(04-11-2024, 04:40 PM)FormerlyBengalRugby Wrote: I was thinking, with the new kick off rules, does that give Robbins a new lease on life with the team?

With touch potentially being more valuable kicking off, I think he has a shot at taking over the kick off duties.

What will Simmons strategy be?

(04-11-2024, 05:54 PM)Nepa Wrote: Well, hang time means zero given the new rules. The defense cannot move until the ball hits a player or the ground. 

Placement is critical, since you need the ball to go into the landing zone (between end zone and 20-yard line). If it is short, the ball is placed at the 40-yard line. If long (into the end zone), then to the 30-yard line.

It would seem that the ideal would be a line drive kick that hits in the landing zone, ideally inside the 10, but is moving into the end zone.  Either a player returns it or it goes into the end zone. If it goes into the end zone and a player doesn't return it, it goes to the 20-yard line.

Since hangtime means zero, and a line drive kick is probably best, it would seem to me that McMoney is still the key, not Robbins. That's my best guess. 

(04-11-2024, 05:54 PM)Nepa Wrote: Well, hang time means zero given the new rules. The defense cannot move until the ball hits a player or the ground. 

(04-12-2024, 12:34 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: No, Evan can kick much farther than Robbins

(04-12-2024, 06:05 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Hang time might actually be worse for kickoffs in the new rules. If you loft it up high, you're giving the blockers time where nobody can move to figure out which direction the ball is heading and mentally prepare to set up the needed blocks for where the ball is going to land once it's touched. If you have the least hangtime needed to get the ball directly to the zone, you're able to give the blockers very little time to do anything other than to instinctively react.

(04-12-2024, 09:33 AM)Nepa Wrote: Agreed. While the kicking team players cannot move, the receiving teams has two players who can move before the ball is touched or hits the ground. Good hang time allows them to get into position (one catching the ball and one blocking) and the rest of the receiving team to prepare for a return. I suspect the strategy will be line drives that end in the landing zone and ideally can get by the two receivers and into the end zone or just short of it.

There were times (before last year's rule about fair catching kickoffs) that Simmons had McMoney hit kickoffs deep, but not into the end zone, with the goal of stopping the returning team inside the 20. I think McMoney will be able to adjust to whatever Simmons asks of him with these new rules. Some other teams (like KC with Punt God) may find the punter better adapted to learning to hit line drives with the correct placement; I just don't see it with Robbins.

(04-12-2024, 01:07 PM)ochocincos Wrote: People need to be prepared to see another punter drafted.
Robbins was horrific last year.

(04-12-2024, 02:12 PM)TKUHL Wrote: I’ve been mocking Tory Taylor P out of Iowa to us.

Quote:[color=var( --e-global-color-text )]Austin McNamara has a powerful leg with a vicious punting motion. He kicks the ball with aggression, but has still shown excellent placement on his kicks. He’s improved his mechanics over his 5 year career as a starter, and has done a nice job of converting his distance into hangtime. McNamara has good size at 6’4″, and it doesn’t slow him down in his punting motion.
McNamara has shown in the past that he can average an impressive yard per punt number (48.2 in 2021), but has instead transitioned his power into elite hangtime. McNamara only allowed returns on 18% of his punts this past season, by far the best percentage for any punter averaging over 45 yards per punt.[/color]

[color=var( --e-global-color-text )]Austin McNamara 2023 Stats
46.3 yards per punt, 24 inside 20 yard line, 7 touchbacks, 49.1% fair catches forced, 59 long, 81.8% unreturnable punts[/color]

(04-12-2024, 10:26 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: I was not a fan of the pick when it happened and I was certainly not a fan of his performance for the season.  He was near the bottom of all the stats that matter.   I never bought into the idea it was better to have a weak legged punter because he wouldnt have many returns.  He doesnt have a great leg so he wont outkick the coverage?  Give me a punter that can flip the field when the offense is backed up.

(04-12-2024, 02:43 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Not even expecting Robbins to be on the team come the regular season. We should draft a Punter like Tory Taylor or McNamara and
just boot it out of the back of the end zone all the time in our Division so no returns happen with the Returners in our Division. I also
hope we draft a player like Ainias Smith or my favorite Malachi Corley to punish teams who don't boot it out of the back of the endzone.

Having hang time is meaningless now, just helps the blockers set up if you have too much hangtime now.