About Those Kickoffs

The latest on the impact of kicking off from the 30:

So far, the new kickoff rule’s impact on the game has not been as significant as many thought before the season. The biggest change has been an increase in the number of kickoffs returned. The average return on kickoffs from the 30 yard line in 2007 has not been significantly longer than the average on kickoffs from the 35 in 2005-2006.

Kicks are landing roughly 2.5 yards farther from the goal line and returns are about 1.4 yards longer.

Darrell Blackman's average kickoff return this season is 20.7 yards, down from 28.9 a year ago. He is getting more opportunities (he's on pace to double the 19 kickoff returns he got last year), as was to be expected, so there is that.