New Rules, Special Team and Roster Spots....

[thedayafter]

Many are saying due to the new 35 yard line KO.... touchbacks are going to at least double if not triple this season to almost 50%... that's up from 16% last season...


What does this mean:

• Your KO return guys become less important. Less oportunity to make plays.
• Longer fields due to touchbacks means more punts.
• Your Punt return guy becomes more important. More opportunity to make plays.
• Your ST players (blockers) on KO's become less important.
• The ST players (blockers) on punts become more important and they are not the same type of player that blocks for KO's.
• Your tacklers on ST become more important.
• Your kicker becomes more important if he can put it in the end zone.
• The balance of roster positions and the type of players kept for ST's will change significantly because the KO means less, the punt means more.

I haven'y heard anything about this from the Dolphins.... but it will be interesting to see how the roster shakes out due to this rule change.

 

[oasis]

I've never understood ST play very well - or rather, the attributes good ST players need to have, so if someone could enlighten I'd appreciate it. Sure tacklers and disciplined to maintain their lanes, but what else? And how do KO blockers differ from punt blockers?

 

[state06]

perhaps the most important part of the ST isnt the returner but the blockers. One blocked kick, one missed block, one blown assignment (Murtha) could cost any team a game.

 

[GCD960]

This works out for us bc our ST's has been terrible

 

[thedayafter]

On KO's you have more time to get back and get set.... create a wall... now only 2 guys are allowed to touch... on punts you need more team speed to cover downfield tacklers and push them to the outside or direct them down a lane and create walls from angles.... totally different players... it especially affects the OL and TE positions imo...

 

[Slim]

Longer fields due to touchbacks means more punts.

Interesting point... hadn't thought about how more touchbacks will likely mean more punts.

 

[t-dubya]

I think it will be intersting to see how many more drives start inside the 20, it happened a quite a few times the first week.

 

[finfan54]

I actually started to see KO's to the goaline on purpose because they are getting to them at the 15. It works both ways. But you have a dangerous returner, they boot to end zone. I rewatched the tape of Atlanta and our guys looked good with 3/4 guys getting their early.