The Detroit Lions have been known for their elite special teams through the years, and one of the best young players they have on the roster at this point is punter Jack Fox.
Also an elite kickoff man, Fox understands the difficulty involved with booting a ball through the uprights on a kickoff. As a result, he wants to see kickers start to get rewarded for making such a play in the future with a point for their team.
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Fox presented the thought on Twitter, and generated a lot of thoughts and some support along the way.
As a whole, it is a very interesting thought indeed, even if it is unlikely to gain steam or happen in the league. Seeing a point awarded for a kick through the uprights would be fun, and a way to usher the league into a brand new time.
Former NFL Punter Pat McAfee Liked Fox’s Pitch
If you were thinking that Fox was the only person who liked the idea of a kickoff through the uprights counting as a single point, you were wrong. Naturally, colorful personality Pat McAfee loved the idea of a kickoff through the uprights counting as a point, and he had a great reason why.
As McAfee said, the excitement over such a play would be second to none and would add a level of intrigue to the game perhaps unlike any other rule change the league could ponder.
It’s true and McAfee is right. If the league changed the rule and a game was won on a bomb of a kickoff through the uprights, there might be no more exciting play in football history. In McAfee, Fox has one of the best league personalities and special teams advocates behind him.
Jack Fox Stats
Since taking over the punting job for Sam Martin who departed in free agency last year, Fox has been nothing if not dominant. He had to win an early season battle to earn the right to punt in camp, but once he overcame that, the sky was truthfully the limit. Early last season, Fox had some impressive numbers to his credit including a 50.3 average which was first in the NFL at the time. Additionally, Fox’s long punt of 67 yards early on was tied for the fifth-longest boot in the league, and he’s pinned 19 punts inside the 20 yard line, good for a tie in the sixth position in terms of his peer group at that stage.
With numbers like that, it’s clear the Lions have more than likely locked down their punting position well into the future. That’s great news of course, and the hope is that Fox can continue his special teams dominance for the Lions in 2021 and beyond.
It’d be fun to see a weapon like Fox get a new way to impress, even as farfetched as this potential rule seems as it would be.
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Lions Punter Makes Spectacular Rule Change Pitch to NFL