Last season the NFL implemented the Dynamic Kickoff. Kickers like Las Vegas Raiders star Daniel Carlson, were to put the ball in a landing zone, or give the other team the ball at 30-yard line in the event of a touchback.
This season, the NFL is going one-step further to make sure the kickoff is taken just as seriously as a post pattern. In the event the kicker strikes the ball and it lands in the end zone for a touchback, the opposing team will start their drive at the 35-yard line.
Raiders special teams coordinator Tom McMahon believes the kickoff will be more important this season and expand what the league was trying to accomplish with the Dynamic Kickoff.
“I think you’re going to have to cover probably all of the kicks when you go into this season,” McMahon said. “It’s hard to give up the 35-yard line on a touchback when last year the average drive start was the 30. It’s hard to walk in and say, ‘We’re just going to give 5 yards.’”
The two moves on the kickoff rule was to make the kickoff an integral part of the game. Too often kickers would just bang the ball out of the back of the end zone and teams would surrender the touchback. If that happens this season, their defense will start at the 35-yard line.
A touchback is more preferable than a long return if the ball is kicked short, but no coach is going to be willing to surrender the 35-yard line willingly. It makes it even more important to put the ball in the landing zone and to get the coverage team down to cover the kick.
“I love the new rule,” McMahon said. “And the big thing is, our special teams players now, they’ve got to work every single play. There is going to be a tackle, you’ve got to block somebody every single play. So, at the end of the season, you’re going to have guys with 20 tackles on kickoff. And last year, we covered like 27, 28 all year. You get that up near the 70s and your special teams players’ value skyrockets, and they want to play."
While special teams players value will skyrocket, so will the value of return specialists who are designated to return the kick from the landing zone and have the opportunity to gain big yardage. The value of a kick returner is going to go up.
“And your returner value skyrockets. Last year you’ve got 20 returns. This year that player has 70. I don’t know in the league who gets 70 touches before the season starts. That kick returner is guaranteed more touches than anyone other than your halfbacks.”
