Tag: Darren Rizzi

Saints special teams ace J.T. Gray approves of new kickoff rule change

Saints’ two-time All-Pro ace J.T. Gray says the kickoff rule change adds excitement for fans and changes the value of special teams:

New Orleans Saints defensive back J.T. Gray is arguably one of the best players to speak on this year’s changes to the kickoff format, and he approves of the alteration. The two-time All-Pro special teams ace discussed the changes during an appearance on NFL Network’s “The Insiders.”

The NFL changed the kickoff rules to where the kicking team must remain at the opposing 40-yard line until the ball is caught or hits the ground. The kickoff has gone from one of the most exciting plays in football to a boring formality as of late. The change is meant to help the play regain its former glory by inviting more returns.

Gray may not be a returner, but he is a skilled player covering punts and kickoffs on special teams. On top of that, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi pushed the rule change, so Gray is in a good position to speak on the tweaks. “In OTAs, we have been practicing that since Day 1,” Gray said.

Gray feels the adjustments will help with “changing the value of the special teams.” He makes a good point about how action on this play will get fans more excited. As stated earlier, the kickoff used to be a play fans looked forward to. Precautious safety measures removed the excitement of the game. Hopefully this rule change marries safety and excitement.

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How the NFL’s new hybrid kickoff rule impacts the Saints

Saints special teams coach Darren Rizzi was a key figure in crafting the NFL’s new hybrid kickoff rules, but how does it impact the Saints?

With the NFL competition committee recently approving the transition to a new hybrid kickoff model, one of the most pressing matters for New Orleans Saints fans is how this rule change may affect some of the players on the team.

Specialists like kicker Blake Grupe and return man Rashid Shaheed are a couple of guys that will likely have some adjustments to make in regards to the new rules. The whole coverage unit will need to tweak their approach, but few players make as great an impact as those who are kicking the ball away and returning it.

Before I get into this though, I’d like to first give a detailed list of the intricacies within the new rules as a point of reference:

  • The kicking team will kick off from its own 35-yard line.
  • 10 members of the kicking team will line up on the receiving team’s 40-yard line (25 yards in front of their kicker).
  • A minimum of nine members of the receiving team will line up between their own 30 and 35-yard lines (5-10 yards in front of the 10 members of the kicking team).
  • The receiving team can have zero, one or two players inside their own 30-yard line to receive the kickoff.
  • The play begins when the ball is either caught, hits the ground in the landing zone (inside the 20-yard line before the goal line) or is returned from the end zone. That’s when players can begin moving.
  • Any kick that hits the landing zone must be returned.
  • Any kick that bounces from the landing zone into the end zone must be returned or kneeled for a touchback (with possession going out to the 20-yard line).
  • If a kick doesn’t reach the landing zone, the receiving team gets possession at its 40-yard line.
  • If the ball enters the end zone in the air, the receiving team can return it or kneel it for possession at its 30-yard line.
  • If the ball is kicked out of bounds, the receiving team gets possession at its 40-yard line.
  • There are no fair catches.
  • Onside kicks are only permitted in the fourth quarter and must be declared to officials

Assuming you’ve read this through and have somewhat of an understanding of the procedures, I’d like to start off by detailing how these changes may affect someone like Grupe. He kicked off 91 times in 2023, 5th-most in the NFL, and he had 76 touchbacks, which were tied for 3rd-most. But his touchback rate of 83.5% tied for 10th among kickers with 30 or more kickoffs.

Surprisingly, there isn’t too much that changes for the young kicker in terms of distance and procedure. The kicker will be kicking from the same spot (35-yard line), which means the distance will also be the same. There is also no change in sending a kick out of bounds, as it will result in the opponent taking possession at their own 40-yard line. This is also a similar variation to the new rule on the kick not reaching the landing zone. This would also result in opponents possession at their own 40 but is something that we shouldn’t see very often.

With that being said, there is one specific aspect that will now be emphasized in regards to the rule change. In terms of touchbacks, there will likely be a strategy implemented as there is now a 10-yard difference between where the opposing team will be receiving possession, if the kickoff results in a touchback.

The opposing team will receive possession at the 20-yard line if the ball bounces in the landing zone, rolls into the end zone and is kneeled for a touchback. If the ball reaches the end zone through the air and is kneeled, the opposing team would now receive possession at their own 30-yard line.

This will be one of the most interesting decisions that teams will have to make, whether they want to risk a potentially good return kicking it in the landing area or increases the likelihood of a touchback by reaching the end zone through the air with the downside of having decent field position. These types of decisions will likely be determined by the level of threat that a returner gives you on a week-to-week basis, which is where I will be going with my next talking point.

That being Rashid Shaheed. One of the NFL’s top returners, who recently was selected to his first Pro Bowl and is a very dangerous weapon nonetheless. Shaheed returned 18 kicks for 384 yards last season, 9th-most in the league. With how dynamic a player that Shaheed is, how might the new kickoff rules affect his ability as an exceptional return man?

To carry over from the discussion about Grupe in terms of weighing the options for potential returns and touchbacks, Shaheed is the perfect player for this decision. Being that Shaheed has world-class speed and vision as a returner, he is likely one of the NFL’s exceptions when it comes to this strategy. Teams will likely ask their kickers to keep the ball in the air through the endzone to increase the likelihood of a touchback instead of a Shaheed house-call.

This rule change was designed to give returners more opportunities which it most definitely will, but specifically guys like Shaheed likely won’t get as many returns as an average-below average returner. However, since he will likely get more opportunities than in the previous two seasons, look for Shaheed to bring back a kick or two in the first year of this new style of kickoff.

Returners around the league should be ecstatic as their amount of opportunities will go way up along with their value as the men back deep. Should be an exciting addition to the game.

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Thomas Morstead reacts to NFL eliminating surprise onside kicks

The surprise onside kick was already in danger, but now it’s extinct. Saints legend Thomas Morstead is just happy to have played a part in its memorable story:

Surprise onside kicks were already an endangered species in the NFL, but a new rules change is pushing them into extinction. As part of a new hybrid kick return model being trialed in 2024, teams must declare whether they’re trying an onside kick — something that’s really just a formality after previous rules changes made the play obvious.

Thomas Morstead became a New Orleans Saints legend for executing the team’s surprise onside kick, the “Ambush” play, to start the second half of Super Bowl XLIV. So for him this was a poignant moment. Morstead expressed his gratitude for having a place in NFL history as part of New Orleans’ championship-winning team.

Ironically, Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi spearheaded the effort to change it while envisioning a model that will lead to more return opportunities (which you can read about here). Onside kicks were scarce in recent years, and successful recoveries were even more of a rarity, so this was a small sacrifice to make. As Morstead observed, “The game continues to change.”

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Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi talks kickoff rule change proposal

New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi discussed his kickoff rule change proposal on Good Morning Football:

The NFL is considering another change for its kickoff rules this offseason, and the latest effort is being led by New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. With fewer kicks being returned than ever after pre-snap positioning and other procedures were changed in the name of safety, Rizzi hopes his new proposal will make the play more impactful without sacrificing player safety.

Rizzi made an appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football show to discuss the proposal. He said that he’s collaborated with other special teams coaches around the league to come up with a solution that’s both safer for players and more exciting for viewers.

They drew inspiration from all levels of the game. Rizzi said: “We looked at it, not only the XFL but the USFL, the CFL, the arena leagues, college. The number one goal here was to make the play safer. We wanted to eliminate some of the space and speed. If you can imagine our current kickoff in a condensed version, that’s kind of what we’re doing.”

Rizzi’s proposed format would keep kickoffs from the 35-yard line, but allow players on the kicking team’s coverage unit to line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line. The receiving team would have blockers positioned between their 35- and 30-yard lines with two returners allowed to start further back. The kicking team can’t move until the ball hits the ground or is touched by the return team. There are more rules involved, which you can read about in greater detail here.

“I should say this as well. The NFLPA, they’re on board, the players love this,” Rizzi continued. “This is a play that’s going to add more plays for the returner, for the core players. It’s more strategy for the kickers. There’s a lot of exciting things. Once the fans understand what we’re doing here, they’re going to be excited too, because you’re going to see a lot of your favorite players with the ball in their hands significantly more.”

This proposal has already been approved by the NFL Competition Committee, and it will go to a vote before league ownership when they convene for offseason meetings next week in Orlando, Fla. Rizzi and his team have put a lot of work into this proposal. Let’s see if it crosses the finish line.

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Saints ST coach Darren Rizzi leading onside kick rules change proposal

Successful onside kicks have become a rare thing in the NFL, but Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi is working to reverse that:

Successful onside kicks have become a rare thing in the NFL as health and safety-minded rules changes cut down on opportunities for teams to design a clever play, but New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi is working to reverse that.

Rizzi workshopped a proposal with other special teams coordinators around the league (namely the Dallas Cowboys’ John Fassel and Chicago Bears’ Richard Hightower, per the MMQB’s Albert Breer) to present to the NFL competition committee with hopes of making the game’s third phase more exciting while keeping player safety in mind.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, their proposal would limit onside kick attempts to situations in which teams are trailing in the fourth quarter, as well as requiring them to declare their intentions before trying it. But they would be allowed to use old-school unbalanced formations, giving the kicking team a numbers advantage in recovery.

This is one of several ways in which the NFL is trying to relitigate kick returns after their last wave of rules changes essentially nullified them; we’ve never seen so few kicks returned or onside kicks recovered in the history of the game. Pelissero adds that other aspects of the proposal include more limitations on when and where players can move before the kick is touched, as well as increasing the distance gained from a touchback to 35 yards.

Still, if these rules already existed we’d be without one of the most memorable plays in Saints history: “Ambush,” the surprise onside kick to start the third quarter of Super Bowl XLIV.

The NFL has written itself into a corner by coming down so hard on kick returns. More rules changes could help, but they’re just as likely to continue whittling the play’s impact on the game even further down. Having experienced special teams coaches like Rizzi at the forefront may be good for the process, but the results will speak for themselves.

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Losing Phil Galiano could be a big hit to the Saints special teams units

Losing Phil Galiano would be a big hit to the Saints special teams units. Only one team has allowed fewer return yards since he was hired:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are interviewing Phil Galiano for their open special teams coordinator job on Tuesday — and losing him could be a big hit to the New Orleans Saints kicking units.

Galiano isn’t a big name in New Orleans. He’s worked as the assistant to Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi since they were both hired in 2019, rarely speaking to the media or taking the spotlight. But they have both played a key role in maintaining the Saints’ excellence in the game’s third phase.

We tend to think of special teams as being all about kicking field goals and punting the ball away. But it’s a real team effort. Finding the right players who can get downfield in a hurry and limit returns is critical. And Galiano deserves some credit for helping the Saints outperform the rest of the league in that phase.

Since Rizzi and Galiano arrived in 2019, the Saints are the only team in the NFL to allow fewer than 1,000 punt return yards (998) and 2,500 kick return yards (2,350). Only one team, the Washington Commanders, has given up fewer total return yards with 3,103 to the Saints’ 3,348. The other 30 teams in the NFL have all allowed 3,500 or more.

Here’s how they all stack up:

It’s possible the Buccaneers end up hiring a different candidate for their special teams coordinator opening. At the same time, there’s a chance Galiano could leave for the promotion. If he does exit this isn’t a loss that Saints fans should overlook. Hopefully Rizzi already has an idea of possible replacements should he need to hire a new assistant.

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Anonymous NFL players rank Saints’ Darren Rizzi as a top-5 special teams coordinator

An NFL Players Association of anonymous players ranked New Orleans Saints assistant Darren Rizzi as a top-5 special teams coordinator:

An anonymous poll from the NFL Players Association surveyed more than 1,700 players, asking them to rate their offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators on a scale from 1 to 10 — and the NFLPA has already released the top-five at each spot, with the full rankings to come in the offseason.

Just one New Orleans Saints coordinator made the cut for the top-five: Darren Rizzi, their special teams coordinator. A longtime assistant with the Miami Dolphins before he came to New Orleans, Rizzi is respected for his ability to connect to his players and put them in position to win. Rizzi interviewed for the Saints head coach job when it became available in the wake of Sean Payton’s departure from the team, and he added the title of assistant head coach in 2022 under Dennis Allen.

So what were the exact items on this questionnaire? NFLPA president JC Tretter told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that these were qualitative ratings with “all encompassing” criteria. Pelissero quoted Tretter as saying “Guys in the Top 5 list pretty clearly appeal to almost everybody in their locker room.”

Another former Saints assistant was also recognized by his players as a great coach: Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who came up on the New Orleans staff working with the secondary under Allen and Payton. He’s repeatedly received interviews for head coach openings around the league and he might be in line to run his own team in the near future.

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Did a high school rivalry play a part in Tommy DeVito and the New York Giants losing on Sunday?

New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi just trolled Tommy DeVito.

New Orleans Saints special teams coach Darren Rizzi might have put a little voodoo on Tommy DeVito in the NFL’s Week 15.

That’s because Rizzi wore a Bergen Catholic shirt during pre-game prior to the Saints beating the New York Giants. DeVito, the starting quarterback of the Giants, went to Don Bosco Prep, which has a huge rivalry in New Jersey prep football with Bergen Catholic.

And the mind game from Rizzi (a Bergen Catholic alum) certainly seemed to work as the Saints beat the Giants 24-6. DeVito was a solid 20-of-34 for 177 yards but he didn’t sparkle quite like he has in previous weeks since taking over the starting job for the Giants.

Rizzi is as New Jersey as it comes, having been born in the state, played his high school football at Bergen Catholic and then coached at Rutgers football for six years during Greg Schiano’s first tenure as head coach. He is now considered one of the top special teams coordinators in the NFL.

 

DeVito was a standout quarterback at Don Bosco and a three-star recruit when he came out of high school. He spent the first five years of his college career at Syracuse (including a redshirt season) and then transferred to Illinois for his final year of college football.

The Giants signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent and he has become a sensation since taking over the starting quarterback duties at midseason. DeVito’s larger-than-life family, coupled with his strong play for the Giants, has made him a national talking point throughout the NFL.

Oh and in 2016 as a senior, DeVito’s Don Bosco beat Bergen Catholic 17-10. Although DeVito might be willing to swap that win for one on Sunday against the Saints.

DeVito has been a great story in the NFL. No doubt he bounces back from Sunday’s so-so performance.

Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi expects Blake Grupe to play vs. Lions

Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi expects Blake Grupe to kick against the Lions, but the team signed a backup just in case he’s needed:

The New Orleans Saints typically make their coordinators available for media on Thursdays each week, which gave special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi an opportunity to address the recent signing of free agent kicker Austin Seibert.

It was previously reported that Seibert was signed as a backup plan should Blake Grupe’s recent groin muscle injury sideline him, but Rizzi doesn’t anticipate an absence for the rookie in Sunday’s game with the Detroit Lions.

“Yeah, I’m not going to make any great predictions, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t (play),” Rizzi said Thursday. “We’ll see as the week goes on. He’s got some more kicking he’s got to do this week. But Austin went today and he’s capable if we need him.”

Rizzi echoed the previous sentiment surrounding Seibert’s arrival, characterizing the pickup as an insurance policy: “The workout this week had nothing to do with a performance thing, it was more an insurance policy for us. We get a guy like Austin who’s an experienced player, a guy that’s kicked in the league for a few years. Actually has a game under his belt this year.”

Grupe was responsible for all 15 points the Saints scored against the Atlanta Falcons last week (while playing through an injury), so the team isn’t in a rush to replace him. He’s been limited on the injury report for each of the first two practices going into the Lions game so we’ll have to wait for a game status update on Friday. But it sounds like the Saints expect him to be active and busy come Sunday.

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Darren Rizzi thinks new kickoff rule will make the play more dangerous

Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi believes NFL’s new kickoff rule will make the play more dangerous, via @southexclusives:

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The kickoff is one of the most exciting plays in football. The NFL has added rules to try to make that play safer over the years. As exciting as it is, it can also be one of the most violent plays as well, including some of the most frequent high speed collisions in the sport. There have been changes to blocking schemes, and we’ve seen spring football leagues try their own variations to make the play safe while keeping kickoffs exciting. The newest rule change might be detrimental to the excitement and the safety.

This latest rule change is the ball is spotted at the 25-yard line on fair catches in kickoffs. The hope is to see more fair catches as a result. More fair catches means less returns which obviously takes the excitement away from the play. That’s an easy reason to see why fans might not like the new rule. New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi also stands against the rule, but for a much different reason. He’s worked on an advisory committee with other special teams coaches around the league since 2018, aiming to make the game’s third phase safer.

But not only does Rizzi not expect teams to actually fair catch kickoffs more often, he objects to this rule because he thinks it will only lead to more chaos and danger. He directly called out the notion of number of returns impacting the reaction to the rule. Rizzi is solely focused on the health of players, telling NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett: “There was this false narrative being thrown around that the coaches didn’t want it because it was gonna be less returns. … The last thing any coach wants is to lose a player to injury.”

He foresees teams attempting to cancel out fair catches with squib kicks. This would lead to even more high speed collisions, clearly counter productive to what the league is trying to accomplish. Rizzi doesn’t believe the league considered the other side of the coin.

Rizzi even went as far to say, “I don’t think there’s a special teams coach in the league – in fact, I know there’s not a special teams coach in the league right now that likes the rule.” He sees other, more effective, ways to make the game safer, such as more penalties for lowering the head. This would put the power in coaches and officials to make the game safer. The extra 15 yards would definitely make keeping your head a point of emphasis. Coaches can teach that part out of the game with an extra motivation of penalties being called.

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