The Eagles are proposing the fourth-and-15 alternative to the onside kick, source says. That's a proposal that has had some support in recent years but not enough to be ratified by the owners. A team could opt to try for a first down on fourth and 15 instead of an onside kick.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) March 3, 2021
For the second consecutive offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles are proposing an alternative to the onside kick where teams have a chance to convert a fourth and 15 to regain possession.
We’ve broken down the pros and cons of the proposal.
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PROS
Teams trailing could be more likely to have a comeback
How many times have we watched a game and it’s a two-possession game with three minutes left of the game and each time we say the game is pretty much over. Recovering an onside kick is so rare that when a team does recover it, fans are in shock. According to NFL stats, last season teams recovered an onside kick 4 percent of the time (three out of 67). Teams will be much more likely to convert a fourth and 15 as opposed to recovering an onside kick.
Cons
A penalty would give the offense an automatic first down
Nothing is worse for a defensive unit than having the offense on a long down and someone commits a penalty that gives the offense an automatic first down. This is always a momentum changer and having it happen late in the game could be detrimental.
Some teams have a better advantage on offense to convert
Even though they aren’t in this situation often, the Chiefs are the first team that comes to mind that can potentially convert a lot of these conversions. Having speedy receivers like Tyreke Hill and Sammy Watkins and a big tight end in Travis Kelce can certainly be a threat to opposing defenses.
It wouldn’t be a bad thing if the NFL approves this proposal. The NFL should at least give it a trial run even if it’s just for the preseason, and see how often the fourth and 15 are converted compared to the onside kick success rate.
