THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: A local reason to watch NFL kickoffs today

Who pays THAT much attention to special teams? 

I mean, everyone notices the punter, and the punt returner, and maybe the gunners. 

On the rare occasions where it isn’t a touchback, you notice the kickoff returner(s). But it’s still a little weird, with the new rules, seeing the kickoff in the air, but NOBODY is moving. 

Anyway, pay attention to special teams today, when the Washington Commanders play at the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship (noon, KAYU).

Presuming he’s active for a second straight week, former Coeur d’Alene High standout Colson Yankoff has played mostly on special teams for Washington during his rookie season in the NFL. 

Listed as a tight end/running back, Yankoff saw action in six of the Commanders’ first seven games, until going on injured reserve Nov. 9 with a hamstring injury.  

He came off IR during the playoffs, and was activated for the first time last week, when Washington stunned the top-seeded Detroit Lions in the divisional round. Yankoff played 15 snaps, all on special teams, and you might have seen him downing a punt early in the third quarter. 

THE VANDALS, in a roundabout way, kept the lonnnnnnnnng FBS season interesting. 

Some thought the recently concluded college football season, in the first year of its 12-team College Football Playoff, was too long. 

I don’t know. 

Remember, football, like most sports, is programming. 

Yes, the season is long.  

With conference championship games and up to four playoff games possible, college teams can play up to 17 games in a season.  

In the “old” days, it was as few as 12 — 11 in the regular season, plus a bowl game. 

You remember bowl games ... 

Playing 17 games is quite a strain on the depth of college rosters — and some schools are better equipped to maintain that depth. 

This year’s champions had the talent and the depth to withstand a longer season, with four playoff games. 

Never mind that said team wouldn’t have made the four-team playoff last year. 

On the other hand, the expanded playoff creates more interest in these parts. Boise State has a real shot to make it now, whereas it was almost impossible before. 

BACK TO Idaho. 

While we waited for the College Football Playoff to begin, there were the Vandals in the FCS playoffs for a couple of weeks to maintain our appetite in football. 

Even after Idaho was eliminated, there was enough regional interest in Montana State (and, to a degree, the Dakota schools), to watch the FCS playoffs while we waited for each round of the CFP. 

We’ll see what happens after a few years of expanded playoffs. 

In time, folks might get tired of seeing a team like Ohio State — which lost twice in the regular season (once at home to Michigan, again), but was still good enough to make the 12-team field, then deep and talented enough to navigate four playoff games — keep winning titles. 

Just like folks tired of seeing only Alabama and Clemson in the title game. 

Notre Dame, at least, brought some intrigue this year. 

People love ‘em or hate ‘em, but when the Irish are relevant, college football is more interesting. 

Hopefully it won’t be another three-plus decades until Notre Dame has this good a chance to win a national title. 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.