Ravens Special Teams Coach Watching HOF Game Closely

Baltimore Ravens special teams coach Chris Horton wants to see the new kickoff rules in action for the first time.

Oct 23, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens place kicker Justin Tucker (9) kicks the ball to the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports / Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens may not be playing Thursday night's Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, but one member of their coaching staff will be watching very closely regardless.

As the first game of the preseason, Thursday's showdown between the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears will also mark the debut of the league's overhauled kickoff rules. The rule change has been one of the biggest stories of the entire offseason, and coaches and players are still figuring out how they will adjust to it.

For Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton, finally getting to see the new kickoff format in action will be very helpful for his own preparation.

"I think most special teams coaches are going to be glued into that game, and kind of see, 'What's happening on either side? How are they playing?'" Horton told reporters Tuesday. "You just hope going into it, the teams put the ball in play, they play the play, so you can actually get a good feel for what's going to happen. So, we do have some more film to study in our league with our players."

Despite being one of the most iconic plays in football, the kickoff has grown increasingly irrelevant with each passing season. So much so that only 21.8 percent of all kickoffs last season were returned, according to USA Today. The Ravens had just 13 kick returns last season, and that wasn't even all that unusual.

The new rules may be tough to navigate at first, but if it fulfills its intended role of bringing the kickoff back to glory, then it will be an adjustment well worth making.

"As we move forward, I don't know how comfortable we're going to be, but I think we're going to have a pretty good idea of what we want to do and kind of really lay a foundation," Horton said. "Those things could change as the season goes on, but I think early on, we'll have a pretty good idea of who we want to be, who we are as a cover unit [and] what we do as a return unit. We'll probably feel pretty good about it, but again, those things are going to continue to tweak as we move forward."

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