The NFL has a slight problem.
Each off-season, all 32 teams and the NFL competition committee come together to change the most maligned play in football.
The kickoff.
With a variety of recent changes, no real solution has occurred in recent years. However, a glaring solution to the kickoff conundrum comes in the modified form of the AAF onside kick rule.
While adopting the full AAF rule that all possessions after a touchdown or field goal begin on the other team’s 25-yard line would be a horrific way for the NFL to modernize the game, the implementation of the onside kick rule could be advantageous for the NFL to adopt.
With the rise of knowledge about concussions in recent years, the kickoff has been the most glaring cause of concussions on a play-to-play basis. Many concussions can occur in wedges, which have been removed from kickoffs, and other high-speed collisions which are generally rare on the football field outside of kickoffs. Despite the imminent risk of playing football, kickoffs are inherently unsafe, much more dangerous than their punted counterparts.
A way to fix the kickoff problem, as asserted by former NFL coach Greg Schiano and famous YouTuber Jon Bois, outlines a replacement fourth-and-long conversion attempt rather than the traditional kickoff. After a team scores, they would have the ability to either play a down on offense with a fourth and long situation or to punt the ball. The punt would act similar to a kickoff, but significantly more safe than kickoffs due to the traditional line of scrimmage rather than gigantic collisions with athletes running at full speed.
The secondary side effect of this is a change to the onside kick rule. With teams having a fourth-and-long from inside their own territory, the risk is equal to that of the onside kick, letting the other team have possession in your half of the field if you fail. However, the option is more football than the onside kick.
With the recent failed attempts by the likes of Chris Boswell, Michael Dickson, and others, the onside kick has become a showcase of the worst of the NFL: adults looking like morons. If the rules were changed to permit the fourth-and-long conversion, the games would be decided by the offensive and defensive players more than special teamers.
Positives:
The end of games become infinitely more exciting if the trailing team has the option to each receive the ball with a chance to progress. With the decreased odds of the onside kick being successful in recent years, a fourth-and-long would be a much-preferred option for the losing team to take.
Imagine a situation where the Patriots are down 10 with three minutes to go. If the Patriots are able to score on their current possession, they have a much higher likelihood of receiving the ball again and moving down the field to either tie or win the game. This would be incredibly exciting for playoff games and other important games. The play also puts the ball in the hands of the most important player on the team, the quarterback.
In a traditional onside kick role, the player who generally catches the onside kick tends to be a random player more so than a regularly impactful player. In the 2014 NFC championship game, the Packers had a third-string tight end fail on an onside kick, permitting a Seattle recovery and go-ahead drive. If the proper Green Bay defense had been on the field, they could’ve stopped Russell Wilson and company in their tracks and booked their trip to Glendale.
Negatives:
Many football purists detest the idea of removing the kickoff or adding any modified onside kick rule. While these naysayers speak very loudly on social media platforms, they have a variety of valid points. With the excitement of the game, it is subjective on whether added possessions help the game more than they hurt the integrity of the game.
If the Patriots are down 10 with three minutes to go, they put themselves in the position and should not be given free chances to get back into the game, according to naysayers.
Other criticisms from the naysayer camp include the loss of important special teams jobs. Many in the viewpoint cite the integrity of the game as a reason to keep kickoffs the way they are. Despite any safety risks, kickoffs have been an integral part of the game of football for practically its entire history.
If the kickoff were to be changed, the old cohort of fans would more than likely go into a rage as the youth of today change the game in a manner deemed unfit for football.
Verdict:
The NFL should look at the positive and the negative. The league could look to modify the kickoff rule again in order to increase safety. However, a full-fledged shift to a punt or four-down conversion might be a little too far for the NFL to go at this moment in time. With the questionable success of the AAF, the NFL might not look to immediately make catastrophic decisions in changing the way football is played.
However, due to safety reasons, the NFL should at least look at the idea. However, implementation of the idea may be slow for the old guard of NFL fans and supporters. Without a doubt, the introduction of the modified onside kick rule would dramatically increase the intensity of late-game situations, but it would also undermine the first 50 to 55 minutes of regulation.
However, if the rule were implemented on any down or any situation, unlike the AAF, it would be a strategical battle on whether a team takes a risk on a fourth-and-long to extend their lead or make sure the other team does not get the ball back before the end of the half.
It should be a highly contested debate between fans, but the NFL should look to reduce the injuries on kickoffs while achieving a decision that is best for the game.
Based on the integrity of the game comments that some of the detractors say, would they really prefer an NFL or NBA without things like timeouts, challenges, two-minute warnings, or the three-point line?
Point: the last
A variety of methods have been introduced in the NFL and other sports to encourage comebacks and to help teams while trailing. The introduction of the two-point conversion, timeouts, and two-minute warnings may have unintentionally helped teams generate large comebacks.
With the lack of timeouts, two-point conversions, or two-minute warnings, comebacks would be close to impossible. However, there were timing shifts and the ability to score more points have enabled come back to occur in a variety of time frames from Super Bowl 51 to random regular season games.
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