Archived Thread

Special Teams Kickoff Strategy

Giantimistic : 11/26/2021 6:36 pm

I notice that some teams just boot it deep in the endzone or through for no returns. Some times do a lot of short kicks forcing teams to return the ball. The Giants seem to be one of those teams. I have not seen the Giants game a lot of advantages from this.

This is meant as more of a discussion on what strategy is working the best and not a discussion of the Giants on special teams--which I would expect to be better.

Some thoughts on kicking it deep verse forcing the return.

If you do a lot of those short kicks you have to practice that a lot more I would imagine. It would also make the team returning the kicks have to prepare more for that.

There are more chances of injury with teams returning kicks.

20 teams have no fumbles on kickoffs and no team has more than 2.

According to NFL.com, only 6 teams average more than 25 yards on kickoff returns. The Giants are actually the 2nd worst team on KO returns at 17.8 yards--Maybe we should just take a knee when we can.

Here is a link to touchback percentages this season:

https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/stat/kickoff-touchback-pct

Giants have about a 47% touchback rate for #25th in the NFL.

I am sure there are a lot of stats on this, but I did not find what I was looking for yet.

There is a good chance the Kickoff will eventually go away. In many games it is a waste of boring time with the ball just going through the endzone. The only reason to keep it is because of not figuring out what to do with the onside kick. As an aside I think a team should have the choice of either making the other team start on the 25 or kicking it. This keeps the onside kick if needed.

Why it is still in existence, is it worth making a team return it and is it worth a team trying to return it?

Kickoffs - ( New Window )

Theres

Straw Hat : 11/26/2021 8:25 pm : link

A chance you can get a turnover, make a big tone setting hit, pin them deep in their own territory, or the other team could get a penalty pinning them deep. I like the strategy. Those things might not happen often, but if you kick a touchback, theres 0% chance.

The Giants should just go for an onsides kick every time.

robbieballs2003 : 11/26/2021 9:03 pm : link

Our D lets most every drive get to our red zone anyway so we might as well have another opportunity at a possession.

RE: The Giants should just go for an onsides kick every time.

BamaBlue : 11/26/2021 10:24 pm : link

In comment 15467924 robbieballs2003 said:

Quote:

Our D lets most every drive get to our red zone anyway so we might as well have another opportunity at a possession.

One flaw in your strategy... the Giants don't score.

I think you have to scout yourself and your opponent.

Big Blue Blogger : 11/27/2021 7:22 am : link

There are a lot of strategic decisions where the “right” call is affected by capabilities, tendencies, and matchups. Onside kick? Go for it on fourth down? Try for two or kick the extra point? Sometimes the situation absolutely dictates the decision, especially at the end of a game. Sometimes, though, coaches may be unduly influenced by League-wide percentages, when the matchup clearly alters the likelihood of success.

In the case of kickoffs, against an opponent with a weak return game and undisciplined special teams, I would put the ball in play unless my coverage team was terrible. At the opposite extreme, you obviously keep the ball away from Devin Hester or Deion Sanders in their prime. Between those extremes, it’s a tougher call, but it’s never OK to ignore matchups.

My pet peeve is awful offenses like ours trying for two or going for it on fourth down because “the book” says so. There should be a separate edition of the book for teams that suck.