Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn says the job of a kickoff returner under the NFL’s new kickoff rule is a lot like the job of a center fielder in baseball.
Blackburn said he anticipates that the Rams and the teams they play against will make their kickoffs more like line drives and go for less hang time under the new kickoff rule, on the theory that they don’t want opposing returners to have enough time to settle under the ball and get a running start. That means a returner has to be able to judge where the ball is going as soon as it’s off the kicker’s foot, and adjust accordingly.
“There’s definitely some variables there: Do you want the smaller, faster guy?” Blackburn said. “From a returner perspective, one of the things that we really try to identify is guys like center fielders, that can cover a lot of ground, have a great jump off the bat. . . . As soon as it hits the foot, where is that initial takeoff? Because instead of a 4.2-second hang, you’re probably going to average around a two-second hang time now. Because it’s more advantageous for a kickoff team to get it up and down as soon as possible, not let that returner camp out and catch it on the run.”
On the Rams’ roster, Blackburn mentioned running back Boston Scott as a player who has the right skill set to do what returners need to do in the new kickoff.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how NFL teams adjust to this rule, which is one of the biggest rule changes the league has ever implemented. A team that figures out the right strategy, and has the right personnel to implement that strategy, is going to be at a major advantage.
