Tag: kickoff return

Chiefs vs. Jaguars: Bizarre gaffe by Mecole Hardman results in safety

A bizarre situation in the #Chiefs’ preseason matchup against the #Jaguars resulted in a safety due to the NFL’s new kickoff rules.

Mecole Hardman made a brutal mistake that resulted in a safety during the second quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs preseason matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night.

Playing as a returner under the NFL’s new kickoff rules, Hardman let the ball bounce instead of making a routine catch. When he and a teammate realized that the ball was in play, Hardman took a knee in the end zone and touched the ball, which hadn’t crossed the goal line.

Initially, referees called the play a touchback, but upon further review after a protest by Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, assessed that the sequence resulted in a safety.

Take a look at the bizarre play below, which was posted by user @LaurieFitzptrck on Twitter:

Kansas City’s coaches and special teams players will need to review the NFL’s new kickoff rules when they get back to training camp practices in St. Joseph this week.

Packers wanted preseason trial of NFL’s new kickoff rules

The Packers voted against the new kickoff rules. Why? The team wanted a trial period during the preseason.

The Green Bay Packers were one of three teams to vote against the NFL’s new kickoff rules, which passed during the Annual Meeting by a 29-3 vote.

Why didn’t the Packers, who have All-Pro kickoff returner Keisean Nixon, vote for the change?

Team president Mark Murphy said the team was more interested in doing a trial period during the preseason instead of jumping right into the big change to start 2024.

“Our issue was it’s such a major change, our thought was it would make sense to have a trial or experiment in the preseason,” Murphy said Tuesday. “There are going to be some unintended consequences, I think. I just felt it made sense to have a trial. But, that said, it passed. Overwhelming, 29-3. We’ll be very supportive of it.”

The new rules — which feature a “setup zone” and a “landing zone” — will go into place in 2024 and will be given a one-year trial run.

Murphy said all teams wanted something “safe” that would get the kickoff return “back into the game.” He thinks something close to 80 percent of kickoffs will now be returned under the new rules.

It’s possible the change will be a good thing for the Packers, who should get more return opportunities for Nixon, the back-to-back All-Pro kickoff returner in the NFL.

“We have one of the better kickoff returners in the league, so we’ll put that to our advantage,” Murphy said.

Nixon led the NFL in kickoff returns and kickoff return yards in each of the last two seasons. He also had a 105-yard kickoff return touchdown in 2022.

His reaction after the rule change said it all:

Teammate A.J. Dillon agreed:

The new kickoff is expected to limit high-speed collisions, reducing concussions and other injuries, and increase return opportunities. Murphy said the setup will make kickoff returns more like punt returns.

Packers were one of three teams to vote against NFL’s new kickoff rules

The Packers were one of three teams to vote against the NFL new kickoff return rules.

Despite having the NFL’s back-to-back first-team All-Pro kickoff returner, the Green Bay Packers were one of three teams to vote against the league’s new kickoff rules, per Albert Breer of the MMQB.

The Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders were the three dissenting votes. The other 29 NFL teams voted in favor of the change, which will go into effect for the 2024 season on a one-year basis.

The new rules are designed to make the kickoff return a safer play (see: fewer concussions) while encouraging more returns. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur both said they wanted the kickoff return to return to the game. In recent years, touchback percentages have skyrocketed.

Under the new rules, kickoffs will have a “setup zone” for coverage players and blockers between the 35- and 30-yard line and a “landing zone” between the 20-yard line and the goal line. Players on either side can’t move until the ball hits the ground or is returned. By having fewer full-speed collisions, concussions should be reduced. Reducing the incentive for touchbacks should mean drastically more returns. The design was most recently used in the XFL and is now being adopted on a trial basis in the NFL.

In theory, more kickoff returns — the primary goal of the rule change — should benefit Keisean Nixon and the Packers. Nixon, who re-signed in Green Bay this offseason, led the NFL in kickoff return yardage in both 2022 and 2023. He should now get even more opportunities to impact field position in 2024. But the Packers special teams — a shaky spot for years — must now cover more kickoffs as well.

Nixon was certainly in favor of the rule change before the league vote:

Team president and CEO Mark Murphy represents the Packers in league votes.

Murphy said the Packers were more interested in a trial run of the new kickoff rules during the preseason, before it’s implemented during the regular season.

White Lightning: Watch Cowboys KaVontae Turpin electric 98-yard kick-return TD

After the Chargers opened the scoring, KaVontae Turpin quickly put his mark on the preseason and gave Dallas their first lead of 2022. | From @CDBurnett7

When the Cowboys brought in USFL MVP KaVontae Turpin, his calling card was his return prowess after six return touchdowns in college. Early in training camp, Turpin showed off his hands but most were waiting for him to show off the elusiveness for John Fassel’s special teams unit.

In the first preseason game, Turpin had two kick returns for 47 yards and made a couple fair catches but he didn’t waste time in SoFi Stadium. Turpin found a crease behind strong blocking and his top speed left no chance for the Chargers’ defenders.

Turpin’s value is now on display and it’s a pleasant sight after Dallas opted to put key players on the return unit in running back Tony Pollard and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Now Turpin looks to take over the role and the touchdown return excites the unit heading into the regular season.

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When was it? Packers’ last kickoff return touchdown

It’s been almost 10 years since former Packers WR Randall Cobb returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown.

The Green Bay Packers are approaching another decade-long gap between kickoff return touchdowns.

The Packers haven’t returned a kickoff for a score since the first week of the 2011 season.

The Packers’ last kickoff return touchdown? Randall Cobb’s 108-yard return for a score during the Packers’ season-opening win over the New Orleans Saints in 2011.

The touchdown came in Cobb’s first-ever NFL game and marked the first touchdown scored by a player born in the 1990s.

Cobb’s return, which tied the NFL record for longest kickoff return for a touchdown in league history, gave the Packers a 35-20 lead in the third quarter of a wild opening game that finished in a dramatic 42-34 win at Lambeau Field. It was Cobb’s first and only kickoff return touchdown with the Packers.

Here’s video of the return:

Cobb made one quick cut to find an alley, spun out of a tackle near the 25-yard line and then out-ran the rest of the Saints’ coverage unit for the touchdown. The play ended up winning the NFL’s “Play of the Year” award for the 2011 season.

Cobb’s score also snapped an 11-year streak for the Packers without a kickoff return touchdown. The Packers’ last score before Cobb’s return was Allen Rossum’s 92-yard touchdown during the 2000 season. Between 1998 and 2000, the Packers returned four kickoffs for touchdowns, including two from Roell Preston during the 1998 season.

Tyler Ervin is expected to be the Packers’ primary kickoff returner in 2020.

GREEN BAY, WI – SEPTEMBER 08: Randall Cobb #18 of the Green Bay Packers gets help from teammate John Kuhn #30 staying on his feet on a 108 yard kick-off return for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the NFL opening season game at Lambeau Field on September 8, 2011 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Saints 42-34. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

When was it series

Punt return for touchdown
Interception return for touchdown

WATCH: Texas’ new coach Andre Coleman scores touchdown in Super Bowl

Earlier this month, Texas announced the hiring of Andre Coleman as the teams wide receivers coach.

Texas officially announced the hiring of Andre Coleman as the new wide receivers coach earlier this month.

Coleman has quite the resume of experience with coaching, but did you know he played five seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver and kick returner? More notably, Coleman played in Super Bowl XXIX as a rookie.

Coleman set many then-records in Super Bowl XXIX. Most kickoff returns in a game (8), most return yards/total yards (244). Although records are made to be broken, Coleman is still tied for the second-longest kickoff return in Super Bowl history.