Smith unloads on new kickoff rule
To say Bears coach Lovie Smith is disappointed with the rule passed Tuesday that will curtail kickoff returns in 2011 would be an understatement. The normally reserved Smith was adamant in his opposition.
“I can't believe we're really talking about it — the most exciting play in football,” Smith told reporters in New Orleans at the annual owners meetings. “You would think we would want to keep that in. We would (want to) work to try to make it safer whatever way that is. But to eliminate (kickoff returns) to me is just kind of tearing up the fiber of the game a little bit.
“We have a great returner, but that's a big part of the game. Our fans are probably more interested in coming there to see Devin Hester run a ball back, as opposed to a kicker kick it out of the end zone with no action. We're totally against the rule.”
Owners voted 26-6 on Tuesday to move kickoffs up five yards from the 30- to the 35-yard line, which will result in a great many more touchbacks and much fewer kickoff returns.
“It's fairly obvious the teams that are for it,” Smith said. “Teams that don't have a good returner, of course they're for it. I know we are talking about player safety, but I don't know if that's making the game safer by eliminating it. You can say that about every pass play, every play where there is a little bit of contact you can say that.”
Smith disputes the contention of the NFL's Competition Committee that an inordinate amount of serious injuries occur on kickoff returns.
“You wonder how did we get to this point?” Smith said. “Yeah, I'm biased. But talking with our trainers, the last couple of years, we've had one ankle sprain (combined on kickoff returns and kickoff coverage). So we haven't had injuries. Before long, we'll put the ball on the 20-yard line and eliminate the play (entirely). That's what we're doing a little bit.”
Another new rule requires players covering kickoffs to be within five yards of the line to prevent them from being at full speed when the ball is booted. That one makes sense to Smith. Return units will still be allowed to use a two-man blocking wedge.
“I could see not letting the players on the other team have a running start to make the game a little safer,” he said. “We'd be all in favor of that. Even the wedge part, we're OK with. The part we're not OK with is moving the ball up to the 35-yard line. The rest of it, we could live with.”
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