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Committee ponders OT changes
posted: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 | Print Entry
Give the NFL Competition Committee a lot of credit. There isn't a lot broken on the field in the National Football League, so the committee is wise in not making many changes for the upcoming season.
The normal 10-day meeting of the committee was finished in nine days, and the only significant adjustment involved overtime. For the past few years, critics have complained about the overtimes being too predicable. The team that wins the overtime coin toss tends to have a big advantage, which has called for an outcry for the league to consider a rule change in which both teams have a chance to get the ball.
Wisely, the Competition Committee stayed away from making such a change. Instead, they studied the trends and came up with two wise adjustments.
First, the committee recommended moving overtime kickoffs from the 30 yardline to the 35. By doing that, the team that loses the coin toss won't be surrendering such significant field position. Kickers tend to tire after four quarters, so the receiving team tends to get a huge field position advantage in overtime. The move of 5 yards could allow for more touchbacks or drive starts inside a team's 30.
Second, a league official will be appointed to monitor the K-balls, the footballs basically taken out of the box and used in kicking situation. What the committee found was that too many new footballs were being used toward the end of games. A new football isn't worn. Thus, it's harder to kick long distances in cold weather. As Tony Romo found out, the ball is too slick when it comes out of the box.
The stats were pretty compelling to make some kind of a change and the K-ball had a lot to do with it. Prior to 1998, when the league went to the K-ball, the team that won the coin toss won roughly 46 percent of the overtime games. After that, the coin-toss winner won 62 percent. This should bring some better balance.
49ers coach Mike Nolan proposed a change in the interference rule. He thought pass interference penalties were too severe. A long pass in which interference is called could net a 35- to 40-yard gain for an offensive team. Nolan suggested making interference penalties a 15-yard maximum penalty.
The NFL Competition Committee voted 8-0 against such a rule change. That makes sense. Limiting the interference rule to 15 yards would allow for more cornerbacks to try more interferences when pass plays go longer than 15 yards. For instance, let's say Randy Moss was going for a 50-yard touchdown. The cornerback would be wise to tackle him and draw a penalty knowing he can shorten a 50-yard gain to 15 yards. Nolan's idea has no chance of passing.
McKinley makes sense: Alvin McKinley's four-year, $8 million deal is an interesting one for the Broncos. The Browns defensive end has a decent chance to start next to Gerard Warren as a defensive tackle. Second, the fact he is under contract could kill the Dan Wilkinson trade. Wilkinson still hasn't passed a physical. If he doesn't, the trade might be voided. Wilkinson supposedly has some knee injury problems. For McKinley, signing with the Broncos was a chance to get away from a struggling Browns team and get to a winner in Denver.
Win-win situation: The Commanders apparently didn't have to kick in any extra money to make the Adam Archuleta trade to the Bears. Instead, the Bears take over the $5 million option bonus on a three-year, $8.1 million deal. For weeks, the Bears wanted Commanders owner Daniel Snyder to pay part of the $5 million bonus. Snyder was reluctant to do that even though he was unloading roughly $19 million of the $25 million deal. Bears coach Lovie Smith wanted to acquire Archuleta, and for the Bears, it's a good deal. They get Archuleta for $2.7 million a year instead of the $5 million a year originally committed by the Bears. For the Commanders, they were able to move on from a player who didn't fit in their system. Archuleta was a winner because he rejoins a coach (Smith) who devised schemes that allowed him to be an impact player.
Green a tough move: There is good reason the Trent Green trade negotiations are moving slowly. It's not easy to find a new home for a quarterback making $7.2 million a year. How much less does he take to move on, not knowing he's going to be a starter on not? The Dolphins are interested, but they have Daunte Culpepper making $7.5 million a year. Green is looking for the right fit in a new team to leave the Chiefs. Plus, he's looking for the right salary.
posted: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 | Print Entry
Give the NFL Competition Committee a lot of credit. There isn't a lot broken on the field in the National Football League, so the committee is wise in not making many changes for the upcoming season.
The normal 10-day meeting of the committee was finished in nine days, and the only significant adjustment involved overtime. For the past few years, critics have complained about the overtimes being too predicable. The team that wins the overtime coin toss tends to have a big advantage, which has called for an outcry for the league to consider a rule change in which both teams have a chance to get the ball.
Wisely, the Competition Committee stayed away from making such a change. Instead, they studied the trends and came up with two wise adjustments.
First, the committee recommended moving overtime kickoffs from the 30 yardline to the 35. By doing that, the team that loses the coin toss won't be surrendering such significant field position. Kickers tend to tire after four quarters, so the receiving team tends to get a huge field position advantage in overtime. The move of 5 yards could allow for more touchbacks or drive starts inside a team's 30.
Second, a league official will be appointed to monitor the K-balls, the footballs basically taken out of the box and used in kicking situation. What the committee found was that too many new footballs were being used toward the end of games. A new football isn't worn. Thus, it's harder to kick long distances in cold weather. As Tony Romo found out, the ball is too slick when it comes out of the box.
The stats were pretty compelling to make some kind of a change and the K-ball had a lot to do with it. Prior to 1998, when the league went to the K-ball, the team that won the coin toss won roughly 46 percent of the overtime games. After that, the coin-toss winner won 62 percent. This should bring some better balance.
49ers coach Mike Nolan proposed a change in the interference rule. He thought pass interference penalties were too severe. A long pass in which interference is called could net a 35- to 40-yard gain for an offensive team. Nolan suggested making interference penalties a 15-yard maximum penalty.
The NFL Competition Committee voted 8-0 against such a rule change. That makes sense. Limiting the interference rule to 15 yards would allow for more cornerbacks to try more interferences when pass plays go longer than 15 yards. For instance, let's say Randy Moss was going for a 50-yard touchdown. The cornerback would be wise to tackle him and draw a penalty knowing he can shorten a 50-yard gain to 15 yards. Nolan's idea has no chance of passing.
McKinley makes sense: Alvin McKinley's four-year, $8 million deal is an interesting one for the Broncos. The Browns defensive end has a decent chance to start next to Gerard Warren as a defensive tackle. Second, the fact he is under contract could kill the Dan Wilkinson trade. Wilkinson still hasn't passed a physical. If he doesn't, the trade might be voided. Wilkinson supposedly has some knee injury problems. For McKinley, signing with the Broncos was a chance to get away from a struggling Browns team and get to a winner in Denver.
Win-win situation: The Commanders apparently didn't have to kick in any extra money to make the Adam Archuleta trade to the Bears. Instead, the Bears take over the $5 million option bonus on a three-year, $8.1 million deal. For weeks, the Bears wanted Commanders owner Daniel Snyder to pay part of the $5 million bonus. Snyder was reluctant to do that even though he was unloading roughly $19 million of the $25 million deal. Bears coach Lovie Smith wanted to acquire Archuleta, and for the Bears, it's a good deal. They get Archuleta for $2.7 million a year instead of the $5 million a year originally committed by the Bears. For the Commanders, they were able to move on from a player who didn't fit in their system. Archuleta was a winner because he rejoins a coach (Smith) who devised schemes that allowed him to be an impact player.
Green a tough move: There is good reason the Trent Green trade negotiations are moving slowly. It's not easy to find a new home for a quarterback making $7.2 million a year. How much less does he take to move on, not knowing he's going to be a starter on not? The Dolphins are interested, but they have Daunte Culpepper making $7.5 million a year. Green is looking for the right fit in a new team to leave the Chiefs. Plus, he's looking for the right salary.
