Inside Access with Jason LaCanfora and Ken Weinman

Chris Tabor: Kickoffs going away in the NFL would be a travesty in my mind

Former NFL special teams coach Chris Tabor joined the show to discuss the new kickoff rules in the NFL. He says why it'd be a travesty for them to get rid of the kickoff in his mind, how it will be a work in progress for all parties, and much more.

Duration:: 16m
Broadcast on:: 12 Aug 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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No, Bobby D, when I was my first go around in Chicago under Coach Lovey Smith there, Bobby was running our pro personnel department. And that's where we cross paths. And then we hooked up again another stint with the Cleveland Browns there. So I've known Bobby a long time, does a great job. And I know he has a lot of great insight for you guys. Well, Chris Taber invented the conveyor belt. Oh, OK. So special teams and coaches and personnel departments, special teams coaches. We have fan club is everywhere. Groupies jumping Bobby while we're on air. So so so so the personnel departments and the special teams coaches work hand in hand because, you know, there's always deal with injuries or we need players, you know, to come in, you know, quickly and sometimes we're in players and we think are better, you know, linebackers and the head coaches and the coordinators are. But Chris Taber, he invented the conveyor belt. You bring him down to the special teams, guys, and they get him going and start building their confidence up. Next thing you know, the linebacker coach likes the guy because the special teams go to put their steel puts their seal on them. Well, coach, you've had a chance to digest these new rules. We've now had a week of full exhibition games. And I know that you're talking to a lot of guys in the league as well. How big of a deal is this? And do you think that the teams that are gutsy enough to sort of play on the edges here or try to maybe get a little cute will hold that stuff back rather than actually try it out and see it in theory and practice in these preseason games? Well, you know, it obviously still a work in progress. And I think probably a lot of guys are still trying to figure out some things. I mean, they're just simple things with regards to how you want to drop your front line guys that are only five yards away from the defender and trying to find out where the balls being kicked and located and then getting on your guy to block. I mean, those are all things I think guys are working through. It seems like the media maybe was hoping for more big returns. But, you know, you saw some big returns here later on, these later games in preseason one. And I just think it's going to be, like I say, a work in progress. But I think the league is doing a good thing by trying to enhance this play and not just settle for the touchbacks. Chris, how difficult is this going to be for the officials? Because it is so condensed with just two lines of players and all of this action is happening at once. Well, you know, I think the officials do a good job and I'm, you know, and I do, I think, and I've always said this, I know people sometimes get on officials, but they have the toughest job and those guys have to make decisions quickly. With the close condensed spaces, I think they'll be fine. I think they'll be able to, you know, if you think about it, with the old kickoff and guys running from the 35 and getting a full head of steam, and then they engage their blocker, does the block, you know, actually sometimes the blocker's hands go around the outside. And then the player replaces his hands inside for a legal block. Well, the official has to kind of sometimes sort through that. I think with them closer together, I think the, the, I don't want to call it legal blocking, but the hands outside the frame and those things will be easier to detect. But it is, everything is happening fast. And I think that's probably what everyone's trying to get used to right now. We're talking to Chris Taber, it's inside access here on the fan. Chris, just curries your opinion. Number one, is this kickoff going to lead to more player safety? And the future of the kickoff, because there is a theory that eventually they're going to get rid of it completely. Are you worried that the kickoff is going to eventually go the way of the dinosaur? Well, I hope it doesn't ever go away. I mean, think about it. I mean, as we all grow up and, you know, back in the day when, you know, they kicked the ball off in the Super Bowl and they have a ground shot. So everyone can see all the camera lights going off. I think those are still important things. I know it will be different now, but just with regard to setting field position, I mean, it's not, we're not playing in our backyard anymore where we're going to start saying, "Hey, let's play, make it, take it." I think, for example, if you have a team that struggles offensively, you know, but you're good on defense and you're good on special teams, well, it's your right to be able to try to set field position as opposed to some arbitrary numbers. Say, "Well, if you score, we'll just put the ball right here at the 25-yard line and see if you can go the whole way." You know, you know, big returns, even if you only get the ball out, you only get the ball out to the 40-yard line. Just imagine, I mean, one first down and now put you in an area where now you're pooaching the ball and you've reset field position and then maybe you score the next series. So I hope it never goes away. I think that would be, in my mind, obviously, a travesty. I mean, thing about football is a game of field position and it's about acquiring land. And you have to be able to set that. You just can't have an arbitrary number. I do think with the condensed version, I think the guys, the coaches and the league have done a good job of trying to obviously shrink the space and the speed. And those collisions. And I think that's a good thing for the game because obviously today's player is different than what it was 20 years ago. They're bigger, stronger and faster. It's just the way it is. And I think that the league is trying to stay up with that and adjust accordingly. Temp check, what kind of summer are we having this year? A family road trip summer, a beach bum summer, or a wake me when the sun sets summer? With Instacart, choose your own adventure and skip the shopping side quests where available, you can get ice cream delivered to your hotel, sunscreened to the pool, or cold brewed to your bed. Well, door in as fast as 30 minutes. Wherever you find yourself this summer, you can get the goods. Download Instacart for free delivery on your first three orders. Offer valid for unlimited time, minimum $10 per order, excludes restaurants, additional terms and fees apply. We all belong outside. We're drawn to nature, whether it's the recorded sounds of the ocean we doze off to or the succulents that adorn our homes. Nature makes all of our lives, well, better. Despite all this, we often go about our busy lives removed from it. But the outdoors is closer than we realize. With all trails, you can discover trails nearby and explore confidently. With offline maps and on-trail navigation, download the free app today and make the most of your summer with all trails. Nothing is more important than getting a good night's sleep, and when you don't get the rest you need, your whole day is thrown off. That's why it's so important to choose the right mattress. Sleeping on a purple mattress is truly a unique experience because purple mattresses are made with a gel flex grid. The gel flex grid is an innovative material that moves with your body to relieve pressure in areas like knees and hips and support in others like your back. It feels soft where you want it and supports where you need it. Purple mattresses instantly adapt when you move. You don't sink in and get stuck like with memory foam. And thanks to over 1,400 air chambers in the gel flex grid, you will sleep cooler on a purple mattress. Purple has a wide variety of mattresses from the original purple mattress to the Restore Hybrid Collection that combines gel flex grid with coils and the Rejuvenate Lux Collection, the height of luxury. With over 112,000 to 5 star reviews to prove it, visit purple.com to find the perfect purple for you and enter code podcast10 to get 10% off. Coach, from the return side of things, do you see the potential for trickeration or razzle-dazzle? I know it would take some cajones, but somebody running right and throwing back left to the other, you know, to the other back. Do you think some people may try to turn this into an explosive play? I think you could see that. I think obviously game situation will always override some of those decisions. I think the one thing that when you see some of those big returns that took place this weekend, it kind of turns into a little bit if we could inside zone. So to speak, it's starting in the balls bending back. You know, the kickoff teams, when you're kicking off from the 35, you could essentially come down in waves. And there would be, you know, it's like having a defensive line, a linebackers and secondaries that there's levels there. Now with the way it is, I think guys are trying to figure out how are we going to get those different waves of coverage because like the Jacksonville, Kansas City game. I mean, the Jacksonville guy does it obviously looks like a punt return or just making guys miss. And if your coverage is all on one line, I mean, think of it as coverage zero on offense. Boom, you get through, you're gone. So I think those are things that everyone's still trying to work through. And it's going to be interesting to see how the game evolves. I really guys, this is going to be a thing that's going to go on for a few weeks, you know, as guys get more comfortable and get more reps about what works and what doesn't work and who they want to attack, it'll be interesting. Chris, they obviously did this rule change to get more action in the game for more returns in the game. But that all being said, could you envision halfway through the season that teams are still going to have their kickers just kick it through the end zone? Well, I do think you're going to see some of that since the ball is going to be spotted at the 30-yard line. I think it's going to get in your area up there in Baltimore where weather is a factor. And obviously, Coach Harbs has always done a great job in that staff on special teams and overall as a team. But, you know, hey, if we can get guys down there into, you know, to tackle inside the 20 or get them at the 22-yard line and now that offense, we stop them with our good defense and now they're punting into the wind and we get a short field boom. We score again. I just, I think when you look at it as opposed to just, it's just a kickoff and kickoff return play, look at it totally within the game of football of how it could affect things. And I think that's what makes it, it's going to make it exciting. Like I say, I'm not going to lie to you. When I first saw it, it does. It looks different because that's where we're used to certain things. But I think like anything, the more reps that are on TV and we start seeing some plays or guys, I know everyone wants to see big returns. But guys, tackles inside the 20. Those are good things too. It just depends how you want to look at it. And I think Chris, I just want to make a point that the Raven fans need to know that you helped coach with Dave Toe. Devin Hester and you were at the Hall of Fame for Hester a couple of weeks ago. So you're using big returns and set and field positions, brother. No, no, and then we're fortunate to be around a guy like that, both of them. But you know, and the Ravens have always had good returners also in my time playing them, whether it was at the Bears or I was a long time in Cleveland. You got a lot of respect for the guys that they get. But it's just, I think the narrative guys and you guys have kind of said it. You want more big returns and those things, I get all that. But putting people back and making offenses work, I think those are good things too. It's how your team is built. And I think fans need to look, how is our team built and what advantage does that give us? Chris Tabor, this was great, man. Thank you so much, coach. Time, we appreciate it. Okay, Dave. Thanks, Dave. Thank you. Take care. Thank you. Nice. Today's episode is sponsored by Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast. Ready to expand your financial game? Nerd Wallet can coach you on smart strategies like choosing investments, finding your next credit card and setting a budget that works for you. Score major points towards your summer vacation by learning expert tips for choosing a high yield savings account and how to build wealth by investing in index funds. Slide into summer with smarter decisions in 2024. Follow Nerd Wallet Smart Money Podcast on your favorite podcast app. Future you will thank you. Trying to figure out what to eat for dinner yet again? With no sides and bullion as you're not so secret ingredient, you can skip the drive-through and do dinner at home. 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