2021-2022 NFL Season (1 Viewer)

[Walter Kittel]

It's all academic now, which is always the nature of these post game conversations, but my thoughts on why a returnable kickoff would have been a better decision...

I think that a short kick to one of the upback blockers on the KC team would have been advisable. Now, they might have been able to lateral the ball to Hill but this would take time. Hill is a dangerous return man no doubt, but on the kickoff you have a lot more players in a position to tackle him vs. in the secondary on a play from the line of scrimmage. (Of course they have more blockers also. )

I think it would have taken 5 seconds off of the clock which would have effectively limited the KC offense to one play to get into FG position.

Like you said the rest is history.

- Walter.

 

[David Norman]

Assuming a properly worked kickoff, it would still be possible to take virtually any kickoff with almost no time running off the clock. I don't know if the Chiefs has any plan for any type of return, but as long as the ball is somewhere outside the 20 yd line, it seems to make a lot more sense to NOT try a run back of any sort. I think any sort of offensive play is more likely to gain more yards in less time than anything other than someone like Kill catching the kickoff in stride at the 20-25 with a a full running start straight ahead. If you catch the ball inside the 10 and esp from a dead start, it seems to be a poor option even as good a return man and as fast as Hill is.

Any high kick - fair catch and zero time runs off the clock. I don't think the NFL has the rule that makes it go to the 25 yd line like a touchback if caught b/w the Goal Line and 25yd line (College Rule) so if you could kick a Sky Ball to come down at the 15yd line it might be possible to pin the team back even a bit further.

If you botch the kick and it goes out of bounds, then it could end up at the 35 with zero time off the clock.

A squib kick can be caught and immediately downed with I think a minimum 1 second run off the clock since the clock doesn't run until a player touches the ball -- catch the ball and immediately take a knee or recover it while on the ground. Don't attempt to run or advance the ball at all just like when a QB takes a knee or a player intentionally slides the play is dead immediately and he doesn't have to be touched by a defensive player. That also runs the risk of giving the Chiefs the ball at the 30 or 40 yd line (or even better) depending on how godd the kick is at eluding the receiving team. I've even seen the rare situation where the 1st line Receiving Team catches the ball directly off the kickers foot and end up at the 45-50.
Now if the player mishandles the kick and it bounces further away then all sorts of time can run off the clock until it's recovered.

 

[Robert Crawford]

If you botch the kick and it goes out of bounds, then it could end up at the 35 with zero time off the clock.

If it goes out of bounds that's a 15 yard penalty and it would be placed on the 40 yard line.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The Steelers have scheduled an interview with Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham for the same position in Pittsburgh, as Kevin Butler is retiring. I haven't paid much attention to the Giants the past few years. Any opinions on Graham, @Robert Crawford ?

 

[Johnny Angell]

After all the speculation about the kickoff, I’m feeling more charitable towards the Bill’s head coach. 13 seconds to go, he’s thinking no chance they tie it. So were the KC fans in the stadium.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Has anyone heard what that discussion with refs and chiefs staff at the end of OT was about?

 

[timk1041]

I'm a firm believer that teams makes their own luck by not making mistakes. As to the Bengals, I would be surprise to see them beat KC twice in a month. The look on Mahomes face throughout yesterday's game was really intense and I expect him to be more determine to avoid another loss to Cincy which if it happens, keeps them from the SB.

I liked your comment because there is a lot of truth in what you said about luck involves avoiding mistakes. However, mistakes still happen to the best no matter what. You still need a bit of luck sometimes to over come it. I still believe it wouldn't surprise me to see the Bengals win. Most people have been counting them out all season. Too many things can happen and the favourites don't always win.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Has anyone heard what that discussion with refs and chiefs staff at the end of OT was about?

I thought they were just waiting for confirmation that Kelce was in bounds on the catch.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I thought they were just waiting for conformation that Kelce was in bounds on the catch.

Romo kept going back and forth until that confirmation. I was laughing my butt off with his back and forth with Nantz.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I liked your comment because there is a lot of truth in what you said about luck involves avoiding mistakes. However, mistakes still happen to the best no matter what. You still need a bit of luck sometimes to over come it. I still believe it wouldn't surprise me to see the Bengals win. Most people have been counting them out all season. Too many things can happen and the favourites don't always win.

Unlike the Titans, the Chiefs has a QB that won't be ineffective come Sunday. Granted, turnovers are the unknown factor and the great equalizer in football games so we'll see what happens next Sunday.

 

[David Norman]

If it goes out of bounds that's a 15 yard penalty and it would be placed on the 40 yard line.

Corrected. It seems to be such a rare thing in the NFL I can't remember the rule. I see it fairly commonly in College games and the ball goes to the 35 (or where it went out of bounds at the spot or they can make the team rekick with a 5 yd penalty).

"ARTICLE 3. FREE KICK OUT OF BOUNDS.

The kicking team may not kick the ball out of bounds or be the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds between the goal lines. If the receiving team is the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds, the receiving team puts the ball in play at the inbounds spot. Penalty: For a kickoff out of bounds: The receiving team may elect to take possession of the ball 25 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot. Penalty: For a safety kick out of bounds: The receiving team may elect to take possession of the ball 30 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot."

 

[Robert Crawford]

Corrected. It seems to be such a rare thing in the NFL I can't remember the rule. I see it fairly commonly in College games and the ball goes to the 35 (or where it went out of bounds at the spot or they can make the team rekick with a 5 yd penalty).

"ARTICLE 3. FREE KICK OUT OF BOUNDS.

The kicking team may not kick the ball out of bounds or be the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds between the goal lines. If the receiving team is the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds, the receiving team puts the ball in play at the inbounds spot. Penalty: For a kickoff out of bounds: The receiving team may elect to take possession of the ball 25 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot. Penalty: For a safety kick out of bounds: The receiving team may elect to take possession of the ball 30 yards from the spot of the kick or at the out-of-bounds spot."

It happened twice in one of Sunday's game. I think it was Buffalo that got flagged. Somebody correct me if it wasn't Buffalo, but it actually happened twice in the same game this past Sunday.

 

[questrider]

The Buccaneers had two kickoffs out of bounds on Sunday.

Well before ex-Buc Matt Gay’s walkoff, Bucs kicked themselves

Tampa Bay’s special teams founder in Sunday’s division-round playoff loss to the Rams.

www.tampabay.com

 

[Robert Crawford]

The Buccaneers had two kickoffs out of bounds on Sunday.

Well before ex-Buc Matt Gay’s walkoff, Bucs kicked themselves

Tampa Bay’s special teams founder in Sunday’s division-round playoff loss to the Rams.

www.tampabay.com

Thank you for correcting me, I knew I saw it twice on Sunday in the same game.

 

[David Norman]

It happened twice in one of Sunday's game. I think it was Buffalo that got flagged. Somebody correct me if it wasn't Buffalo, but it actually happened twice in the same game this past Sunday.

Must have been when I wasn't watching the games (I missed much of the several of the games unfortunately but did see the 4th Q or 2nd half of most of the games) , but I saw most of the Buffalo/KC and don't remember it. 40yd line and zero off the clock seems to be a bad choice even with 13 seconds. ( EDIT: just looked at the game play-by-play and don't see it it the Buffalo game. EDIT: it appears it was the Tampa game and the TB kicker did it twice, but I missed most of the first 3 quarters and some of the 4th of that game)

Most of the Out of Bounds kickoff I see were Onsides kicks so spot placement is the choice for most teams of course.

Just looked at the NCAA rules and I think they have 3 choices
At the spot of Out of bounds, 5 yd Penalty and rekick, or 30 yds from the point of the kick (so 35 yd line on a normal kickoff). I guess after a taunting/excess celebration penalty and kicking from the 20yd line that makes sense to move the spot of the ball placement forward.

 

[questrider]

The problem Buffalo had was they had three choices:

1. Squib kick it to get the clock running. However, while starting the clock this could have resulted in better field position than the 25-yd line where with less time maybe only one play gets KC in FG range.
   
2. Kick it in bounds to get the clock started but try and pin them behind the 25 yd line. However, KC could still wave a fair catch so the clock doesn't start. This takes a precision kick and still opens the possibility of a fluke kickoff return.
   
3. Kick it out of the endzone and take your chances with your defense from the 25-yd line.

Not a lot of good choices and in the end most NFL teams with :13 seconds left couldn't do what Mahomes and KC did. And 9 times out of 10, maybe they couldn't do it again either.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sean Payton stepping away from coaching Saints. Now, there is another HC opening.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Romo kept going back and forth until that confirmation. I was laughing my butt off with his back and forth with Nantz.

I didn't notice that, as I had tuned out Romo long before that. Thirty-two years of marriage really hones that skill.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Sean Payton stepping away from coaching Saints. Now, there is another HC opening.

Wow! I wonder if he’ll go sideways to another franchise.

 

[timk1041]

Unlike the Titans, the Chiefs has a QB that won't be ineffective come Sunday. Granted, turnovers are the unknown factor and the great equalizer in football games so we'll see what happens next Sunday.

True, but Joe Burrow has already proven to be one of the top QBs also. The Bengals may not win this, but they will hold their own. It was already a major accomplishment to win these last couple games, including knocking off the #1 seed. Don't count them out.