Tag: new kickoff rule

Andy Reid reflects on Mecole Hardman’s brutal mistake that led to safety vs. Jaguars

Andy Reid shared his thoughts about Mecole Hardman’s mistake that led to a safety in the #Chiefs’ preseason loss to the #Jaguars on Saturday. | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ first preseason game of 2024 is over. They lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 26-13 on Saturday, but not without some confusion about the new kickoff rules.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid discussed the unusual safety last Saturday during his post-practice press conference on Monday.

“We’re on top of the kickoff and the (new kickoff) rule – it’s a little different than last year, so the ball normally goes in the endzone (and) it’s a dead ball, and that’s not how it is this year,” Reid explained. “(The ball) goes in and comes back out (and) you can’t scoop it back in, obviously. Again, they’re (the league) still looking at all of this, so we’ll see where it goes from here.

“I think it was good for the officials to see it(and) I think it was good for us to see it. We understood the part of it where if it (the ball) goes in, it’s still alive. Again, that’s similar to the sideline where you can be outside (of the lines) and reach back in – that part got clarified; it’s not like that, so that’s a live ball.”

During the play, Mecole Hardman and Deneric Prince were back to receive. The latter let the ball sail over his head, assuming a touchback, but it dropped in the end zone and bounced out to the 1-yard line. Hardman then ran into the end zone, kneeled down, and grabbed the ball, resulting in a safety after the game referees deliberated.

“(Number) 34 (Deneric Prince) should have taken it and gone,” said Reid. “Then, Mecole (Hardman) was trying to make it right, but what Mecole should have done was picked it up and gone, but listen, that’s not his – that’s our responsibility for making sure that it’s clarified.”

Reid took responsibility for the mishap, but it is preseason and the best time to make and fix mistakes.

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.