NFL teams are still feeling out the new kickoff formation and rules. For Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, the unknown is a great opportunity for innovation.
Fipp and head coach Dan Campbell watched every kickoff and return from the first week of preseason, and seeing what other teams were doing energized Fipp beyond his typical zestful self. As Fipp talked to John Maakaron of SI and myself after Monday’s practice, I asked the veteran coach about the potential to use special packages and different players based on different game situations for both the kickoff and the return.
“I think that’s possible. I think it’s also possible that depending on the situation, maybe we have a different cover group. Different situation, different cover group, different kick placement,” Fipp said. “But ultimately, I think all of it is going to depend upon what the touchback line is, which right now is the 30.”
Touchbacks, balls kicked through the end zone, have been moved back from the 35-yard line to the 30 in a recent league-wide memo. That change gives more incentive to just kick the ball out of the end zone and let the opponent take over at the 30 without taking any time off the clock. The five yards might not seem like much, but it was clearly a big deal to Fipp.
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“Initially in the offseason it was 35. And then they changed that before they put the rule in officially, and then made it the 30,” Fipp continued. “And that’s probably going to affect a lot, because if it’s the 35, the play is going to play out a whole lot different.”
It is possible we see return units where Fipp wants them to be aggressive and try to get a big return, while at other times, the Lions might value ball security and clock management and go with a different group. Expect to see more experimentation from Fipp and his units in the next two preseason games as everyone learns more nuances of the new rules.
The kick return positions (there are two now) are still up in the air. Maurice Alexander, Kalif Raymond, rookie Isaiah Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown have seen the most reps throughout practice, including during Wednesday’s session.
In kick coverage, recently added LB Malik Jefferson and two holdover defensive backs, Kindle Vildor and Khalil Dorsey, have been the biggest standouts. Linebackers Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Malcolm Rodriguez have also thrived and figure to be staples of the new-look unit.