EL SEGUNDO — Instead of trying for extra hang time on his kickoffs, Cameron Dicker has been practicing placement. Instead of kicking to the end zone and beyond, he’s been experimenting with shorter ones. Instead of hitting the ball squarely and precisely, he’s been trying to intentionally mishit it.
The NFL’s new kickoff rules have changed everything Dicker thought he knew about kickoffs. He’s not alone. Every kicker, every special teams player and coach has been trying to gauge the best way to approach the new rules...