JP Finlay had some breaking news down in Orlando today: the NFL approved several rule changes, and also agreed to move the trade deadline back a week, from the end of Week 8 to the Tuesday after Week 9, something JP thinks may facilitate more trades.
“Does that put it in a position now where people begin to build for next year and runs stop happening?” BMitch asked. “We’ve seen teams start off 0-5 or 0-6 and go on a run the next few weeks, so I'm wondering what that effect will be.”
“I think a lot of that stuff becomes situational too, just like much of the league is situational and self-preservation driven,” JP replied. “If you’ve got a GM that's just starting and knows that they have three years to build, maybe you want to tear down if you get to Week 8 and it's looking rough, but a GM or coach in Year 3 that hasn't won a playoff game yet, they might be that much more aggressive trying to get somebody.”
Bigger news to the guys is that the league passed the proposed changes to kickoffs that originated in the XFL: kickers remain at their 35 but the rest of the kicking team lines up at the opponent’s 40, with nine or 10 members of the return team between their 30 and 35 and one or two returners between the 20 and goal line, with no one moving until the ball hits the ground or is touched by a player, with no fair catches or surprise onside kicks and touchbacks marked at the 30.
“I really think this is gonna be a positive move for the league. In general, return men are maybe the most, but certainly among the most, athletic, explosive, exciting players on a team,” JP said. “That's who you want returning for you, and the more chances the paying public that fans that the audience get to see those guys with the ball in their hand, the better, and I think we're gonna get to see more returns.”
“I like this better than I do the hip-drop tackle ban yesterday,” return man extraordinaire BMitch replied. “I just believe that is going to become a problem, because it is still not clear enough for people to just see it one time and know exactly what it is – so I think you're gonna have some people who just wanna call stuff calling it all the time and others that don't, and it's gonna be a little confusing to the people actually on the field. You want it to be consistent the way you do it, so it doesn't become dangerous.”
JP actually agrees with Brian on that latter general point of some of the changes not maybe being so great?
“Coaches are into this kickoff rule because they it makes the kickoff relevant again after it got to be damn near irrelevant, and I think that it was a disservice to the game,” JP said, “but I do think a lot of these rule changes will generate more time-sucks. They just passed another allowing more plays to become replay-eligible, including if a quarterback is down by contact or out of bounds before throwing a pass, and when there is clear and obvious visual evidence that the game clock expired before any snap.”
“If it's clear and obvious, they wouldn't have to have a damn replay, right?” Brian laughed. “In other words, when one of your referees is not doing his damn job, you're gonna allow them to go and look at it? If it's clear and obvious, then I know that it went to zero before the ball was snapped, so I shouldn't have to replay it! They're making a loophole for those who lose sight sometimes.”
Take a listen as the guys go through more rule changes, as well as another guaranteed Christmas Day game…on a WEDNESDAY???
