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Chargers start bouncing around ideas about new kickoff rules for practice with Rams

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Chargers start bouncing around ideas about new kickoff rules for practice with Rams

The Chargers will get their first chance to test their kickoff and kickoff return approach to the NFL’s dynamic rule change in live action Sunday against the Rams during their joint practice.

“We’re going to get work in … whether that be against the Chargers, the Rams or whoever it may be,” special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken said. “We want to make sure we are working our technique. Otherwise, we won’t get a good look.”

The new rules have required some adjustments throughout the offseason, but Ficken’s approach is to keep the techniques simple as players adapt to the new format.

Graphic of proposed change to NFL kickoffs.

(NFL)

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The kicking team is lined up on the opposing team’s 40, and the receiving team can line up five to 10 yards away. Nobody along the lines is permitted to move until the return team touches the ball or it hits the ground.

“Right now, we’re feeling good in terms of technique and laying the foundation, continuing to work on the fundamentals,” said Ficken.

Ficken emphasized that the goal for the kickoff and return units is to allow the players’ athleticism to shine, enabling them to execute without worrying too much about the new rules.

“We want to make sure it’s natural,” Ficken said.

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This offseason, Ficken had the team watch film of the XFL, which ran a version of this kickoff rule, as well as Thursday’s preseason opener between the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans.

“I thought the kickoffs were a lot faster,” Ficken said. “It was good to see two different teams go at it and observe what they’ve been working on, what works and what doesn’t work.”

Kicker Cameron Dicker said he has adjusted to the new dynamic kickoff rules, changing his approach to kicks throughout camp. Instead of high deep balls with maximum hang time, he focuses on placement for the cover team to pursue.

Ficken praised Dicker’s adaptability, hinting at a bag of tricks unlike anything he has seen.

“He can execute all types of kicks, whatever you need him to do,” Ficken said. “He can be a weapon.”

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Kicking under the new format feels more like “shanking” a kickoff than doing a squib kick, as Dicker put it.

“That’s almost the goal,” Dicker said. “Get it to land early so the returner can’t get to it, and hopefully, it dribbles through.”

Dicker added, “Try to drive it out there and hope for the best.”

While not experimenting with different kicking styles, Dicker does enjoy miss-hitting the ball, “almost hitting it off the ankle for fun and seeing what happens.”

“It’s going to be interesting once Week 1 comes around to see the first person who tries something strange,” Dicker said.

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On the return team, Derius Davis will again handle kick returns, coming off a season in which he returned 17 kicks for 374 yards, ranking 11th in the league.

Davis, an All-Pro rookie punt returner last season, likens returning kicks under the new rules to playing running back. He noted the new rules don’t allow for much hang time, and anticipates seeing more kicks on the ground than in the air.

“It’s definitely different,” Davis said, “because everything happens much faster since the return teams’ drops aren’t as deep.”

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Lightning players wear full-padded Bucs uniforms, get Baker Mayfield escort before Stadium Series in Tampa

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Lightning players wear full-padded Bucs uniforms, get Baker Mayfield escort before Stadium Series in Tampa

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The Boston Bruins were being hosted by the Tampa Bay Lightning not in the usual Amalie Arena way on Sunday night, but rather at Raymond James Stadium — home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So, before they hit the outdoor ice on a very chilly Tampa night, the Lightning players were spotted coming off the bus wearing throwback “Creamsicle” Bucs uniforms.

Pads, helmets and all.

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Victor Hedman and the Tampa Bay Lightning dress in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle jerseys and are joined by Tristan Wirfs as they travel to the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida.  (Mark LoMoglio/NHLI)

Fans were cheering as the players, all with their numbers and last names on the back of the bright orange jerseys, made their way into the stadium for their clash with the Bruins.

It was a lot different than the regular blue, black and white jerseys the Lightning players are used to, but these throwback jerseys are a staple in the Tampa area. The Bucs still wear them today on occasion, though it used to be synonymous with losing when the franchise first began in 1976.

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The Bucs were an expansion team, and they turned heads with their uniform color choice. However, they went a whopping 0-26 in them before finally coming away with a win in their second season.

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And it wasn’t just the Lightning players the fans were cheering for. At the head of the pack were Bucs stars, quarterback Baker Mayfield and left tackle Tristan Wirfs, leading the way while wearing the actual blue sweater the hockey team would don on the ice at Raymond James Stadium.

Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning arrives prior to the 2026 NHL Stadium Series against the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, the Bruins also had a football theme considering their fellow NFL team in New England is going to the Super Bowl in a week.

With the Patriots back in the “Big Game,” the Bruins showed up in full Patriots outfits, looking like our founding fathers as they got off the bus.

While the NHL and its teams are having fun with this Stadium Series game, both of these squads are coming into the contest on fire.

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The Bruins and Lightning each own an 8-1-1 record over their last 10 games, and the Lightning own the Eastern Conference’s best record at 34-14-4. The Bruins are not too far behind, though, at 32-20-3.

David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins arrives dressed as a Colonial Patriot before the 2026 NHL Stadium Series game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Brian Babineau/NHLI)

Finally, hockey outdoors in Florida is usually conducive, but the NHL will actually need a heater to get the ice to the proper temperature as it’s an uncharacteristic 40 degrees on Sunday night.

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Despite All-Stars’ efforts, Lakers fade vs. Knicks on anniversary of Luka Doncic deal

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Despite All-Stars’ efforts, Lakers fade vs. Knicks on anniversary of Luka Doncic deal

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the Lakers’ acquisition of Luka Doncic.

Coach JJ Redick acknowledged he felt “stressed” knowing about the trade before the Lakers played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden that night in 2025.

While his stress may have faded, Redick couldn’t have liked what he saw from the Lakers on the same floor one year later.

Despite a strong effort from Doncic, the Lakers struggled with their shooting and lost 112-100 to the Knicks on Sunday night.

After Landry Shamet made his second straight three-pointer to give the Knicks a 112-99 lead with 59.3 seconds left, Redick pulled his starters. The Lakers led 56-52 at halftime but were outscored 38-26 in the third quarter after New York went on a 15-5 run to take a 90-82 lead into the fourth quarter.

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Doncic finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Lakers’ 45% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from three-point range.

With the Lakers in sixth place in the uber-competitive Western Conference at 29-19, Doncic was asked where he thought they stood in their pursuit of an NBA championship.

“We’re in a good spot,” Doncic said. “Obviously, got some work to do. But I think today we obviously missed a lot of good looks, but I think we have a great group.”

LeBron James had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds, but he fell to 23-9 in regular-season games at Madison Square Garden, and the Lakers slipped to 4-3 on their season-high eight-game trip, which ends Tuesday in Brooklyn.

With the Lakers 5-5 in their last 10, James also reflected on where the team stands.

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“I like this group, but we got to continue to get better,” James said. “And that’s good. We should want to get better. … We want to continue to get better and better. It’s a tough league.

“Like I said, it’s been tough all season as far as dealing with injuries. … Unfortunately our All-Star two-guard [Austin Reaves, calf injury] has been out for a minute and that’s a big piece of our team. So, it’s kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be.”

Deandre Ayton had 13 points and five rebounds, and Marcus Smart had seven points and three assists.

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OG Anunoby had 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists to lead the Knicks (31-18), who have won six straight. Shamet scored 23 points off the bench, and Josh Hart had 20 points and four rebounds. Jalen Brunson finished with 12 points and a season-high 13 assists.

Before the game, James was named an All-Star for a record 22nd time.

LeBron James had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds against Josh Hart and the Knicks.

LeBron James had 22 points, six assists and five rebounds against Josh Hart and the Knicks.

(John Munson / Associated Press)

“Obviously, super humbling,” James said. “Mad respect to the coaches and them seeing how I’m still playing at this latter stage of my career and to be able to be an All-Star. That means a lot to my family, my people that’ve been following my career, my LeBron faithful that’s been following my journey.

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“It’s always rewarding just from a humble standpoint to be able to be rewarded for what you put your work into. So, it’s pretty cool.”

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Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur as final head coach hire complete across NFL

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Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur as final head coach hire complete across NFL

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The NFL coaching carousel came to an end on Sunday, as the Arizona Cardinals’ hire marked the last team to fill its vacancy.

The Cardinals announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur, the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator, on a five-year deal.

After it was reported Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will be taking the Las Vegas Raiders’ job following the result of Super Bowl LX, the final two head coaching spots left in the NFL were filled. 

The rest of the coaching hires are as follows:

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Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of the Los Angeles Rams looks on in the second half of the preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on Aug. 26, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Tyler Schank/Getty Images)

  • New York Giants: John Harbaugh
  • Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski
  • Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken
  • Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady
  • Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy
  • Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley
  • Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh

The Cardinals stayed in the division, poaching another coach from the coveted Sean McVay coaching tree. McVay has now had four offensive coordinators since he’s been head coach of the Rams.

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All four of them are now head coaches, including Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Matt LaFleur, Mike’s brother, who coaches the Green Bay Packers.

“We had the opportunity to speak with an outstanding group of candidates during this very thorough process and gathered tremendous insight from each of them,” Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement. “At the end of that process, it was clear that Mike LaFleur possesses all the traits necessary to lead this team to success as its head coach. He is highly intelligent with an exceptionally sharp, creative football mind. Mike is also a dynamic and innovative leader and exactly the type of person we were looking for to guide our team as its head coach.”

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Head coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur of the Los Angeles Rams follow the joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers at The Bolt on Aug. 4, 2024 in El Segundo, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

General manager Monti Ossenfort added: “In his career, Mike has been around some of the best and brightest coaches in football and has been a key contributor to highly successful teams. He understands what winning football looks like and what it takes to achieve it. Mike is a strong communicator with a detail-oriented teaching style that has always gotten the best from his players and we are incredibly excited for him to bring that to the Cardinals.”

With LaFleur in Los Angeles, the Rams’ offense has been one of the best units in the league, ranking fifth in passing yards (244.9), first downs (21.4) and offensive touchdowns (144) since taking over the role. The Rams also averaged 361.8 yards per game, which ranks sixth in the NFL.

“I couldn’t be more fired up to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and am beyond grateful to Michael (Bidwill) and Monti (Ossenfort) for this opportunity. Having competed against them in the NFC so many times in recent years, I know the type of talent and toughness the team has and cannot wait to get to Arizona to hit the ground running,” LaFleur said in a statement.

Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFleur interacts with Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams prior to the NFL divisional playoff football game at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images) (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Before working with the Rams, LaFleur joined Saleh with the New York Jets, leading their offense in the same role. He was with Saleh in San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers regime as well.

With all head coach roles filled, the coaching dominoes will continue to fall as they build out their staffs for the 2026 NFL season, which will officially start next month. 

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