The Los Angeles Chargers want more oomph from their kickoffs Sunday at Foxboro.
Anthony Lynn's team signed kicker Nick Rose to the active roster to handle kickoff duties against the New England Patriots on Sunday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed on Friday. The team later made the signing official.
Michael Badgley will continue to handle field goals after his franchise record-setting performance last week, but Rose will be brought in in hopes of quelling the Pats return game. While Badgley has been money on field goals, he doesn't own the biggest leg on kickoffs.
When the Chargers cut Badley for three weeks in October, part of the reason cited for going back to the less-reliable Caleb Sturgis was the latter's bigger boots on kickoffs. Eventually, the L.A. brass realized Badgley was a way better field goal kicker and points matter more than kickoffs.
Sunday in New England, the Chargers hope to get the best of both worlds.
In 10 games this season, Badgley averaged 61.7 yards on 54 kickoffs. Just nine of those 54 went for touchbacks, 16.7 percent, by far the fewest among kickers who booted 20-plus times. Badgley's 45 kickoff returns on the season were the most of any kicker, even those who booted all season.
In 2017, Rose earned 32 touchbacks on 47 kickoffs over 10 total games.
The Patriots ranked second in the NFL in yards per kickoff return at 27.0 in 2018. Ever-dangerous Cordarrelle Patterson led the way with 23 returns for 663 yards (28.8 average -- third-most among players with 20-plus returns) with a 95-yard touchdown.
With L.A. and New England entering Sunday evenly matched, every yard counts. The Chargers will use a roster spot to prove that point.
