John Elway explains why Broncos proposed onside kickoff rule change

[Miles]

Since 2008, fourth-and-15 plays have been converted just over 20 percent of the time. The Alliance of American Football uses a similar concept for onside kickoffs, with a team getting a fourth-and-12 play from its own 28-yard line.


The success of that initiative offers evidence that this sort of rules change can restore the pre-2018 onside kickoff odds.


"At least on fourth-and-15, it gives a team a chance to be able to pick up the first down, continue with the ball and score and get back in the football game," Elway said. "When you're trying to do it with an onside kick, it's very, very difficult with the new [kickoff] rules. So I'm excited about it.


"There is some momentum with it. We'll see how the owners like it and go from there."


That said, Elway admits that this year is "not a big year for rules changes." Two of the Broncos' proposals focus on instant-replay, and one component of that -- to make all extra points and two-point conversion attempts subject to automatic replay review -- was incorporated into two larger replay proposals put forth by the Competition Committee.


"There's not a whole lot there," Elway said. "I think the biggest thing always goes back to replay and what's reviewed and what's not going to be reviewed. Up to this point in time, we haven't reviewed penalties on the field."


With instant replay, the NFL must maintain a delicate balance. In some circles, there is a desire to make more plays reviewable, in part to try and help prevent situations like the pass-interference non-call in the NFC Championship Game that likely prevented a Saints win over the Rams.