Are we witnessing a slow death of the kickoff retꦇurn in the NFL?
If statistics from the first two weeks of this season are any indication, at this rate there will be many more touch꧒backs than kick returns by season’s end.
In each of the past two seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, 44 percent of kickoffs end🐼ed in touchbacks. Through the first two games this season, that number has jumped to 63 percent, leaving a void in the excitement of games without one of its most scintillating plays.
It is a Catch-22 for the NFL, because a number of the recent rule changes designed by the league, such as moving the kickoff point from the kicking team’s 30-yard line to 🌠the 35, have been put in place for player safety after studies showed an increase in injuries on kickoffs.
Kickers love the trend, because🉐 they don’t want anyone returning their kickoffs. Returners, on the other hand, are somewhat conflicted.
“I understand the safety issue, because that’s where a lot of injuries were happening, but 🐎at the same time you’ve got kickoff returners trying to make a living, too,’’ Giants kick returner Da’Rel Scott said. “It’s hard to balance that because I’m a kick returner. The kickoffs are going behind us right now. As a kickoff returner, it’s kind of frus🌸trating.’’
Not for the kickers.
“I’m not conflicted,’’ Bills kicker Dan Carpenter said. “I’m on the other side. Would I like teams I’m kicking ♔off to returning th🎶e ball less? Yes.’’
Giants kicker Josh Brown theorized that returns will increa💟se in the coming months as the weather becomes colder and it becomes more difficult for kickers to boom the ball out of end zone in outdoor stadiums.
“Is it less exciting? For a portion of the time, yes, but it will stop,’’ Brown said. “Kickers will miss-hit balls. It’s hot out now and balls are going 🔯to fly. In the first four weeks, there are not going to be a whole lot of [returns], but it is going to pick up.’’
Even with the rule changes and the increased touchbacks, there still﷽ are dynamic kick returners. Devin Hester from the Bears is averaging 46.7 yards on his six returns so far, and he has not even taken one to the house. But he is far-and-away the best. Minnesota’s Cordarrelle Patterson is the only player to return a kickoff for a TD this season, taking one 105 yards last week.
But there is a significant drop-off in average after Hester🔜 and Patterson, with only one more player averaging more than 30 yards a return.
As much as there has been a trend of fewer returns, there is also a trend develo🍸ping where returners are taking the ball out of the end zone from much deeper, because that is their only chance to make a return.
“When I came in [2003], we were kicking from 30, and if the ball was three or four yards deep no one came oꦆut of the end zone,’’ Brown 𒅌said. “That was considered a great kick. Now, if it’s nine yards deep they’re still coming out. It’s completely backwards.’’
Caဣrpenter said the rule changes have forced the returners to take more chance💟s.
“Guys who are returners, they get paid to be returners. That’s how they’re making their money and it’s how they’re supporting their family,’’ Carpenter said. “So even with the ball up [at the 35] and more touchbacks, they’re willing to take more risks on bringing the ball out🔯.’’