During the NFL preseason contests, fans received a taste of the new kickoff rule the league implemented this season, placing defenders closer to the endzone to help avoid high-speed collisions that left athletes more vulnerable to injuries.
That wasn’t the only reason the NFL implemented the rule, however.
Kickoffs in the modern game had become stale as athletes returned the fewest number of series-opening plays in 2023 in several years as kickers had become better at forcing teams to settle for touchbacks.
The new rule promotes returning the kicks, and Cleveland special teams coach Bubba Ventrone sees this as an advantage the Browns can exploit this season.
In a video analyst Jeff Schudel shared on X – the platform formerly known as Twitter – Ventrone explained how he believes the kickoff will be an exciting play for fans this season.
“I think a lot of teams probably held back some of the schematics of the play,” Ventrone explained, adding, “I think you are going to see more creativity, more variety.” moving forward.
The new kick return wasn't very exciting in the preseason, but #Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone expects things to be different starting Sunday. pic.twitter.com/UR0v1vOqZJ
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) September 5, 2024
Ventrone said he believes that teams held back during the preseason to avoid showing opponents anything they may face in the regular season.
The special teams coach said he believes the teams will show several different alignments in the regular season, noting that he and the Browns staff have done the same thing eyeing the regular season for these reveals.
Ventrone also said that the new rule – which puts the ball on the 30-yard line for touchbacks – is a big enough deterrent to force teams to hit the new landing zone and allow teams to return the kick.
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