It has become increasingly clear that the new “dynamic” kickoff will possibly be a dud. We’ve been saying it for months. Bill Belichick said it this week.
The NFL knows it could happen. The NFL seems to be not concerned about it.
During Tuesday’s special meeting that focused on the issue of private equity, the owners received a brief update on the new kickoff formation. There was no conversation about moving the touchback point to the 35 in order to encourage putting the ball in play in lieu of conceding the 30.
And so there’s a chance that the D-word that the NFL uses to describe the new kickoff is less about action on the kick return and more about the dynamic of whether coaches will deliberately choose to bang the ball out of the end zone, like last year.
The reason for the NFL’s nonchalance could be simple. In recent years, the league …