Kicking has become a bigger factor in the NFL as rule tweaks and in-house ball handling boost range and scoring. A trio of long field goals — including a 65-yarder — highlighted the era, while kickoff strategy and coffin-corner placement reshaped field position. Eagles special-teams excellence and Jake Elliott’s precision helped curb Tampa Bay, underscoring a broader revival: expanded scoring, more blocks, and a faster, more dynamic kicking game.

Across the league, teams are embracing higher-variance kicks, longer FG attempts, and smarter return plans. The result is a season where kicking is not a footnote but a driver of outcomes, with fans and fantasy managers watching how the new landscape affects field-position battles, scoring chances, and weekly risk-reward calculations.

Chad Ryland’s late kickoff misfire after Arizona tied Thursday Night Football allowed Seattle to start at its own 40, setting up a 52-yard game-winner by Jason Myers. The miscue has reignited debate about the NFL’s new kickoff rules and late-game risk, with Seattle capitalizing and Arizona defending the decision-making in the final seconds.

Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon defended the process, stressing the clock-management plan and noting that one mis-hit isn’t the lone reason for the loss, while Ryland faced public scrutiny as he tries to establish himself in a season shaped by evolving special-teams rules. The episode underscores how kickoff strategy and field-position swings can tilt outcomes in tight games, with fantasy implications for kickers and Seattle’s kicking reliability remaining a clear positive.

The game adds to the ongoing dialogue about rule changes and late-game decisions, highlighting how teams adapt to shifting dynamics and how those adaptations ripple through fantasy scoring and betting outlooks in close contests.