Pharoh Cooper Talks About the Rams Victory vs. Jacksonville –Audio

[den-the-coach]

Pharoh Cooper Talks About the Rams Victory vs. Jacksonville –Audio

Rams WR and return specialist Pharoh Cooper talks about running the kickoff back for his first NFL touchdown on Sunday. Cooper talks about Jared Goff and the high scoring offense this season.

Listen to Cooper Interview

 

[JRobinson]

Thanks for posting. Good listen

 

[CVita]

Seems like a good kid, real pro. After the 45th “you know “ I had to pull the plug.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ut-of-the-end-zone-costing-their-teams-yards/

Kickoff returners keep taking the ball out of the end zone, costing their teams yards
Posted by Michael David Smith on October 17, 2017

Getty Images

When the NFL changed the touchback rule so that kickoffs into the end zone are brought out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20, the idea was to incentivize returners to keep the ball in the end zone, and hopefully reduce injuries on kickoff returns.

For returners, those extra five yards are a big enough bonus that the smart move is to stay in the end zone. Unfortunately, too few returners have gotten the message.

NFL kickoff returners continue to take the ball out of the end zone, even though statistically speaking they’re better off taking a knee: According to Aaron Schatz of FootballOutsiders.com, there have been 163 kickoffs taken out of the end zone this season, and only 40 of them, or 24.5 percent, have been returned past the 25-yard line. The average line of scrimmage after kickoffs taken out of the end zone is the 23.2-yard line, meaning returners cost their teams about two yards, on average, each time they take the ball out.

And that includes all kickoffs into the end zone, even those when the returner is just a step behind the goal line when he fields the ball. The decision to take the ball out is even worse when the ball is kicked deep into the end zone: On kicks that go at least five yards into the end zone, the average return goes to the 21.5-yard line. Only 22.5 percent of those kicks are returned past the 25.

It gets even worse when you consider that six kickoff returns have been fumbled this season, a risk to bringing the ball out of the end zone that doesn’t exist if a returner keeps the ball in the end zone.

So why have returners taken the ball out of the end zone 160 times this season? Because returners still think they can take one to the house. But that’s exceedingly rare: On Sunday in Jacksonville, when Rams returner Pharoh Cooper fielded the opening kickoff three yards deep in the end zone and ran it 103 yards for a touchdown, that was the only time all season a kickoff into the end zone had been returned for a touchdown.

Perhaps if you have a return man like Cooper, who’s averaging 31.7 yards a return this year, letting him take a kick out of the end zone is a wise move. But the vast majority of NFL coaches should be telling their returners to stay put. Most of the time, taking a kickoff out of the end zone is a mistake.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ut-of-the-end-zone-costing-their-teams-yards/

Kickoff returners keep taking the ball out of the end zone, costing their teams yards
Posted by Michael David Smith on October 17, 2017

Getty Images

When the NFL changed the touchback rule so that kickoffs into the end zone are brought out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20, the idea was to incentivize returners to keep the ball in the end zone, and hopefully reduce injuries on kickoff returns.

For returners, those extra five yards are a big enough bonus that the smart move is to stay in the end zone. Unfortunately, too few returners have gotten the message.

NFL kickoff returners continue to take the ball out of the end zone, even though statistically speaking they’re better off taking a knee: According to Aaron Schatz of FootballOutsiders.com, there have been 163 kickoffs taken out of the end zone this season, and only 40 of them, or 24.5 percent, have been returned past the 25-yard line. The average line of scrimmage after kickoffs taken out of the end zone is the 23.2-yard line, meaning returners cost their teams about two yards, on average, each time they take the ball out.

And that includes all kickoffs into the end zone, even those when the returner is just a step behind the goal line when he fields the ball. The decision to take the ball out is even worse when the ball is kicked deep into the end zone: On kicks that go at least five yards into the end zone, the average return goes to the 21.5-yard line. Only 22.5 percent of those kicks are returned past the 25.

It gets even worse when you consider that six kickoff returns have been fumbled this season, a risk to bringing the ball out of the end zone that doesn’t exist if a returner keeps the ball in the end zone.

So why have returners taken the ball out of the end zone 160 times this season? Because returners still think they can take one to the house. But that’s exceedingly rare: On Sunday in Jacksonville, when Rams returner Pharoh Cooper fielded the opening kickoff three yards deep in the end zone and ran it 103 yards for a touchdown, that was the only time all season a kickoff into the end zone had been returned for a touchdown.

Perhaps if you have a return man like Cooper, who’s averaging 31.7 yards a return this year, letting him take a kick out of the end zone is a wise move. But the vast majority of NFL coaches should be telling their returners to stay put. Most of the time, taking a kickoff out of the end zone is a mistake.

Could it be that offenses don't see that big of an advantage starting at the 25 rather than the 20. I mean your play calling isn't going to change much. You have play calls on the game sheet for the ball inside the 10 and 5. What does starting at the 25 do, when I have a chance to start at the 30, 35, 40+ line with a great lane, or great block, etc.?

 

[Prime Time]

Could it be that offenses don't see that big of an advantage starting at the 25 rather than the 20. I mean your play calling isn't going to change much. You have play calls on the game sheet for the ball inside the 10 and 5. What does starting at the 25 do, when I have a chance to start at the 30, 35, 40+ line with a great lane, or great block, etc.?

A good question. Personally I would rather the kick returner down the ball if it lands in the end zone but then again I have more of a play-it-safe type of personality so what do I know? My main concern is fumbling the ball away in our red zone and giving the opponent a quick, easy score.

 

[FarNorth]

A good question. Personally I would rather the kick returner down the ball if it lands in the end zone but then again I have more of a play-it-safe type of personality so what do I know? My main concern is fumbling the ball away in our red zone and giving the opponent a quick, easy score.

Another bad rule in my view, maybe it adds to player safety (?) but it diminishes the game. Statistically best answer is to not take the ball out of the end zone,

 

[A.J. Hicks]

What's cool about Pharoah is that he isn't this world burner. He's a football player.

I was watching the play with some friends and they were commenting 'he's not that fast' 'why doesn't he break away'

I looked at them and bluntly said 'he's not a speedster, he's like a 4.5 guy. But he is a football player'

I haven't seen anything from him to make me second guess that the guy is just a football player.