It’s the dawn of a new era in the National Football League, and the Cleveland Browns need to make the most of it.
Luckily for them, they have one of the best special teams units in the game, coached by one of the best assistants and specialists out there, Bubba Ventrone.
Unfortunately, they no longer have a perennial kickoff threat like Josh Cribbs.
Talking on The Return With Josh & Maria Cribbs show, the former Browns star shared his thoughts on the new kickoff rule (via The Return With Josh & Maria Cribbs on Twitter)
How are we feeling about the NFL's new kickoff rules? 🏈
"I would've killed this league with this."
– @JoshCribbs16 thinks the new rule will lead to a lot more touchdowns
Get $100 bets on Tipico Sportsbook w/ code CRIBBS100 here: https://t.co/mus56cCLes pic.twitter.com/3rAFNQw6fa
— The Return With Josh & Maria Cribbs (@TheCribbsShow) March 31, 2024
Shortly after he explained it, he went on to say that he would’ve absolutely killed it if this rule existed during his playing days.
Truth be told, he’s absolutely on point.
This rule is intended to prevent injuries, although injuries rarely happen during kickoffs.
Now, offensive players will have a wide-open field to do a lot of damage in kick-off returns, as no one but the kicker and the returner will be able to move until the returner grabs the football or it touches the grass.
Needless to say, this will require plenty of adjustments from special teams, and creativity will be crucial from this point on.
This rule was only approved for the upcoming campaign, so they could always go back to the previous way, but it’ll be interesting to see how teams deal with this.
Fortunately, the Browns won’t have to go against the likes of Devin Hester or DeSean Jackson under these new rules, as those guys, just like Cribbs, would’ve been a major problem
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