OXNARD, Calif. – The NFL’s new kickoff rules debuted in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night.
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey didn’t watch the game but has watched his team practice with the new formations. Along with special teams coordinator John Fassel, he’s got some ideas on approaches.
“There’s just a bunch of tools you put in your toolbox like you do different golf clubs (and) go out there and hit,” Aubrey said after Friday’s practice. “Now I’m just going out and smashing the driver on kickoff all the time. So it’s kind of like hitting a free kick in soccer. You got a couple of different ways you can hit it. So I’m trying to get all those into my bag and figure out what works and what doesn’t work and what Bones is gonna watch.”
One possible benefit to the new kickoff formations/rules is kickoffs won’t be sent out of the end zone, which takes some pressure off kickers’ legs. If anything, the angles of the kicks and hangtime are important.
“Yeah, it can save my leg for sure,” Aubrey said. “Go out there and I can hit two steps, three steps, instead of running and smashing my whole body through it every time. So it will save my legs a few reps here and there.”
Briefly
For the first time since he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, Jerry Jones will not attend the festivities this weekend in Canton, Ohio. Jones did participate in a video conference call Friday morning with Hall of Fame board members.
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