The Hall of Fame game last Thursday was not just a chance to watch some football, but also the first opportunity to witness the new kickoff in action. And if you thought it looked a little odd, you’re not alone. Rams head coach Sean McVay certainly had some thoughts on it after Sunday’s joint practice with the Chargers.
“It just feels weird,” McVay said, kicking off his press conference. “It doesn’t look like anything that has been anything I’ve been familiar with in football. I know the intent is right. We’ll try to figure it out. I know everybody that’s been involved in that has their intentions in the right place but it’s a very foreign-looking play. However we feel about it, we have to be able to adjust and make sure that we adapt and it can be something that’s an advantage to us.”
McVay made it clear that he and the coaching staff will continue to analyze the play and find ways to make sure the execution benefits the team.
“I think we also need to probably have some fluidity with it if there are adjustments as we go,” McVay said. “When you see it against some other teams… it’s one thing to work it against each other but when you see it against some other teams, there will be a lot that we can really dive into with the film. That’s what I mean by interesting.”
The Eagles will have their first chance to experience the new kickoff in game action during Sunday’s preseason matchup with the Cowboys. However, McVay isn’t expecting teams to reveal too much about their strategies with the new kickoff until the games actually count.
“This was a good opportunity to really get familiar with it in terms of just seeing it against another opponent in a little bit more of a controlled setting,” McVay explained. “There’s a lot of work to be done. I think that’ll continue on as we get closer and closer to the opener. I don’t believe that the preseason is going to give us an indication of what this play looks like because I think a lot of teams that have some schematic things, they’re not going to show it just like we wouldn’t as well.”
The new kickoff is definitely causing a stir among coaches and players alike, and it will be interesting to see how teams adjust and adapt to this change in the game. But for now, the focus remains on perfecting the play and finding ways to make it work to each team’s advantage. Stay tuned for more updates as the season progresses.