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By Mike Sando
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... even-exist
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jeff Fisher, back on the NFL's competition committee in his first season as St. Louis Rams coach, made a strong statement on a provocative rules issue Friday.
"The forefathers of our game, the founders, had they known then what they know now about injuries on the kickoffs, the kickoff wouldn’t be part of the game," Fisher said. "They wouldn't have even thought about it."
Moving kickoffs from the 30- to the 35-yard-line reduced returns and, by extension, injuries associated with them.
"The injury rate on the kickoff and that phase was off the charts (under the old rule)," Fisher said. "The number of concussions were reduced by 40 percent or something like that. ... We addressed an issue and we had success with it. What we set out to accomplish as a committee, with the support of the commissioner, made sense."
The Rams had 55 kickoffs returns, their lowest figure since also having 55 in 1999. They averaged 23.3 yards per return, their highest since 2007.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... even-exist
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jeff Fisher, back on the NFL's competition committee in his first season as St. Louis Rams coach, made a strong statement on a provocative rules issue Friday.
"The forefathers of our game, the founders, had they known then what they know now about injuries on the kickoffs, the kickoff wouldn’t be part of the game," Fisher said. "They wouldn't have even thought about it."
Moving kickoffs from the 30- to the 35-yard-line reduced returns and, by extension, injuries associated with them.
"The injury rate on the kickoff and that phase was off the charts (under the old rule)," Fisher said. "The number of concussions were reduced by 40 percent or something like that. ... We addressed an issue and we had success with it. What we set out to accomplish as a committee, with the support of the commissioner, made sense."
The Rams had 55 kickoffs returns, their lowest figure since also having 55 in 1999. They averaged 23.3 yards per return, their highest since 2007.