Throughout final week’s media have a look at the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ organized workforce actions (OTAs), a significant ensuing storyline was which gamers had been getting used for the league’s new kickoff rule.
Chiefs assistant head coach and particular groups coordinator Dave Toub spoke on the benefits of utilizing beginning security Justin Reid to kickoff, noting the seemingly improve of kickers being required to make tackles with the brand new formation.
Reid addressed the likelihood for himself following Friday’s media have a look at apply.
The elder statesman of Kansas Metropolis’s secondary didn’t understand it was a query whether or not or not he would discover a position on this 12 months’s kicking recreation.
“I feel it was already understood with out having to be stated out loud,” he declared. “Yearly, I attempt to kick. I simply love to do it for enjoyable. I petitioned Coach Toub the final two years to let me get some within the preseason…It was only a pure match. He knew I might be enthusiastic about it, and we predict we will flip it right into a weapon this 12 months.”
After studying of the brand new rule — which sees virtually no motion permitted till a kickoff has been fielded or fallen within the touchdown zone — Reid started practising lengthy earlier than OTAs began.
“I’ve a tee and a few soccer that I had taken with me earlier than we began OTAs,” he revealed. “I labored on it in just a few grass fields ensuring there was some good contact. OTAs has been primarily right here, and I’ll take those self same footballs with me on this subsequent break and simply proceed to remain sharp with it.”
Because the workforce’s beginning security, Reid already often performs each defensive snap most weeks. He sees taking up a particular groups position as one other method to assist the workforce win. The defender additionally cited an important latest instance of the sport’s third part turning a recreation in favor of the Chiefs: a third-quarter fumble restoration by the Kansas Metropolis punt workforce in Tremendous Bowl LVIII that arrange the workforce’s first landing.
Picture by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos
“Particular groups performs a significant position within the recreation,” he reiterated. “The sport is three phases: offense, protection, and particular groups. Within the Tremendous Bowl, particular groups was the distinction between us successful and dropping. We had that punt that we had been in a position to capitalize on and get the ball again for our offense close to their aim line and capitalize on that turnover. Particular groups makes a humongous distinction, and I’m keen to do something to assist us win.”
As he practices for a possible second position, Reid can be turning into conscious of the brand new rule’s pitfalls, particularly that an error kicking off may lead to opposing possessions beginning on the 30 and even 40-yard traces.
“Simply have the last word confidence and luxury that the ball will likely be in play,” he stated of his strategy. “That it received’t be a penalty, and the opposite workforce will get it on the 40. So long as the ball is in play — and we’ve an additional man working down there like a heat-seeking missile — good issues are going to occur.”
