CANTON, Ohio — The primary two kickoff returns beneath the NFL’s new guidelines regarded so much like kickoffs of the previous throughout the Chicago Bears’ 21-17 weather-shortened win over the Houston Texans in Thursday’s Corridor of Fame Recreation.
Texans broad receiver Steven Sims took the opening kickoff 21 yards earlier than he was tackled on the 26-yard line, which is a yard past the place offenses start their drives after a touchback.
After Houston took a 7-0 lead, Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn despatched a kickoff to Bears broad receiver Tyler Scott, who generated an similar 21-yard return.
“You grew up your complete life simply catching it, having totally different ranges and issues of that nature; and now, everyone seems to be form of stacked,” Scott stated. “If a kick is form of quick, guys are proper up on you. You have to make one lower and go. I believe there’s advantages to that, as a result of if one man misses, you then’re good. However on the similar time, when you make the flawed lower, any individual is true there.
“To this point, I really feel prefer it form of protects guys slightly bit extra. Guys don’t get a full head of steam coming down the sphere, taking photographs on folks. However I believe for probably the most half, it will work out fairly good. Simply suppose we’ll have a variety of explosive performs.”
The NFL overhauled its previous kickoff guidelines this offseason in hopes of selling extra returns. Of the eight kickoffs that came about Thursday, just one resulted in a touchback. That occurred 73% of the time final season, which was the best touchback charge since 1970. The debut of the brand new guidelines got here with two unlawful formation penalties – one for every workforce – for gamers leaving the arrange zone early (gamers should not allowed to maneuver till the ball is touched by the returner or makes contract with the bottom).
“It’s a must to determine it out, like, ‘Hey, what’s it going to appear like?'” Bears coach Matt Eberflus stated. “So, definitely, we have tried various things on the return workforce and alternative ways to assault on the duvet workforce and placing totally different our bodies in several spots. So, we’re actually simply making an attempt to determine it out, and I believe that is the place all coaches are. We’re simply making an attempt to determine it out and do the most effective factor we are able to. And that is going to be ongoing via the entire season.
“You may have to regulate. That is the way in which the NFL is.”
Regardless of the extra returns, the shortage of huge performs from every workforce’s kickoff items was met with some criticism. The furthest return was made by Bears rookie broad receiver John Jackson III to the 31-yard line.
Former Bears return specialist Devin Hester, who might be enshrined into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame on Saturday, was skeptical of the returns that came about Thursday night time.
“I am watching it, man, and I am stunned that we’re not seeing extra massive runs,” Hester stated on ESPN’s broadcast. “, that is surprising. However hey, it is the primary recreation. So, I determine a variety of coaches are going to guage this recreation and take a look at to determine what they will do to get some extra massive performs. However proper now, it is form of shaky …
“However who is aware of? The primary recreation. We’ll see.”
Thursday’s recreation was formally canceled after extreme climate stopped play for greater than 35 minutes late into the third quarter.