Cat Scratch Reader
Since the complete overhaul of the kickoff rules last year, the NFL has introduced a new layer that sets the starting field position after a touchback to their own 35 yard line. Now, more than ever, teams are incentivized – or even almost forced – to keep the ball out of the endzone. You only need to stop a team from getting past the 35 yard line to make inviting a return worth it, so expect to see a lot more returns in 2025.
It seems as though the Carolina Panthers are leaning all the way into this new opportunity and have identified an innovative way to kickoff. Shawn Syed of Sumer Sports breaks down the logic behind the Panthers new plan here:
If you have not heard of Sumer Sports before, they are a sports analytics startup (similar to PFF) that has several notable connections to the Panthers. Eric Eager, the Panthers Vice President of Football Analytics, was Sumer Sports’ Vice President before joining the Panthers. John Idzik, the father of Panthers Offensive Coordinator Brad Idzik, is Sumer Sports current President of Football Operations.
A careful eye watching the Panthers kickoffs versus the Cleveland Browns during last week’s preseason matchup might notice that the Panthers placekickers set the football on the tee with the laces oriented towards the sideline instead of pointing towards the receiving team’s endzone. This orientation of the ball, along with what I can only assume is a specific kicking technique that I’m far too unqualified to break down, gives the football a knuckleball-like effect while it is in the air, making it exponentially more difficult to predict and therefore more difficult to catch out of the air.
Keep in mind that the kicking team cannot start advancing up the field until the ball is either caught or lands in the “landing zone” (between the 20 yard line and the endzone). So, if the ball hits the ground within the landing zone, any extra time that the returner needs to use to collect the football and gain possession, is time the kickoff coverage unit can leverage to get down the field.
Here’s another breakdown on YouTube from the channel “Isaac Punts” that gives a new perspective on the Panthers process:
It’s only been one game and three kickoffs, but this has officially become a storyline to watch as the regular season approaches. With the Panthers also in the midst of a position battle at kicker between Matthew Wright and Ryan Fitzgerald, this just adds another layer to that evaluation beyond just kicking the ball through the uprights.
