NE leading the league in kickoff strategy

[QuantumMechanic]

"Anytime the New England Patriots are at the top — or the bottom — of a league-wide leaderboard, no matter how insignificant that leaderboard is, it’s worth taking notice. The odds are that Bill Belichick and Ernie Adams are thinking a few steps ahead of every other team in the league, and are leveraging yet another corner of the game to their advantage..."

Guest Post: The Patriots’ League-Best Kickoffs

 

[Sicilian]

This seems to be confirmed anecdotally. Feels like every time they kick off the opponent is starting at the 15.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

"Anytime the New England Patriots are at the top — or the bottom — of a league-wide leaderboard, no matter how insignificant that leaderboard is, it’s worth taking notice. The odds are that Bill Belichick and Ernie Adams are thinking a few steps ahead of every other team in the league, and are leveraging yet another corner of the game to their advantage..."

Guest Post: The Patriots’ League-Best Kickoffs

You already know it, Q.: Not "insignificant"

 

[I Augustus]

So Patriots are intentionally targeting the goal line and baiting other teams to return kick offs past the 25 yard line? Crappy Denver ST will not help Assweiler in that department.

 

[Wheelman]

I liked this article. I like special teams. and I like that we're good at it.

The only thing I would tweak in that article is the percentage of returns that was stopped at the 20 yard line or shorter. Should make it the 24 yard line or shorter. Since the goal is for it to be less than a touchback. I bet the pats percentage would skyrocket from 27.6% to 50-60%.

But yeah, the Pats ST have been doing this since they moved the touchback to the 25. It worked marvelously against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Ghostkowski is kicking them super high and shallow. Other teams are just dumb enough to keep running it out from a couple yards deep in the end zone and run into a wall at the 10 yard line.

Do other teams not review their opponents game tape?

 

[luuked]

And yet you see some clowns here call for another kicker.

I guess there is a good chance most of them dont even realize that there is a lot of strategy involved on ST but assume players just run as fast as they can and the kicker just kicks it as hard as he can.

Actually, if Adam Gase is that much of a moron I suppose I shouldnt be surprised that casual viewers also dont get it:

Special teams we seem to be alright, maybe because it is easy, just run straight and hit somebody.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Ghostkowski is kicking them super high and shallow. Other teams are just dumb enough to keep running it out from a couple yards deep in the end zone and run into a wall at the 10 yard line.

Do other teams not review their opponents game tape?

Word around the water cooler is some teams can't watch the game film because they have already gone home for the evening.

 

[nabwong]

Ghostkowski is kicking them super high and shallow. Other teams are just dumb enough to keep running it out from a couple yards deep in the end zone and run into a wall at the 10 yard line.

Do other teams not review their opponents game tape?

Our tapes have either fog or signal interference.

 

[DarrylS]

"all three phases of the game", a lot of teams only believe there are only two..

Many times on this board read complaints about the number of Special Teamers on the roster..

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

There is another factor that I didn't see mentioned. It seems like one out of every three kickoffs has either a holding or block in the back penalty that backs the receiving team up that doesn't happen ( or rarely does) on a touchback.. Goading the receiving team to return the kickoff by the Pats often results in poor field position. Great coaching by the Pats, who would have thunk it????