NFL Considers Eliminating Kickoffs

**Red_Lizard2** · 12-10-12, 11:11 PM

Don't forget the fact that you can lay a good, SHOULD be legal shoulder hit to a WR over the middle, and get a flag. However, if you wait for him to catch the ball, run towards you, then you just blast him with the crown of the helmet, especially to the helmet, it is 100% legal.

Most of their changes on the defense side have been bullshit under the guise of "player safety" to try to create more 55-52 games. I think all the players, especially at this point, know the risks of the damn game and accept those risks. At this point, the only way to really prevent the concussions and shit they are so worried about, seems to be to just get rid of the safety equipment and move it more in a rugby(ish) direction.

You know damn well guys won't be launching at each other with the helmet when that "safe" helmet isn't their anymore.

**Kanati** · 12-11-12, 12:30 PM

Do we want to see THIS?!

or do we want to see THIS?

I vote the former and safety be damned.

**Morningfrost** · 12-11-12, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Red_Lizard2

Don't forget the fact that you can lay a good, SHOULD be legal shoulder hit to a WR over the middle, and get a flag. However, if you wait for him to catch the ball, run towards you, then you just blast him with the crown of the helmet, especially to the helmet, it is 100% legal.

Most of their changes on the defense side have been bullshit under the guise of "player safety" to try to create more 55-52 games. I think all the players, especially at this point, know the risks of the damn game and accept those risks. At this point, the only way to really prevent the concussions and shit they are so worried about, seems to be to just get rid of the safety equipment and move it more in a rugby(ish) direction.

You know damn well guys won't be launching at each other with the helmet when that "safe" helmet isn't their anymore.

The thing is, the player safety rules aren't being implemented because they want to create more 55-52 games. They're being implemented because to NOT do so opens the league up to even more lawsuits like the ones they're currently fighting over concussions. All the new player safety rules are essentially so the league can say during those lawsuits "Hey, we're taking player safety seriously" and possibly not come out of the lawsuits in their birthday suits when the players likely win.

Also, I don't see the rule change that Schiano proposed actually being implemented to eliminate kickoffs. Many of the rule changes already implemented, such as limiting the size of a blocking wedge and moving the kickoff line up, have already combined to make the kickoff play much safer than it used to be. Before the rule changes, there was hard data backing it up as the most dangerous play in the NFL, with the highest percentage of injuries, both serious and otherwise. Now it's still a dangerous play, but the danger and likelihood of injury have been reduced, apparently by substantial percentages. I'm looking forward to seeing what the numbers are this year compared to before those changes.

Also Red, the most effective way to prevent concussions currently, is for the players to wear the newer-style helmets that are specifically designed to reduce concussion probabilities. However, the overwhelming majority of players refuse to switch to the new helmets because it's not what they're used to, and league rules don't require players to wear a certain type of helmet. I think that will change in the relatively near future though. The league will likely step in and introduce rules that require players to wear the newer-style helmets, in the same way that they're about to start requiring players to wear some of the padding that they stopped wearing years ago.

~Morningfrost

**iLLusioN** · 12-11-12, 01:08 PM

Yea forcing the extra padding will help 2 fold. One, the pad is there to absorb and sometimes to support a hit. Two, It slows the players down. I know Ryan Clark on the Steelers has one of the new helmets and is swearing by it...he's taken some brutal hits in the head with it in the past few weeks and walked away without a concussion.

As far as eliminating kickoffs goes, I've heard quite a few reporters saying that it's as good as gone. I hope not, because if it is...so am I.

**Morningfrost** · 12-11-12, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by iLLusioN

Yea forcing the extra padding will help 2 fold. One, the pad is there to absorb and sometimes to support a hit. Two, It slows the players down. I know Ryan Clark on the Steelers has one of the new helmets and is swearing by it...he's taken some brutal hits in the head with it in the past few weeks and walked away without a concussion.

As far as eliminating kickoffs goes, I've heard quite a few reporters saying that it's as good as gone. I hope not, because if it is...so am I.

Well, there's some that think the kickoff is as good as gone, but the only reports I've seen from people who might actually know seem to think that the proposed change is one the committee will look at and swiftly reject.

~Morningfrost

**Amador +JP2+** · 12-12-12, 12:41 AM

Played the game, loved tackling/crushing opponents, kickoffs were one of my favorite parts of the game ... I'm on the fence ... maybe eliminating all the kicking isn't such a bad idea ...

**enf** · 12-12-12, 12:47 AM

You know how you stop big hits? Give them leather helmets again.

Something tells me ~~Jerome~~ James Harrison would still be launching his thick head at people.

**iLLusioN** · 12-12-12, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by enf

You know how you stop big hits? Give them leather helmets again.

Something tells me Jerome Harrison would still be launching his thick head at people.

I do agree about the leather helmets.

I'm assuming you mean James...in which case I disagree. Most of his hits are "defenseless receiver" shoulder to helmet or facemask to helmet(I've seen every one of them live and on replay...some were legit calls...many were not). I still can't believe how they are enforcing the helmet to helmet hits. It's physically impossible to tackle somebody without your head being in front. I understand that the goal is to put the head to the side...but the other guy is moving too. Sometimes that shit just doesn't work...see James Harrison Vs. Colt McCoy. Even the "db tackle" (diving at the feet/legs) is leading with the helmet. Obviously the player they care more about is less likely to get a head injury(whichever offensive position is getting tackled)...but the DB is more likely to get a head injury.

**enf** · 12-12-12, 01:07 AM

Sorry, one too many of these

to believe that... I will say that he has been nitpicked by the NFL, but he has had one too many malicious hits to be ignored. He launches his body like a missile leading with his head (look how his arms explode out like he's trying to take his head off) instead of actually form tackling (yes still leading with the head but not aiming for the other player's helmet).

**iLLusioN** · 12-12-12, 01:34 AM

Oh, I don't deny that he's violent and coming with bad intentions. But even on that one...Massaquoi ducks his head. If he doesn't duck, it's helmet to shoulder/chest area. Also, this hit was before all the new rules. Hell, my personal opinion is that if this hadn't happened the same weekend as the video you linked, as well as a couple unusually brutal/viscous(ATL's Robinson vs. PHI, and NE Brandon Merriwether vs. BAL Todd Heap), then these new rules still wouldn't be getting pushed.

My main point is...it's a completely unfair rule. Just because there is helmet to helmet contact doesn't mean it was the defenders fault.

It's not a statistical analysis or anything but I got more brutal headshots when I was playing by bad QB play. Throwing the quick slant into a MLB zone is going to get your WR creamed more often than not. Making your receiver dive is going to get him wrecked. Making a small receiver high point the ball(instead of back shoulder or a low throw) is going to get him hit.

Give it a year or two and you're going to start seeing receivers duck into head to head hits for the extra 15 yards. They're already trying to get into Hollywood to draw a flag for perfectly legal hits.