Opening kickoff

Gooch

Gooch

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Wondering if that was kicked short on purpose, or if we just got lucky with the recovery. Looked like just a short kick to me, but I've heard discussion that it was planned.
 
Gooch said:
Wondering if that was kicked short on purpose, or if we just got lucky with the recovery. Looked like just a short kick to me, but I've heard discussion that it was planned.
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Pretty sure it was planned, since they did it again the next time, and then kicked it deep after that.
 
They talked about the wind during kickoff, so I thought it was just short into the wind. Worked out great, but if it was planned, then great scouting by the special teams.
 
FWIW, Huff thinks the wind caught the ball. I still think it was probably planned, though.
 
  1. I think it was planned. They have kicked a ball like that a couple of times this season already, and each time it has died that same way. They have been trying to victimize someone like that. EXCELLENT coaching to steal a posession through ST play.
  2. A part of me thinks that the ball falling off the tee right before the game was planned as well. I'm less certain of it, but MAN that crowd was pumped right before the kickoff. Fireworks, primetime, everything. Then a 30 second pause to reset. Calms the crowd a little, lets the team breath a second longer, etc. I can't prove this point, and never will be able to, but I just feel like chalking another +1 to Dan the Man today.
 
Definitely planned, he kicked it up into the air way more than a 'normal' kick off. It wasn't meant necessarily to cause a turnover though; it's just to try and pin the team inside their 20 instead of settling for a touchback. Ideally it goes to the 5, but it went to the 10 and the eagles return unit totally messed it up.

For reference, that kickoff went 56 yards. We all know Baily is capable of splitting the uprights with room to spare from for a 56 yard FG-- and you're clicking it with more of an arc for a FG as well, since you've got FG blockers.
 
Idgit said:
FWIW, Huff thinks the wind caught the ball. I still think it was probably planned, though.
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I'm pretty sure it was planned. I remeber we did the same thing last year against the Vikings, and it worked, and was also planned.
 
That was a huge play. Makes you wonder what would have happened if they fielded it.
 
They said on the radio broadcast that the wind caught the ball and drove it down. I'm sure they are speculating just like us though. It was huge to get off to that start .
The other thing I noticed was the directional punting from jones was good last night . Not necessarily the distance but it did neutralize sproles.
 
I don't think it was planned at all. Certainly not to cause a fumble. That was just a fluke play.
 
Boyzmamacita said:
Did the ball touch an Eagle first or does that matter?
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If the ball had to touch an opposing player first, onside kicks would never work. Teams would just let other team try to kick and just be nowhere near the ball.
 
Crown Royal said:
  1. I think it was planned. They have kicked a ball like that a couple of times this season already, and each time it has died that same way. They have been trying to victimize someone like that. EXCELLENT coaching to steal a posession through ST play.
  2. A part of me thinks that the ball falling off the tee right before the game was planned as well. I'm less certain of it, but MAN that crowd was pumped right before the kickoff. Fireworks, primetime, everything. Then a 30 second pause to reset. Calms the crowd a little, lets the team breath a second longer, etc. I can't prove this point, and never will be able to, but I just feel like chalking another +1 to Dan the Man today.
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Part of you thinks the Cowboys planned the ball falling off the tee?

Wow, are you guys living in your own world.
 
badko.0.gif

The entire Eagles kickoff return team looked like they weren't paying attention. Surprising as their STs have been great all season.
 
Risen Star said:
Part of you thinks the Cowboys planned the ball falling off the tee?

Wow, are you guys living in your own world.
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I remember in the shot before kickoff that I thought Bailey had put the ball on the tee facing a little bit forward. I didn't think past that other than wondering if it's always that way but it did strike me. then when it fell and Collinsworth mentioned there was very little wind, it just seemed like it.
 
You cannot plan that....and if it was planned, and if it was even possible to execute, we would have done it every kickoff in that direction because even if they'd fielded it, they weren't going anywhere.

It was a short kickoff that died fast and then even bounced backwards instead of forward to the retuner. The next kickoff was a squib kick along the ground, and after that, Bailey was putting them into the endzone.

However, there was one more deep one that the returner almost walked away from that hit near the back line and did the same thing, bouncing back towards the field of play...lucky for them, the returner turned back and saw it and grabbed it for the touchback.
 
remdak said:
If the ball had to touch an opposing player first, onside kicks would never work. Teams would just let other team try to kick and just be nowhere near the ball.
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That makes perfect sense. It's strange I never realized that in 36 years of watching football on all levels that the ball was live after 10 yards whether it's an onside kick or not.
 
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