NFL’s new kickoff rules get mixed reviews at Hall of Fame Game

CANTON, Ohio — The primary two kickoff returns beneath the NFL’s new guidelines seemed quite a bit like kickoffs of the previous throughout the Chicago Bears‘ 21-17 weather-shortened win over the Houston Texans in Thursday’s Corridor of Fame Sport.

Texans vast 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 vast receiver Tyler Scott, who generated an equivalent 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 type of stacked,” Scott mentioned. “If a kick is type of quick, guys are proper up on you. You have to make one minimize and go. I feel there’s advantages to that, as a result of if one man misses, then you definately’re good. However on the identical time, in the event you make the unsuitable minimize, someone is true there.

“Up to now, I really feel prefer it type of protects guys a little bit bit extra. Guys don’t get a full head of steam coming down the sector, taking pictures on individuals. However I feel for essentially the most half, it will work out fairly good. Simply suppose we’ll have a whole lot of explosive performs.”

The NFL overhauled its outdated kickoff guidelines this offseason in hopes of selling extra returns. Of the eight kickoffs that befell Thursday, just one resulted in a touchback. That occurred 73% of the time final season, which was the best touchback charge since 1970.

“It’s important to determine it out, like, ‘Hey, what’s it going to seem like?'” Bears coach Matt Eberflus mentioned. “So, actually, we have tried various things on the return group and other ways to assault on the quilt group and placing totally different our bodies in several spots. So, we’re actually simply attempting to determine it out, and I feel that is the place all coaches are. We’re simply attempting to determine it out and do the very best factor we will. And that is going to be ongoing by means of 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 group’s kickoff models was met with some criticism. The furthest return was made by Bears rookie vast 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 befell Thursday evening.

“I am watching it, man, and I am stunned that we’re not seeing extra huge runs,” Hester mentioned on ESPN’s broadcast. “You understand, that is stunning. However hey, it is the primary sport. So, I determine a whole lot of coaches are going to guage this sport and check out to determine what they’ll do to get some extra huge performs. However proper now, it is type of shaky …

“However who is aware of? The primary sport. We’ll see.”

Thursday’s sport was formally canceled after extreme climate stopped play for greater than 35 minutes late into the third quarter.