Getty Image / Maddie Meyer
Jerod Mayo has learned to think about every possible angle about every possible scenario that could come up in a football game from his mentor, Bill Belichick. Now that Mayo has replaced Belichick as the head coach of the New England Patriots, he’s showing off that acumen.
New kickoff rules are coming to the NFL next year, and coaches are scrambling to figure out the best way to attack the new rules. Jerod Mayo thinks he may have it figured out, but it’s a pretty out-of-the-box idea.
First, if you haven’t heard what the new kickoff rules are, I’ll try to sum them up for you. The kick will still take place from the 35-yard-line, but that’s the end of the similarities.
- The kick will take place from kicking team’s 35-yard-line
- The other ten players on the kicking team will line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard-line
- the receiving team has to have at least seven players in the “set-up zone” between their own 30 and 35-yard lines.
- There is a “landing zone” between the goal line and the 20-yard line that the ball must be kicked into. A max of two kick returns can be in the landing zone.
- Once the ball is kicked, the kicker cannot cross the 50-yard line, and the other players on the kicking team cannot cross the 40-yard line until the ball is touched or lands in the landing zone. The receiving team’s players in the set-up zone can also only move when the ball is touched.
- If the balls lands in the end zone, the receiving team will get the ball at the 30-yard line. If the kick is touched or hits short of the landing zone, the ball is brought out to the 40-yard line
These rules are clearly set up to incentivize kickoff returns, as they had nearly disappeared last season. Over 3/4 of all kickoffs last year were touchbacks.
Teams are thinking of doing all sorts of different things to combat the new rules. The Chiefs have floated using a position player instead of a kicker to kick on kickoffs, giving them better kick coverage. But, Jerod Mayo has a totally different idea.
He suggested on Monday that the Pats could consider kicking the ball into the end zone, placing the ball at the 30-yard line. That’s essentially taking a five-yard penalty when compared to the previous rule set that brought touchbacks out to the 25-yard line. Here’s what he had to say, according to Pro Football Talk.
I don’t think anyone actually knows how this thing is going to play out,” Mayo told reporters. “The rules are still kind of fluid even as of today. We watch it as a full staff, just because it’s one of those plays where, we talk about collaboration all the time, we’re trying to get opinions of the offensive coaches, the defensive coaches, and special teams coaches. And also, you know, just calling around the league to see how they think about it. But once again, I don’t think anyone really knows how it’s going to play out. It might just be beneficial to take the ball at the 30. I don’t know.
I think that could be a good move, especially against teams that have great returners. But, at least psychologically, there seems to be a big difference on starting a drive at the 30-yard line instead of the 25.
It will be interesting to see how the league’s 32 teams handle this.