Kickoffs may become extinct

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by TitanJeff, Dec 6, 2012.

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  1. xpmar9x

    xpmar9x The Real Slim Shady

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    Good point, didn't think of that. That really puts even more of a risk into it.
     
  2. Soxcat

    Soxcat Pro Bowler

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    Just kick off from the 40 liike we used to and make extra points automatic unless a team wants to go for two. The extra point along with the kick off together are what sucks. First you have what is basically an automatic extra point try (99% or something close) then you have a time out followed by a boring KO with a touch back and then another time out. Just go straight to the kickoff from the 40 after the TD or FG. Sure 90% will be touchbacks and boring but then you get bored half as much and there is always a chance the ball still gets returned or goes out of bounds or.... is an onside kick.
     
  3. Thaddeus43

    Thaddeus43 Sunshiner President

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    So from the article it sounds like this is just a regular punt, not a free punt like the one that happens after an onsides kick, right? If that is the case, then this changes a lot, and I think once Goodell sits and thinks about all the reaching affects this will have, then he won't want to do it.
     
    Lets think about starting field position for example.
     
    I took the average of the net punt yards (punt yards - returned yards) for each of the punters in the league for 2012. That average was 39.7 yards per punt. So, assuming an average of 39.7 net yards per punt and kicking from the 30 yard line, we could conclude that the average starting field position for teams would be on the 30.3 yard line. That is really good. For comparison, the BEST starting field position in the NFL right now is at the 30.8 yard line (and that stat includes drives started due to ints, fumbles, punts, blocked kicks, missed FGs, etc which inflates it some.) I couldn't find an exact number the average starting field position after only kickoffs, but is somewhere around the 20 yd line. So teams are basically starting out with 10 more yards/drive for the average punt. When talking about an AVERAGE of 10 yards, that number is actually pretty significant.
     
    But starting field position would actually be affected even more than that ... Lets not forget about the potential for these punts to get blocked (which cannot happen on kickoffs). Teams could get amazing starting field position if they blocked a punt. They would be starting at least inside the 20 most likely, and possibly even better.
     
    But it goes even farther than that. There have been 1016 returned kickoffs this year, and 10 of those were returned for TDs. In other words, kickoffs are retuned for TDs about 0.98% of the time. On the flipside there have been a total of 851 punts, and 13 were returned for TDs, or 1.53% of the time. We can conclude from this, that if kickoffs were replaced by punts, we would see more returned for TDs. In fact, we could estimate that we would see about 7 more TD returns per year (over 16 games), and that's not even counting blocked punts that could potentially be returned for TDs as well.
     
    Those returned TDs are taking the ball out of QB's hands. Plus, add on the shorter fields for QBs to have to drive down, and you get less total passing yards by QBs (In a QB driven league). Which means less broken records, which equals less opportunities to boost ratings. Goodell won't want to miss an opportunity to boost some ratings.
     
  4. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    It's getting where I can go to the bathroom and get something at the concession stand and be back in my seat if I go up immediately after a TD. I agree it's too dang long.

    But I'd prefer to do something else besides the extra point. Maybe put it on the one for one point and the three for two. But that would put the players at risk more often so it would never happen.
     
  5. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    I think they could adjust where the punt happens which would impact those numbers.

    It might not be much of an improvement from an excitement standpoint as there would be a big number of fair catches and balled punted to the sidelines.

    I'd take giving the team the ball on the 20-25 a better option than what they have now. It just screws up the on-side kick option.
     
  6. Gunny

    Gunny Shoutbox Fuhrer

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    NFL won't change it because it's where the majority of their ad revenue comes from during games.

    Touchdown - advertisement (sometimes) - extra point - advertisement - kickoff - advertisement.
     
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  7. Psychop1

    Psychop1 Big Tee

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    Player safety... why? Because fast hard collisions don't happen on punts?

    This is for better field positions. Better field positions lead to higher scores. Higher scores lead to more timeouts to change sides. More timeouts lead to more ad space.
     
  8. RavensShallBurn

    RavensShallBurn Ruck the Favens

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    I would just be sure to tell the league that without kickoffs, the Music City Miracle never would've happened and the Titans wouldn't have made the Super Bowl.

    Also, you'd be eliminating onside kicks which kills the chance for a last minute (two score) comeback. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

    Goodell, go sit on a knife.
     
  9. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    Maybe the networks realize people are not watching commercials when there is four minutes between a TD and the first snap of the next drive. I flip to the other game if one is on or find something to do... unless it's the Super Bowl.

    I'm going to pay attention tonight on how long it takes.
     
  10. TitanJeff

    TitanJeff Kahuna Grande Staff

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    The team would have the option to go for it instead of punt.
     
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