I'd run the old reverse return on the first real return of the season. Seems like it could work REALLY well.

Lil Rape

We dog Toub but I'm glad we have him with all the rule changes making ST a much bigger part of the game.

So basically the goal is to get it to land in the landing zone but then go into the end zone for a touchback. This is probably the most reliable for best field position for the kicking team. At times maybe even better if you want to gamble for really bad field position have the ball land in the landing zone in a way that forces the returner to screw around trying to field it for a few seconds to where it’s unlikely they get it past the 20 yard line.

I did find this quick video explaining the rules to be helpful.

https://youtu.be/gaEl4zv16Qo?si=SX8Ghwd8mKy19w2j

Now, if he could kick a knuckle ball that would be another hard to field KO.

Pretty sure if it lands in the landing zone, it has to be returned, no?

Harrison Butker is going to break the new KO
 

If it stops there yes. If it lands there but rolls to end zone it goes to the 20 unless the player decides to bring it out of the end zone. If it lands in the end zone or out of the end zone it goes to the 35.

Yeah, Big Rape is Roethlisberger’s nickname.

Our punter is Rape God.

Huh. I thought if it landed in the landing zone it didn't matter if it rolled into the EZ afterwards; it had to be returned.




Ah, it must be returned or downed, but the ball goes to the 20, not the 25-yd-line if downed. Got it. Thx.

The Rape God!

Yeah I edited to add it goes to the 20 if the player kneels it. But by the time he gets it then it’s probably better to kneel it. The returner can bring it out if he wants though. Thats what happened in the Jags game on our kickoff at the 1:10 mark of the video you posted.

I'm surprised we haven't seen much flatter kicks, now hang time is pointless.. you want a flat hard kick that hits the landing zone and ideally bounces before a returner can get to it, to make them try and handle the bounce.

Plus lower/flatter kicks make it harder for the two returners to communicate about who is doing what, AND gives the non-returner less time to set up a block.

Harrison Butker is going to break the new KO
 

That’s basically what Butker is doing with creating weird angles and bounces. Really low flat kicks are risky though because they are harder to control and they would be much more likely to land before the 20 yard line, which if that happens then the ball comes all the way out to the 40 yard line.

Not sure if this deserves its own thread, so putting it here. Apparently, Noah Gray had no previous experience snapping the ball before the game. Toub coached Noah on how to snap the ball on the sidelines, and to his credit, Noah figured it out well enough to adequately sub-in for Winchester after he injured his shoulder.


We have some great coaches on this staff. Just saying.

i would just boot it out of the end zone and give them the ball at the 30…why even risk a chance at a huge return with the new dumb kickoff rule?