Replacing the KO

[HailGreen28]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

id like to see hard data which shows that kickoffs result in significantly more serious injuries to players than any other play.

I also agree with Jdlea that if you remove the most dangerous play, then another play will become the most dangerous. Then another play. If you keep removing the most dangerous plays from the game, then you're left with 11 guys on the field hugging eachother.

The kicking game is integral to the game of FOOTball. Leave it as is. Just come up with ways to make the game safer through technology and minor rule changes.

The only significant change i'd support is eliminating overtime. by allowing games to go on longer than 4 quarters, you increase the number of plays in the game and the number of opportunities for players to get hurt. You elminate ridiculous and overly complex overtime rules. You make the actual 4 quarters of the game more meaningful. Sure, there would be ALOT more ties, but that would also change the strategy of the game. I think it would be interesting to see.

with all the BS about sudden death being unfair, personally I'd like to see no overtime rather than a college style shootout overtime.

how about making kickoffs a free kick at say the 50 and the receiving team has to have nine guys on the line ten yards downfield. no field goals allowed.

[FrenchSkin]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

id like to see hard data which shows that kickoffs result in significantly more serious injuries to players than any other play.

Totally agree! Of course it seems KO is a situation where you can see a lot of big hits, but is it statistically the play where players get hurt the most?

I see a lot of injuries happening on other plays than KO, someone talked about WR being in danger when the ball is thrown too high too late, that's a good point.

I think the "place the ball on the 25 yard line on touchbacks" idea is my pick.

[Paintrain]

Pat Kirwan suggested on NFL Radio today that they should do a kickoff at the beginning of each half and overtime but place the ball at the 20 for all other post score scenarios. He didn't however address onside possibilities.

[skinsfan69]

Bottom line is Mr. Commish needs to just leave the damn game alone.Enough with this nonsense. Since this clown has taken over the over pussification of the league has gone through the roof. Can't touch the qb's, can't hit the wr's, kick offs are pretty much done away with....a big reason why we watch it the violence. It's like Goodell is trying to make a hyena a house pet. Why the owners like him is beyond me.

[RedskinRat]

I'm not sure the hyenas could put up with Goodell.

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by RedskinRat

I'm not sure the hyenas could put up with Goodell.

[VTSkins1961]

They should not get rid of kick-offs. Most of the injuries they are trying to protect the players from are not happened on the kick-off. I like the idea someone posted earlier, if you kick it out of the end zone the ball gets placed on the 25 yard line. Like someone else mentioned if they get rid of it because it is the most dangerous play then they will keep doing it with other plays that are dangerous. Why don't they just use robots ...just kidding.

[Zerohero]

Moving the kickoff up 5 yards has drastically cut down returns and injuries related to returns. At least let the change settle for a couple of years before another big change.

[punch it in]

The idea in the article is absurd. Who in their rite mind would ever start a game going for it on 4th and 15 at their own 30? Would make punters ultra important though. I like the way it is now - more safe than before but still some returns. If you are going to do away with kickoffs than just do a coinflip, and the winning team can choose to play offense or defense. If you choose offense you start at the twenty. Its basically how most games / drives begin anyway.

[punch it in]

Originally Posted by CrazyCanuck

I think they should go the other route and get rid of the fair catch on punts. Remember this sicko??

Holy shit that hurt to watch. I forgot about those. The first one was just bologna. The second one Paul went helmet to helmet and he didnt have to lower his head. Ouch though.

[punch it in]

Originally Posted by RedskinRat

Now we have an answer to the question: Who snorts the most cock before kickoff?

I did always wonder.....

FD would be my guess. I have actually never even heard of anybody else snorting cock before so I think that is an easy question.

[Defensewins]

It amazes me that every week we see a QB or two or three throw to a WR over the middle and throws it slightly too high and a little late, exposing the WR to life changing injury.
- On 9/9/12 Devery Henderson was knocked unconscious in the game against us this year.
- Two weeks later Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey still has no recollection of the devastating hit by Pittsburgh safety Ryan Mundy.
- Jags WR Laurent Robinson has sustained three concussions this season -- one in the preseason, one in Week 3 vs. Cincinnati and one in Week 4 vs. Chicago. Sat out the month of October, but played the last two weeks after a Week 9 return vs. Detroit.
- Giants WR D. Hixson sustained a concussion in week 2.
- Giants WR Ramses Barden sustained a concusion in week 4.
- Redskins Snatana Moss was concussed on Nov 4th.

I am willing bet more WR's get more head injuries and other potential career threatening injuries then injuries on kickoffs.
But do to ratings, since the mid 80's the NFL changed rules to promote more passing because that is what sells. Now we see Qb's throw twice as much as they used to. We are also seeing more these Wr head injuries. Where is the same concern? They want to eliminate the KO but they want more passing. Kind of funny how that works.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

It amazes me that every week we see a QB or two or three throw to a WR over the middle and throws it slightly too high and a little late, exposing the WR to life changing injury.
- On 9/9/12 Devery Henderson was knocked unconscious in the game against us this year.
- Two weeks later Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey still has no recollection of the devastating hit by Pittsburgh safety Ryan Mundy.
- Jags WR Laurent Robinson has sustained three concussions this season -- one in the preseason, one in Week 3 vs. Cincinnati and one in Week 4 vs. Chicago. Sat out the month of October, but played the last two weeks after a Week 9 return vs. Detroit.
- Giants WR D. Hixson sustained a concussion in week 2.
- Giants WR Ramses Barden sustained a concusion in week 4.
- Redskins Snatana Moss was concussed on Nov 4th.

I am willing bet more WR's get more head injuries and other potential career threatening injuries then injuries on kickoffs.
But do to ratings, since the mid 80's the NFL changed rules to promote more passing because that is what sells. Now we see Qb's throw twice as much as they used to. We are also seeing more these Wr head injuries. Where is the same concern? They want to eliminate the KO but they want more passing. Kind of funny how that works.

I totally agree. The best thing the NFL can do to reduce injuries is a tougher stance on helmet to helmet hits. I would support a yellow card/red card type of approach for helmet to helmet hits. Two yellows or one red = out for a game, or something like that.

I also want to point out that Schiano's proposal heavily favors passing teams. It's almost impossible to pick up a first down rushing it on 4th and 15.

[Defensewins]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

I totally agree. The best thing the NFL can do to reduce injuries is a tougher stance on helmet to helmet hits. I would support a yellow card/red card type of approach for helmet to helmet hits. Two yellows or one red = out for a game, or something like that.

I also want to point out that Schiano's proposal heavily favors passing teams. It's almost impossible to pick up a first down rushing it on 4th and 15.

The rule changes have led to a massive increase in passing and as a result is exposing WR's and DB's to more violent collisions. Much more in quantity than kickoffs.
The rule changes to promote passing has also led to an almost doubling in 300 and 400 yard passing games. In the decade 1990 to 1999 there were just over 500 games that had 300 and 400 yard passing games. In following decade 2000 to 2010 that number almost doubled to 843 games that had 300 and 400 yards passing.
I don't think when people realize the numbers how it directly leads to more exposure and chances that a very fast WR and fast Safety are going to have a running start just like on kick offs and hit each other.

[Daseal]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

I totally agree. The best thing the NFL can do to reduce injuries is a tougher stance on helmet to helmet hits. I would support a yellow card/red card type of approach for helmet to helmet hits. Two yellows or one red = out for a game, or something like that.

I also want to point out that Schiano's proposal heavily favors passing teams. It's almost impossible to pick up a first down rushing it on 4th and 15.

I actually have a bit of an issue with the helmet-to-helmet hits you're suggesting. Especially with the way rules are enforced now. You NEVER see an offensive player hit with that penalty. I've seen many a RB/FB drop their head to create helmet to helmet contact with the defender, but I've never seen a flag go up because of it. Additionally, I've seen flags on the defender when the offensive player ducks their head at the last second.

These plays happen so quickly and there are so many variables that could cause it, that penalties being too high could be detrimental to the game. There are some hits that are quite obviously helmet-to-helmet, premeditated, lined up, and executed. But they are the minority when you look at penalties.

I want to see offensive players held as accountable as defensive players are, and if you get more strict when it comes to in-game penalties, they need to become reviewable. A couple fingers grazing the QBs helmet shouldn't be considered a penalty. We've gone a bit too far to limit these plays.