The Eagles may have found a loophole on special teams, and they may have found it just in time for the NFL to shut it down.
Philadelphia’s Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans featured a kickoff wrinkle that gave Jake Elliott a different launch point. On four of Elliott’s five kickoffs, punter Braden Mann came onto the field as a 12th man and held the ball at an angle instead of using a tee. Special teams coordinator Michael Clay said the idea came from film study, after he noticed the Atlanta Falcons using a holder on kickoffs in Week 1.
“It just gave us a different opportunity, a different launch angle and they executed pretty well,” Clay explained, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The result showed up in the field-position battle. The Eagles’ average starting spot was the 36.3-yard line, while Tennessee began its drives at its own 31.2-yard line. Philadelphia also coaxed more returns than touchbacks, with the knuckleball-style kicks staying in the landing zone rather than sailing out of the end zone.
For now, the tactic is legal under the league’s new kickoff format, which already borrows from the XFL and allows a holder to remain on the field as long as he clears out after the kick. That loophole didn’t stay quiet for long. Bears reporter Adam Hoge flagged the setup on September 24, and Chicago special teams coordinator Richard Hightower made it clear he expects action.
“The intent of the rule - and we are all going to get together on this and get this fixed - because the intent of the rule is a ball is supposed to be in a tee,” Hightower said.
Special teams coordinators around the league are now expected to meet and address the issue, and a rule tweak could come before the Bears and Eagles meet on Monday night. If the league decides a tee has to be part of the process, that would take away the edge Philadelphia just uncovered.
The NFL has already shown this season that it can move fast on rule changes. Earlier this year, it added a challenge flag adjustment directly into the book without a full competition committee vote. A quick fix here would fit that pattern.
If the change comes, holders would reportedly still be allowed to angle the ball - they would just need a tee underneath it. Whether that removes Philadelphia’s advantage remains to be seen. Clay and the Eagles have not commented publicly since Hightower’s remarks surfaced, but given how quickly Clay found this wrinkle, it would not be a surprise if he’s already hunting for the next one.
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