The new “dynamic” kickoff in the NFL had its moments in Week 1. The Arizona Cardinals returned one 96 yards for a touchdown against Buffalo and the Chicago Bears booted a bouncing ball, resulting in a turnover against the Titans.
EAGAN —
Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said that the lack of kickoff returns that they allowed the Giants was in part because of the way the game was playing out rather than an over-arching philosophy. The fact that average returns are putting the ball in a similar place to where there would be a touchback is a motivating factor for some teams to avoid risking chaos.
“The biggest thing is is that everyone's still really trying to figure out the best way to personnel it,” Daniels said. “What type of kick to use and even dealing with the weather, too. With a Buffalo game, Arizona ended up taking one back to the house. Chicago ended up having a huge explosive. Both of those are windy. The atmosphere plays a huge role in what type of kicks you want to hit and how far the ball actually does travel, where it's getting caught at.
The Vikings might not totally stay away from the chaos. They might, instead, wait to see how things play out around the league and try to get a better handle on what’s working before they jump into the fray more than they did versus the Giants.
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