Just announced today that touchbacks will go to the 25 yrd. line.

The effing NFL is ruining the game. First moving the PAT back and now this. I want my kickoffs and kickoff returns. They're part of what makes a game exciting.

I understand where the NFL is coming from in wanting to avoid concussions. But they're changing something sacred when there is a new starting yard line after touchbacks. It's probably also about generating more scoring too. Still, I'd rather keep it the way it was.

In the 7th round the Chicago Bears select 'The Head of Brian Urlacher" .

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
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Since most kickers make it to the end zone and most returners don't average 25 yards per return, it would be foolish not to take the knee and start with favorable field position

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Let's see after a season of starting at the 25 yrd. line whether there will be any more kickoffs after this year. I doubt it.

That will make the game so gay with every team starting with the same field position all the time.

Where's the evidence that taking away kickoffs and kickoff returns will make the game better or safer? There is none. Players are injured all the time. But when you take away a fundamental aspect of the game, it's no longer football. The games will be about as interesting as watching Sunday pick-up games at the park.

What's wrong with the extra point moving back...I think that was actually a good change.

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Isn't this more incentive for kickers not to kick it into the end zone?

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Kick it into the end zone? Kickers these days can kick it into the fifteenth row. If they want more returns, move the kickoff back to the goal line.

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That's what I thought Doc. Plop it into the 5 and roll dice. Other thing I think is kickoff doesn't go away because you take away onside chance.

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Agreed. I would think you will see shorter higher kick offs now. Or this will usher in the era of full time squib kicks.

Why don't they get rid of placekicking and punt it away?

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Agree. Was saying last year if your kick has enough leg to kick out of the end zone, then why not get some hangtime and kick to the 1, forcing the other team to run it out and probably not get the 20.

I know many balls will get into the end zone but this puts pressure on returners. Now I would kick to the 5.

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Yes, they're effing it up. First they move up the yard line where the kickers are kicking from so that they kick more balls in the endzone. And now with the rule change receiving teams will get better field position to not return kicks.

I don't get the point of this at all, other than they're hoping for more scoring by starting at the 25 yrd line and they want to do away with kick-offs and kick-off returns entirely. That's where this is headed.

Nobody is going to try to kick to the 5 or 1. They risk too much with the potential of the kickoff going out of bounds. This is just another step to remove kickoffs from the game.

If I was employed as a full-time kick returner, I would not be happy about this.

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Mike and Mike were harping about how they believe kickers will just kick it higher and try to drop it right at the goal line. If I know most NFL coaches, there's no chance they'd risk getting burned by a big return for a measly 5 yards.

Get rid of kicks, have throw offs. That way guys like Jeff George and Kyle Boller can have careers instead of the Grammaticas

A good kicker can drop a ball in with backspin preventing it from a touchback. I am sure special teams coaches are working on it now.

Maybe now you don't even want the guy who kicks it out? Now, all about hangtime on a kickoff .

While the appearance is to eliminate kickoffs, isn't it just going to make more plays now?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

And be deprived of this?

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Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

i've heard this narrative a lot this week on WSCR... its poorly thought out and i believe incredibly lazy to jump to that conclusion.

To my knowledge zero teams employed this strategy to kick high and just short of the goaline last year when a touchback was 20 yd line. So you mean to tell me now that a touchback is 25 yd line this strategy all of a sudden becomes viable? why? Im no NFL coach, but if you give me the option to have a team start at the 25 or the risk involved in covering a kick.... i'll tell my kicker to kick it as far as he can everytime still... not worth the risk to try and save 3-4 yards of return.

Article in the trib a couple days ago made this same prediction; rule change will result in more returnable kicks not less, for the reasons you state.

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