Packers Family Night is Saturday night at Lambeau Field.
The NFL has new kickoff rules to encourage returns and reduce concussions. Packers Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach Rich Bisaccia wants his players to embrace the new rules with excitement.
“This new kickoff thing is going to be fun and confusing and different," Bisaccia said recently. "A lot of questions are going to arise, regardless of what position we're talking about. We'll see what happens. We feel like there's going to be amendments to the rules, according to what happens in the preseason games. We're just gonna have to play it and see what we're going to do.”
One of the changes is taking any mystery element out of onside kicks.
“There is no surprise onside kick," said Bisaccia. "The onside kick is in the fourth quarter only. Your team has to be behind. You have to declare you're going to kick an onside kick. And you have to kick an onside kick that has a chance to be defended or played by the kicking team. If it goes through everyone, or you pop it over the top and they can't make a play on the ball, it's going to be a penalty. It's going to go all the way to the 20. So they want the onside kick to be a a viable play.”
Bisaccia is overseeing the Packers' kicking competition with incumbent Anders Carlson trying to hold off Greg Joseph.
"It's just early," said Bisaccia. Just glad they're healthy and, kicking the ball right now. The wind has been a nice, pleasant surprise for us. There hasn't been a tremendously crazy, windy day. So it's been advantageous to them, but it's still a long process. It's early in the in the process of what we're trying to get to at the end. We’ll just keep kicking.”
Daniel Whelan returns as the Packers' punter.
“We expect him to play a little bit better. We thought he really, really played well in the red zone as the year went on. It's something he worked hard at. He's got a big leg. He's really done a good job of improving his holding. He’s extremely smart, athletic. Hope he makes the jump a little bit in the field and continues to improve in the red zone.”
Bisaccia said one of the goals for Packers special teams is to reduce penalties this season.