Three things to watch for in Bears’ Hall of Fame Game preseason opener vs. Texans

Three things to watch for in Bears’ Hall of Fame Game preseason opener vs. Texans originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Caleb Williams will be on the sideline in sweatpants along with the rest of the starters Thursday night when the Bears kick off their 2024 preseason slate in the Hall of Fame Game against the Houston Texans in Canton, Ohio.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced Tuesday that backup quarterback Tyson Bagent would start and that the majority of the action will involve guys either on the roster fringe or the outside looking in.

While Williams’ preseason debut will have to wait another week, there still are a few things worth watching for Thursday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

New kickoff rule

Eyes around the NFL will be glued to the television Thursday night to see how the Bears and Texans navigate the NFL’s new kickoff rules, which were adopted this offseason.

Here’s a brief overview of the new rules:

Ten members of the kickoff team will line up at the receiving team’s 40-yard line, while nine or 10 players on the return team will line up in the “setup zone” between their 30 and 35-yard lines. The receiving team can have one or two returners between the 20-yard line and the end zone, known as the landing zone. Only the kicker and returner can move while the ball is in the air. Everyone else must wait until the ball lands to start moving. If the ball lands or is fielded before the 20-yard line, it is placed at the 40. A touchback now starts at the 30.

Since the NFL announced the rule change, teams have been scrambling to understand their new kickoff reality.

Will they have to look for a different type of personnel on the kickoff team?

How many returners should be on the field?

Will this lead to more kickoff return touchdowns?

What’s the ideal kick trajectory?

Thursday’s game will be the first time seeing the new rules in action, and everyone is curious about what it will look like.

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has been…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-things-watch-bears-hall-160605766.html

Author : NBC Sports Chicago

Publish date : 2024-08-01 16:06:05

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