Pros and cons of the Philadelphia Eagles proposing onside kick alternative

The Eagles are proposing the fourth-and-15 alternative to the onside kick, source says. That’s a proposal that has had some support in recent years but not enough to be ratified by the owners. A team could opt to try for a first down on fourth and 15 instead of an onside kick.

For the second consecutive offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles are proposing an alternative to the onside kick where teams have a chance to convert a fourth and 15 to regain possession.

We’ve broken down the pros and cons of the proposal.

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PROS

Teams trailing could be more likely to have a comeback

How many times have we watched a game and it’s a two-possession game with three minutes left of the game and each time we say the game is pretty much over. Recovering an onside kick is so rare that when a team does recover it, fans are in shock. According to NFL stats, last season teams recovered an onside kick 4 percent of the time (three out of 67). Teams will be much more likely to convert a fourth and 15 as opposed to recovering an onside kick.

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