Granted, he shouldn’t be catching the ball inside the 10 yard line…..ever. I’ll give you that. But great returners sometimes take chances and turn them into great plays. He’s not stupid, but he is fearless to a fault sometimes. I’d rather have a guy back there taking a few chances and making plays than going the Santino Panico route and playing it safe every time.
Listen our punt return game has been garbage for nearly a decade. The improvement was noticeable and wanted. But I give Ekeler more of that credit than anyone else.
I think you need to change rule one to inside the five now days. The way punters can have a ball die when it hits the ground is way different than it was 20 years ago.
I think that 10 yard line rule has become more of the 5 yard line rule anymore. Of course it depends on angle, height, and coverage, but punters have got pretty good at dropping them in there with plenty of hang time for the gunners to get down behind the punt.
It is much different than it used to be. Returners field punts inside the 10 all the time now. The kickers have advanced to where they have great ability to stop the ball from turning into touchbacks, so at the upper levels, a catch at the 7 is still the typical call. Now its inside the 5 that is kind of the decision line.
I do not understand that logic … fielding it, via the fair catch or the return, guarantees a starting position somewhere between the 5 and 15 … assuming a 10 yard return … split the difference and call it the 10 yard line.
More than likely. Bet he heads south
Too bad, but not surprising
I saw this goofy article on Tik Tok, likely AI, that featured DH begging to stay, saying he'd take a pay cut, but he wants to be in Lincoln next year. I considered the article "rumors-worthy."
Agree with your assessment that it isn't the NFL. However, the touchback is the 20 and not the 25 on punts.
