Vikings’ Dynamic Return Duo Is Built For New Kickoff Rules
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL adopted a new set of “Dynamic Kickoff” rules this season to promote more returns while prioritizing player safety. The goal is to inject more action into what became a dormant phase of the game. We will get our first glimpse into how these teams will adjust to them this weekend, with the first preseason games starting this weekend.
While the preseason is notorious for vanilla play-calling, the new kickoff rule is such a radical change that it may force teams to attempt creative approaches as they seek to better understand this newest adaptation. Let’s examine the key alterations and how they could benefit the Minnesota Vikings this season.
The key footnotes to the new rules are:
- Tacklers will set up at the receiver’s 40-yard line, and blockers will set up between the 30 and 35-yard line
- The kicker continues to kick from the 35-yard line, but can not cross midfield (Nor can tacklers/blockers move) until the ball touches the ground, player, or end zone.
- Two players can be inside the 20 to receive the ball. Any ball landing inside the 20 must be returned.
These latest rules can be confusing, but present the opportunity for a potential advantage, with two players in the “landing zone” versus one in the traditional formation. The Vikings are equipped with a proven return team, with 2022 Second-Team All-Pro Kene Nwangwu and an explosive, speedy back in Ty Chandler.
Nwangwu, the 2021 fourth-rounder out of Iowa State, was drafted by Minnesota primarily for his 4.31 speed with the hope that he could provide hybrid traits as a running back despite limited playing time in college. Over the years, he has not developed into a reliable offensive weapon, with just 88 rushing yards in three seasons, but has been an asset in the return game. He made the All-Rookie Team and scored those All-Pro honors, totaling 1879 return yards and three touchdowns during his career.
KENE NWANGWU GOES 98 YARDS.
Kickoff RETURNED. #SKOL @KWang3_
📺: #MINvsBAL on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/eegXYoWL5a— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2021
Chandler, on the other hand, is expected to assume a running back timeshare with Aaron Jones. He’s also the most suitable candidate to be the second player in the“landing zone.” His 4.38 speed and running back instincts are ideal as a return specialist. He isn’t the shiftiest runner, but he hits lanes with quickness and acceleration, which is generally the key ingredient for explosive plays in the return game.
The fact tacklers and defenders cannot move from the “set up zone” until the ball is touched should suit players like Nwangwu and Chandler very well. In theory, the lack of movement from the tacklers should give returners the freedom to run into the catch while the ball is in the air. That head start can give returners an extra dose of momentum that could create the perfect storm for more running lanes.
Blocking will remain a critical element, but it could be much harder to gain leverage with each group lacking the forceful energy generated from running from distance into each other. Starting in the “set up zone” may make it easier for tacklers and blockers to drive each other off-balance. Meanwhile, returners will have the most momentum, and that innate advantage should lead to more holes for returners to hit.
There could be additional creativity with reverses and fake reverses by the two returners to further keep tacklers off-balance, or prompt them to overcommit to bad angles, garnering more missed tackles than before. That’s an advantage tailor-made for a team like the Vikings, who have two speedy, dynamic players patrolling the “landing zone.”
They also have the guy to come up with those kinds of wrinkles. Special teams coordinator, Matt Daniels, is well respected within NFL circles, and his units successfully executed two fake punts last season. That’s the kind of creativity teams will need to exploit the rules, especially in the early going, when teams have much less idea how to navigate the new rules.
FAKE PUNT @VIKINGS
📺: #MINvsDEN on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/XjBVd5cU8l pic.twitter.com/v7z4f7Cky1— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2023
We’ll get our first peek at how the Vikings are able to take advantage of these new rules. Despite significant changes to the kickoff landscape, the Vikings are well-positioned to develop ways to be ahead of the curve with a creative coordinator and two explosive returners that can bring the term “dynamic kickoff” to life.
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