Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 2,854
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Doug from Eugene, OR
Hello gentlemen, I'm fascinated by the onside kick rules discussion. Two observations: Firstly, the kickoff changes have been justified on the basis of player safety. But are there statistics specifically with onside kicks we can cite? If so, the formation rules should suffice. Secondly, the strategic element of surprise is gone (Saints in SB) if the play must be "declared." An onside kick is chaotic by nature, preordaining it is antithetical, aye? Will we soon have to declare play-action fakes?
To the first part of your question – not that I've seen. It's my understanding the real danger on kickoffs is players running at full steam and colliding with one another. I'm open to being corrected on this, but I have to yet to read anything about those changes having anything to do with the onside kick itself. So that's why I've touted "declaring" an onside and having the option to overload again. And if teams want to try to "surprise" the opponent, then they can do it out of an even-sides kickoff.
John from Belleview, FL
Say you're a good running team and start the game with a long 15-play opening drive and score a touchdown. Then, do the fourth-and-15 onside attempt and convert. Another long 13-play drive. Repeat with your second onside opportunity, and convert. Another long drive. The opposing defense would never recover. A risk? Yes. But talk about dominating a game.
This is why it made news last week when the "trailing" prevision was taken out of the language of the proposal. It's unlikely the scenario you presented would play out like that – it's not easy to convert fourth-and-15 against any NFL defense – but it's another risk-and-reward strategy coaches would need to consider.
Matt from Frisco, TX
How about making kickoffs optional? It would give the option of a short high kick and potentially pinning the offense inside the 20. Keeps the onside kick as an option. Or give the opponent the ball on the 25. Everything else sounds like gimmicks.
I feel we need to find more ways to safely innovate on special teams rather than pulling the offense and defense into the play. Special teams are often called the forgotten phase for a reason but they've also produced Super Bowl-winning head coaches and Pro Bowlers, too. I don't want to plow over that proving ground.
Chris from Eau Claire, WI
How about with the fourth-and-15 "onside kick," all defensive penalties count as five yards and replay the down? That requires three strikes for an automatic first down, and still doesn't reward them for poor play.
It's a noble idea, but then what do you do when cornerbacks start tripping or dragging receivers to the ground whenever they get beat on a stop-and-go route? Therein lies the problem. I've been saying this for years – it's a subjective game that cannot be played with objective rules. You can't officiate the game of football with absolutes.
Joshua from Appleton, WI
If there is a sky judge with a sky camera, will he or she have lasers to point out the penalized player?
Now Joshua is using his noodle.
Gabor from Budapest, Hungary
Wes, I think the perfect solution as the onside kick replacement is the following: the kicker kicks off from the 25, and if the ball is cut by the laser goal post, then the kicking team gets the ball at the 20. Otherwise it is the opponent's ball at midfield. What do you think about the idea? (Of course until we don't have the technology, it is enough that the ball hits the post).
The laser revolution has gone international. I'll take it.
John from Green Bay, WI
In an interview shortly after signing with the Giants, Blake Martinez said that in GB's scheme he didn't have any gap responsibilities and his job was to "to be the cleanup guy." Coach Pettine's recent interview alluded to his aggressive "knock back" scheme up front, saying "the distance that we've created with the knock back gives the linebackers a chance to overlap it. That's a concept that takes some linebackers a little bit longer to learn..." Were they talking about the same thing?
I'll leave the reading between the lines stuff to the comments section. I took Pettine's words to mean you can't expect a rookie to walk in the door, especially in this environment, and just slide right into that critical post. Christian Kirksey is a veteran who can react to what's happening in front of him. He's a great fit for what Pettine wants out of an inside linebacker in his scheme.