In recent decades, the NFL has evolved from a ground-and-pound game where “three yards and a cloud of dust” was the norm into a more pass-friendly, high-scoring and crowd-pleasing league.
Part of the reason for that evolution has been some rule changes that have favored offenses, and this upcoming season, the league is instituting some more rule changes that are offense-friendly.
One of those changes has to do with kickoffs, which will see a number of revamped rules.
Some have expressed fear that the NFL has effectively legislated defense out of pro football, but Steve Fezzik feels not much will change.
He said scoring will only increase by about one point and that the general strategy on kickoffs will be the same — kick the football as close to the other end zone without letting it actually reach the end zone for a touchback.
“Scoring totals are going to go up 1 point because of better field position…”@FezzikSports already has a feel for how the new kickoff rule will affect totals this season: pic.twitter.com/aNwyfApuGc
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) June 7, 2024
According to Pro Football Reference, in 1992, NFL teams averaged 18.7 points and 298.2 total yards a game, but those numbers gradually increased over the years, and in 2020, they hit 24.8 and 359.0, respectively.
However, over the last three years, scoring and overall yardage have dipped a bit, as teams averaged 21.8 points and 331.6 yards per contest last season, and overall, the number of passing attempts per game hasn’t risen that much in the last 40 years.
Still, running backs, who were once a team’s main offensive threat in the old days, have been greatly devalued to the point where it is hard for even the best to get a decent contract extension from their current team.
Another rule change that goes into effect this season is a ban on hip-drop tackles, and the concern is that it could turn the league into a free-for-all on offense.
The post Analyst Reveals How New Kickoff Rule Could Affect Scoring appeared first on The Cold Wire.