Giants’ first taste of new NFL kickoff rules comes with chaos

Be sure to add “landing-zone violation” to the NFL lexicon. 

The Giants and Lions got their first taste of the startlingly different NFL Dynamic Kickoff rule during Thursday’s preseason opener, and it only took two opportunities for things to go haywire. 

On the slippery wet turf, Lions kicker Jake Bates hit a two-hopper down to the returners.

It looked like a brilliant trick strategy at first glance, as the bouncing ball was loose and Isaiah McKenzie was tackled at the Giants 2-yard line. 

Only problem? Bates was penalized for a landing-zone violation in the Giants’ 14-3 victory at MetLife Stadium. 

“I think he just missed, but even then, it adds a whole new dynamic to it because it just lands and now all of a sudden [chaos],” said Giants special-teamer Miles Boykin, who is part of the kickoff return and kickoff coverage units. “It’s a tough play and everyone is still learning.” 

Part of the new rule is that the ball must be kicked between the 20-yard line and goal line. If it touches ground before the 20 — as it did in this case — the receiving team gains possession at the 40-yard line, so the flag amounted to a 38-yard change of field position. 

The new rule is meant to accomplish two things: Increase action on a boring play — the NFL had its highest ever rate of kickoff touchbacks last season — while emphasizing safety by eliminating the full-speed collisions that used to happen with running starts on kickoffs. 

“If it’s promoting safety or more explosive plays, we have to respect the [NFL] shield,” cornerback Darnay Holmes said. “If you are just going down and making a tackle, it’s not that different other than you are not running 50-60 yards so that’s helpful on your body. Same principles.” 

The Giants used two speeders — McKenzie and rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. to start — to each cover half the field on their two returns. 

“It’s definitely a quick play and you don’t have much room for mistakes because it’s coming back at you so quick,” Boykin said. “You definitely have to be locked in on staying in your lanes because any little crease can go for 60 or 70 yards.” 

There always is an element to the preseason of teams holding back their best plays, so it might not have been a full representation of loopholes to be exploited come Week 1. 

Players from both teams line up 5 yards apart on the receiving team’s side of the field and cannot move until the ball either hits the ground or is touched by the receiving team.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed that Bates’ kick was a mistake and not a way to give his teammates a few extra steps downfield before the ball was possessed. 

“He just mishit it, but that’s one of those (where) you learn from it because it’s critical,” Campbell said. “You take the ball at the 40-yard line. That’s a huge play.”

The opening kickoff of the game went much smoother, with McKenzie making the catch at the 3-yard line and ripping off a 31-yard return (before a 10-yard holding penalty).