NFL rules saved the kickoff. NFL coaches made the play fun again. The Pittsburgh Steelers will benefit by joining in.
Two years into the dynamic kickoff rule and it’s clearly been a success. Kick returns have massively increased. Injuries have been reduced. The NFL’s largely used sticks, not carrots, to make it happen. Teams were further punished for touchbacks this season, the ball coming out to the 35 instead of the 30. In an offensive-friendly world with kickers in-range by the time their team reaches midfield, a touchback is akin to a white flag.
Teams are adjusting to life with kick returns again. One relatively hidden rule is if the ball lands in the “landing zone,” between the goal line and 20, and becomes a touchback by rolling into the end zone, the ball comes out to the 20-yard line. The OG touchback line. Those ahead of the curve are taking advantage. Instead of kicking a high arcing boot into the end zone (the coverage team can’t move until the ball is caught or hits the ground, rendering hangtime meaningless), some teams are kicking knuckleballs. Low angle, driving boots that bounce in the landing zone. They’re harder to track, more difficult to cover, and once the ball hits the ground, the coverage team can chase.
Examples are plenty. The Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers have popularized the idea. Joshua Karty has gotten good at the technique.
Pittsburgh’s felt it first-hand. The Seattle Seahawks repeatedly used these kicks against the Steelers in Week 2, leading to Kaleb Johnson to let one attempt bounce through his hands and into the end zone. He failed to realize the ball remained live and Seattle jumped on it for a touchdown.
I went back and charted all 21 of Chris Boswell’s kickoffs this season. None would be placed into the “knuckleball” camp. That’s not to say Pittsburgh is doing everything standard. Some of Boswell’s kicks have been more on a line and more directional, making life a little tougher on the returner. Like here against New England.
Pittsburgh isn’t giving the opposition the ball at the 35. They’re forcing the return and covering it well in recent weeks. Boswell hasn’t had a single touchback all season and in Weeks 3-4, only one kick has gotten back to the 35. But none have landed in front of the returner in the “landing zone” or been all that close to occurring, as is the goal of the new model.
This approach isn’t without risk. Teams who fail to put the ball in the landing zone, say the ball lands in front of the 20 at the 25, the ball automatically comes out to the 40. The Arizona Cardinals found that out the hard way. To open up Week 4, the Cardinals stormed back to tie the game late. The ensuing kickoff fell short of the landing zone and the ball came out to the 40. A couple first downs later, Seattle kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal. In a golden age for kickers, the ball coming out to the 40 is practically giving away three points.
It’s also worth wondering if these “mishit” kickoffs could mess with with form. The potential impact on a kicker getting out of rhythm is at least worth mentioning, though that’s speculation on my part and would need further investigation.
Even nearly 18 months into the rule change, teams are still feeling out the best approach. No team wants to boot the ball into the end zone for a touchback. That much is obvious. But the approach the rest of the way is up for debate. What’s clear is there’s innovation to these kicks and teams are gaining a real advantage with a bouncing ball to gain even better field position. For a Pittsburgh team with a stated goal defending every blade of grass, it’s worth a try.
