
"A year after a major overhaul and six months after a seemingly minor tweak, teams have returned 78.3% of kickoffs during the first four weeks of the season -- the highest rate over that period in 19 years. The NFL has seen 519 kickoff returns, the most through Week 4 in its history. Coaches have reacted strongly to moving the touchback from the 30-yard line in 2024 to the 35 this season, refusing to concede the additional 5 yards."
"I think that we're all learning and growing regarding best practices, schematically how to strategize things to do, how to position players. Some of the size of the players in certain positions have changed, and so we're all absorbing a lot of tape and we're all learning and growing as we go in this thing, in terms of the best way to position ourselves to take advantage of t"
Rule adjustments have sharply increased kickoff returns early in the season. Teams returned 78.3% of kickoffs in the first four weeks and produced 519 returns, the most through Week 4 in NFL history. Moving the touchback spot from the 30-yard line in 2024 to the 35 this season drove coaches to avoid concedeing the extra five yards. The return rate more than doubled from last season and more than tripled the 2023 rate. Health and concussion data are not yet available, but if prior concussion trends persist, the changes could revitalize the play while lowering injury risk.
Read at ESPN.com
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