Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins, NFC East
Special teams is usually the aspect of a football team that varies the most from year to year. Barring injuries, coaches know what they're going to get year after year from the likes of Tom Brady, Andre Johnson, DeMarcus Ware and Ray Lewis.That's not the case on special teams where backups on offense and defense are regulars, and with about a third of an average NFL team's roster turning over each year, those special-teamers are often new to the franchise, promoted from the practice squad or rookies. That can make the job of a special teams coach very challenging if less lived under the microscope than that of a head coach or offensive or defensive coordinator.
However, at least in the NFC East, some things remained the same in 2010. As usual, Philadelphia's David Akers wasn't just the NFC East's best kicker. He was tops in the conference. As usual, Dallas' Mat McBriar was the division's -- and the conference's -- best punter. Washington rookie free agent Brandon Banks was the top return man although the Eagles' DeSean Jackson made the most dramatic special teams play. Dallas excelled at covering punts. Washington and the New York Giants were terrific covering kickoffs. Philadelphia was decent in both areas.
So let's take a closer look at how the four NFC East franchises performed on special teams this season.
COWBOYS: McBriar rolled on to a second Pro Bowl outkicking Oakland's Shane Lechler, the NFL's measuring stick, by nine tenths of a yard in both gross (47.9) and net (41.7) average. The 31-year-old Australian's excellence spurred the Cowboys' NFC-best punt coverage teams. Rookie free agent Danny McCray was a demon in coverage, clearly ahead of holdover Sam Hurd, newcomer Jesse Holley and fellow rookies Barry Church and Sean Lee for special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis. Hurd and Holley are both unsigned for 2011.
Another rookie, top draft pick Dez Bryant, was off to a sensational start as a return man, averaging 14.3 yards on punts with two touchdowns on just 15 returns and 24.4 yards on kickoffs before breaking an ankle in Week 13 at Indianapolis. Fellow rookies Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (21.7 average on 25 kickoff returns) and Bryan McCann (22.0 average on 23 kickoff returns and a 20.6-yard average, including a 97-yard touchdown, on eight punt returns) give the Cowboys a very promising future in this area.
In contrast, David Buehler might well have worn out his welcome in his first year as the kicker, after serving as a kickoff specialist as a rookie in 2009. Buehler made just 75 percent of his field goal tries (24 of 32) and was just 4-of-7 from 30-39 yards. Buehler's missed extra point prevented Dallas from taking Arizona to overtime in Week 16. The Cowboys signed veteran kicker Kris Brown during the final week with the idea of him challenging Buehler next summer. Snapper L.P. Ladouceur wasn't a problem. GRADE: B
EAGLES: His two failures inside 42 yards in the 21-16 wild card playoff loss notwithstanding, Akers had another superb season. Although he turned 36 in December and is unsigned for 2011. After the loss to the Packers, Akers made it seem like he was done in Philadelphia, but Eagles coach Andy Reid would be foolish to get rid of the NFL's top scorer of the past 11 seasons because of one bad day. Akers nailed nine of 11 field goal attempts between 40-49 yards this season while leading the league with 143 points.
Punter Sav Rocca, who turned 37 in November, had another fine year for the NFC East champions, finishing eight in the league with a 39.0 yard net average whiel also serving as Akers' holder. Snapper Jon Dorenbos, a Pro Bowl pick in 2009, completes the veteran trio which has been together for four seasons. Rocca is also unsigned for 2011.
Jackson, who missed a game with a concussion and battled a foot injury during the second half of the season, handled only 28 punts in 2010 compared to 44 in 2009 when he was chosen for the Pro Bowl. However, his 11.6-yard average ranked fourth in the NFC and his last-minute 65-yard touchdown completed the miraculous comeback that beat the Giants in the Meadowlands in Week 15 and essentially sealed the Eagles' first division title since 2006.
Jorrick Calvin, acquired from Arizona in August, averaged 10.4 yards on his 12 punt returns and 21.6 yards on 32 kickoff returns, the duty he inherited when Ellis Hobbs (who averaged 21.6 yards on 16 returns) suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 11 that might end his career. Linebackers Moise Fokou (19) and Akeem Jordan (16) led the special teams tacklers, but rookie Colt Anderson, signed off Minnesota's practice squad at midseason, added 12 tackles in just eight games for Bobby April, a longtime special teams coach who was in his first year in Philadelphia. GRADE: C
REDSKINS: Banks, the league's smallest player at 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, had a big impact in his rookie year. His 431 punts return yards were Washington's most since NFL career record-holder Brian Mitchell had 506 in 1998 and his 11.3-yard average was the Redskins' best since Eric Metcalf averaged 12.5 yards in 2001. Include his 1,155 kickoff return yards and Banks' total of 1,586 yards made him Washington's most prolific return man since Mitchell produced 1,843 yards in 1998. Banks' numbers would've been more impressive but penalties on teammates Reed Doughty and Perry Riley wiped out touchdowns of 95 yards on a kickoff return at Detroit and 77 yards on a punt return against Minnesota. Banks did take a kickoff 96 yards to the house against the Lions while being named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week with 271 return yards. Receiver Devin Thomas had started the season as Washington's kickoff return specialist but was cut after four games although he was averaging a stellar 28.0 yards because coach Mike Shanahan wanted to add a running back to the roster.
Veteran special teams coach Danny Smith's kickoff coverage was the NFC's best with Lorenzo Alexander, Chris Wilson, Mike Sellers and Doughty, all in at last their fourth season with the Redskins, leading the tacklers. However, Washington's punt coverage struggled along with the poor punting of veterans Josh Bidwell (three games) and Hunter Smith (nine), youngster Sam Paulescu (two) and kicker Graham Gano (Week 3 when Bidwell was hurt in warmups). Wilson and Doughty are unsigned for 2011.
Nick Sundberg, the first-year replacement for longtime snapper Ethan Albright, was OK, but Smith's botched extra point hold in Week 14 prevented Washington from taking Tampa Bay to overtime after a touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb to Santana Moss in the final minute. The gaffe earned Smith a pink slip and McNabb a seat on the bench because the Redskins were eliminated from contention with that defeat.
Gano, who had made all four of his field goal attempts in his December 2009 trial, wasn't nearly as good In his first full season. His .686 percentage (24 of 35) was the NFL's worst and while he made three overtime game-winners, he missed three kicks inside 40 yards during the final two home games, which the Redskins lost by a combined four points. GRADE: C
GIANTS: Poor Matt Dodge. The seventh-round pick had the tough task of replacing highly-regarded veteran punter Jeff Feagles. Dodge's gross 44.8-yard average was 4.1 yards higher than Feagles' in 2009 befitting a younger leg and his net average of 34.3 wasn't that much lower than Feagles' 36.0. Dodge placed 20 of 72 punts inside the 20 compared to 23 of 64 for Feagles. But Dodge had a punt blocked, dropped a snap, had more than his share of shanks and kicked the ball right to Jackson instead of out of bounds in the final minute in Week 15, allowing the dynamic Eagle to win the game with a 65-yard return and earning Dodge a tirade from coach Tom Coughlin.
Veteran kicker Lawrence Tynes had a much less eventful year, attempting just 23 field goals and converting 19. However, his two failures in four tries between 30-39 yards has to be a concern for the 32-year-old Scotsman. Zak DeOssie, 26, completed a fourth season as New York's snapper for special teams coach Tom Quinn.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/01/19/mat-mcbriar-punts-cowboys-to-no-1-special-teams-ranking-in-nfc/
Miranda Kerr Mischa Barton Missi Pyle Missy Peregrym Molly Sims
No comments:
Post a Comment