

That's what I said the strategy should be.

But let's let them work it out. There were some teams that appeared to be following the short kick strategy.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

There was a time, when you had to have a freak'n leg to get a touchback. You weren't crap for a kicker if you couldn't get the ball to soar high enough & far enough to allow your team to get down the field & prevent the other team from gaining just 20 yards. Now, I can do it. (Maybe )

Is the idea now to just give the other team 20 yards? I'm hearing these dumb ass anouncers gushing over these pitiful kicks that puts the ball in the stands..... what the hell are they thinking?

To me, it's the same thing (sorta) as a punt. You don't go and pick a guy who can punt the ball from your 40 yard line into the stands. You get a guy with skill & talent who can put that ball on the 2 yard line.

I would have thought the rule change was so that initial 20 yards a kick returner gets isn't unchallenged. Now they're getting 20 yards regardless.

I would have thought Kickers would have been working on getting the ball higher & inside the 5 yard line.

It seems funny to me that in the NCAA they kick off from the 30. Why don't they just bring it up to the 40, where we will be able to compete on the high school level?

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Is the idea now to just give the other team 20 yards? I'm hearing these dumb ass anouncers gushing over these pitiful kicks that puts the ball in the stands..... what the hell are they thinking?

Um... what the hell are YOU thinking?

Yeah, you might pin him back to the 10 yard line, but he also might take it up the field. Why in the hell would I want to risk giving them a good field position? I'll take em starting at their own 20 anytime, evertime, thankyouveryverymuch.

[CloakNNNdagger]

As I see it, one of the problems with this new placement......it essentially seems to take away a full 1/2 of the relevance of having great special teams.........what may be considered the most difficult and most critical compared to the punt return/coverage side.

[gwallaia]

I don't like this new rule.

This rule and the revised wedge rule from last year were put in place to prevent injuries. But it is also preventing one of the most exciting aspects of the game.

[Dutchrudder]

I like the fact that they limit the kicking team's ability to get a running start, but I don't like them moving the spot up. I enjoy watching kickoffs, and I don't want them mostly removed from the game.

[Corrosion]

This hurts teams with good kick off return teams .... and hurts teams with poor return teams.

Team has the capability to take it to the house ? Kick it out of the endzone.


Return teams isnt very good .... Kick it inside the 5 and take your chances at stopping them inside the 20.


Those with average return or coverage teams .... not so much effect.

[gary]

I just want to know how many more rule changes we are going to see prior to the NFL becoming a pee wee league.

[gtexan02]

Heres another reason I dislike this rule:

After a score, commercial.
Then kickoff.
Then commercial.
Then 1st and 10.

With the rule the way it is, its almost a waste of time to even watch. So its basically like back to back commercials

[The1ApplePie]

Belicheat: The NFL wants to eliminate kickoffs

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...nate-kickoffs/

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by gwallaia

I don't like this new rule.

This rule and the revised wedge rule from last year were put in place to prevent injuries. But it is also preventing one of the most exciting aspects of the game.

I agree...as an NFL fan.

However, since the Texans special team returners appear to be below average (again!), I think this new rule will benefit us more than it could hurt.

[Speedy]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Is the idea now to just give the other team 20 yards?

Well, if you're the Texans you'd be better off taking the 20. In 5 kickoff returns last night, only once did the Texans get it to the 20.

18, 10, 16, 22, 16....that was the Texans starting field position on 5 kickoffs.

[srrono]

The Bill Bates of the league are going to disapear the value of ST only players are droping fast.

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Speedy

Well, if you're the Texans you'd be better off taking the 20. In 5 kickoff returns last night, only once did the Texans get it to the 20.

18, 10, 16, 22, 16....that was the Texans starting field position on 5 kickoffs.

During the regular season I'm sure they'll be a little more conservative about running it out of the endzone. This was a preseason game, didn't really matter so I'm sure they were just testing the game.

[Double Barrel]

Originally Posted by Speedy

Well, if you're the Texans you'd be better off taking the 20. In 5 kickoff returns last night, only once did the Texans get it to the 20.

18, 10, 16, 22, 16....that was the Texans starting field position on 5 kickoffs.

I did not know this until today, but I heard on the radio that the Texans were dead last in starting field position from kickoffs last season.

They need to just learn the art of the touchback.

[Playoffs]

ClaytonESPN John Clayton
The final tally for touchbacks with kickoffs at the 35 was 40 percent during the 64 pre-season games. That's a lot.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by asleep

ClaytonESPN John Clayton
The final tally for touchbacks with kickoffs at the 35 was 40 percent during the 64 pre-season games. That's a lot.

I guarantee the regular season total will be much higher, because alot of teams would return it 8 yards deep just to see what they had in returners and stuff like that. There's not any other ways.