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Banks, Gano react to rule changes

“I don’t like that, man,” Redskins return specialist Brandon Banks said. “It’s gonna be tougher because there will be less opportunities to get up the field.”

“It will be easier to hit touchbacks,” he said. “If we’re playing against, say, a Devin Hester [star Chicago Bears returner] it will be easier to just kick it out of the end zone.”

1niksder wrote:Banks, Gano react to rule changes

“I don’t like that, man,” Redskins return specialist Brandon Banks said. “It’s gonna be tougher because there will be less opportunities to get up the field.”

“It will be easier to hit touchbacks,” he said. “If we’re playing against, say, a Devin Hester [star Chicago Bears returner] it will be easier to just kick it out of the end zone.”

Agree, but the players are clammering for player safety, and now that they have a rule put in place to protect players, they want to bitch about it...

The rule changes will not affect injuries one way or another. Players get hurt on touchbacks. Jeremy Jarmon did. The five yards difference is no difference, especially when they are still allowing two-man wedges.

Once upon a time, when kick-offs were from the 40, some how... we still managed to have Mike Nelms returning big ones...

I don't like this rule. Kickoff returns are one of the most exciting parts of the game as a fan and we'll see less of them this season (if there is one) for sure. Figures the rule would be tweaked just after we find a great return man with the ability to take it to the house every time he gets the opportunity.

chiefhog44 wrote:

1niksder wrote:Banks, Gano react to rule changes

“I don’t like that, man,” Redskins return specialist Brandon Banks said. “It’s gonna be tougher because there will be less opportunities to get up the field.”

“It will be easier to hit touchbacks,” he said. “If we’re playing against, say, a Devin Hester [star Chicago Bears returner] it will be easier to just kick it out of the end zone.”

Agree, but the players are clammering for player safety, and now that they have a rule put in place to protect players, they want to bitch about it...

The only players this is going to protect are ellite KR and maybe not even them.

ST coaches will now have the K kick a high floater that lands at the 0-5 yard line in hopes that they can stop the average return guy short of the 20, and it will probably work. In this case, there isn't any safety bennifit, maybe even a degredation, because the coverage guys will be near the KR before he has a chance to set his blocks up.

The Hesters, Cribbs, and Banks of the world will see a lot of balls kicked deep into the endzone and they probably will still try to return it. Again no safety bennefit.

Now if you have a kicker that could routinely put the ball into the endzone before, now he can probably kick it out of the back of the endzone. Now THAT is the type of suspense I pay $150 to come watch

Thanks alot NFL!

Kick and punt returns are some of the most exciting plays in football, don't Frak with them.

How about moving the the kickoff to the 25 so every ball gets returned.

Or how about eliminating the fair catch and do what they do in the CFL; you have to let the PR move a yard with the ball prior to plastering him. Every punt gets returned and the returners get a chance to protect themselves.

Y'all are worrying too much. Seriously. This won't end up being a big deal...

Countertrey wrote:Y'all are worrying too much. Seriously. This won't end up being a big deal...

I'm not really worried about it; just think that it's a stupid and unecessary rule change.

TeeterSalad wrote:

Countertrey wrote:Y'all are worrying too much. Seriously. This won't end up being a big deal...

I'm not really worried about it; just think that it's a stupid and unecessary rule change.

Funny... I saw the original move as stupid and unecessary, and this as an attempt to put things right.

Wasn't the original rule at the 40 before the owners started "improving" things?

If they want to really make it good,
penalize the out of bounds kick if it goes through the endzone.

Make the kickers focus on accuracy.

skinsfan#33 wrote:The only players this is going to protect are ellite KR and maybe not even them.

ST coaches will now have the K kick a high floater that lands at the 0-5 yard line in hopes that they can stop the average return guy short of the 20, and it will probably work. In this case, there isn't any safety bennifit, maybe even a degredation

I agree. Most coaches proceed as follows. If returner is super dangerous go for touchback. Otherwise, land it at the one (if you can) with lots of hang time. Only elite kickers could do that consistently from the 30. Gano was actually one of the best. Now, more guys will be able to do it. I predict we actually get fewer touchbacks - particularly with the non-elite returners.

I think this is actually why they dropped the idea of the 25 yard line touchback. That gives even more incentive to kick the lob to the one. The farther out you bring the touchback, the less likely the kicker is to go for a touchback. I'm not buying the safety claim at all. Leaving the 25 yard line touchback rule in would have made it very clear safety was not the concern.

DarthMonk

KCskin wrote:Wasn't the original rule at the 40 before the owners started "improving" things?

If they want to really make it good,
penalize the out of bounds kick if it goes through the endzone.

Make the kickers focus on accuracy.

I'd add it would have to hit the ground so there is an opportunity for return. Otherwise there would be guys who just let it ride out the back of the endzone just to get good field position.

KCskin wrote:Wasn't the original rule at the 40 before the owners started "improving" things?

Yes. It was at the 40, when Mike Nelms was scaring opposing KO teams in the 80's... and he was NO WHERE NEAR as fast as today's specialists. I believe it was at the 40 when Brian Mitchell began his career... We know how good he was... and HE was no where near as fast as todays' best specialists.

I don't get the angst. This will be fine.

Why not eliminate the kickoff and the punt altogether? Just give the other team the ball at a predetermined spot. No more specialists, no more roster fillers who are only there because of special teams, just football.

Well, after close to 2 decades without a great return guy, we found one in Banks. Then, the next season, the NFL alters the existing rule basically making kick-offs a non-factor --- or at least implemented a rule where now only about 30-50% of kickoffs will be returned. Go figure.

IMHO, I do not believe the rule change will prevent injuries; however, I do agree that a larger portion of injuries occur on kick offs. I can see where the owners are coming from, but I don't think there should have been a rule change.

But who this really affects is Suisham. He has a horrible leg, but is halfway decent on FGs. I wouldn't want him, but the rule does help guys like him. So long "kick off specialists".

Skinsfan55 wrote:Why not eliminate the kickoff and the punt altogether? ... just football.

Hey, ST are part of football and a very entertaining part of football!

If you eliminated PR and KR you wipe out a very entertaining portion of the game and the overall product suffers greatly.

Hopefully you were just saying that a bit tongue in cheek.

I don't see what the big deal with this move is. Touchbacks are an OK strategy, but in the long run having a kicker who can hang a ball in the air for a long time and reliably get it to land within the 5 yard line is going to be the team's best asset. And that will make for more exciting plays, IMO.

If I understand this correctly I think it's a great idea. Put the ball on the 40 if the kick goes OB on the fly or goes out of the endzone on the fly. If it bounces inside the boundaries first there's no penalty!

Nice.

DarthMonk

VetSkinsFan wrote:

KCskin wrote:Wasn't the original rule at the 40 before the owners started "improving" things?

If they want to really make it good,
penalize the out of bounds kick if it goes through the endzone.

Make the kickers focus on accuracy.

I'd add it would have to hit the ground so there is an opportunity for return. Otherwise there would be guys who just let it ride out the back of the endzone just to get good field position.

markshark84 wrote:Well, after close to 2 decades without a great return guy, we found one in Banks.

I hope you don't encounter Brian Mitchell in a dark alley anytime soon... Check his lifetime stats. (FTR, only Devin Hester has more KO returns for touchdowns)

But who this really affects is Suisham. He has a horrible leg, but is halfway decent on FGs. I wouldn't want him, but the rule does help guys like him. So long "kick off specialists".

Yes... I can see how his team, the Steelers, might be concerned about this...

Skinsfan55 wrote:Why not eliminate the kickoff and the punt altogether? Just give the other team the ball at a predetermined spot. No more specialists, no more roster fillers who are only there because of special teams, just football.

Moving the kickoff line five yards, from the 30 to the 35, apparently was a compromise. The NFL wanted to eliminate the kickoff all together, according to The Sporting News.

What I'm puzzled about is why are they wasting their time bothering with useless changes like this when there are so many areas where the rules need to be changed and have a much bigger impact on the game? How about making the overtime rules more like college football whereas both teams get the ball at least once? or how about changing the challenge rules so EVERY call on the field is subject to challenge? These would be changes that would be much more beneficial to the league.

grampi wrote:What I'm puzzled about is why are they wasting their time bothering with useless changes like this when there are so many areas where the rules need to be changed and have a much bigger impact on the game?

The easy answer is $$$$$

With more touchbacks the League/Networks can/will sell commercials before and after kickoffs with no time coming off the clock (2 or 3 times a game). Advertisers pay good money for that airtime and not just at the Super Bowl.

That more money in the pot for the owners to split and with the "game-day experience" longer that's more beer and hotdog money for each owner to keep for themselves.

grampi wrote:How about making the overtime rules more like college football whereas both teams get the ball at least once? or how about changing the challenge rules so EVERY call on the field is subject to challenge? These would be changes that would be much more beneficial to the league.

Changing the OT rules one year after changing the OT rules might make fans think they got it wrong last year. They did make ALL scoring plays re-viewable so we know there wont be a change next year

1niksder wrote: Changing the OT rules one year after changing the OT rules might make fans think they got it wrong last year.

Personally, THIS fan thinks they've gotten most of them wrong since changing the contact rules against the bump and run. They clearly are backsliding on the placement of the ball on kick-offs... it was once at the 40... they moved it to the 35... then the 30... and now it's swinging the other way. Yes. Some of us have long memories. They need to stop tinkering.

They did make ALL scoring plays re-viewable so we know there wont be a change next year

Actually, they have REQUIRED that all scoring plays be reviewed. Obviously, some that would once have stood will now be reversed.

But, what about near scoring plays that don't result in a score being called on the field? Those aren't being reviewed... just as many of those are called wrong... why stop at scoreing plays???


Yeah, I'm a bit more cantankerous today... but this tinkering just fries me.

I'll miss seeing guys like L.Alexander & M.Sellers laying the wood on guys. This rule change almost grantees that the "big hit" will be a thing of the past! :cry:

As soon as we get a legitimate return threat --- rule change. Definitely owner driven. Most teams don't have a Banks, Hester, Cribbs, Leon Washington returning kicks. Awful change.