Our Special Teams

[FrankRizzo]

Where's the guy here who said our special teams wasn't terrible?
Who tried to argue with me last week?

 

[adambr2]

Shawn Slocum's mom?

 

[Shawnsta3]

I would say the injuries are a major problem for special teams right now, which is often overlooked. But yeah, apart from 2011 the special teams have not looked good.

 

[Jordyruns]

Special teams is not bad, return coverage is bad.

 

[GoPGo]

Where's the guy here who said our special teams wasn't terrible?
Who tried to argue with me last week?

I'm pretty sure we returned a punt for a TD. I'm right here. We also stuffed Patterson the rest of the game.

 

[PFanCan]

Where's the guy here who said our special teams wasn't terrible?
Who tried to argue with me last week?

Crosby and the FG unit has been fine. The FG coverage unit even got a block this season.

Punting unit has been fine.

Kickoff And punt return unit has been fine since Ross departed. Nice TD today.

Kickoff coverage sucks since it has been depleted due to injuries to the starters.

I wasn't the one arguing with you last week, but I don't think the STs are terrible.

 

[HyponGrey]

At least Frank sticks to his guns. You have to respect that.

 

[adambr2]

The kickoff coverage unit sucks, maybe that's a better assessment. The stats will certainly bear that. That's the only major deficiency on ST.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Special teams is not bad, return coverage is bad.

Correct. I'd add that Franklin is dreadful. Looks like that's been fixed...Hyde was back there after Franklin's goofy out-in-out, preceded by running one out from 8 yds. deep just because Patterson did it.

 

[Forget Favre]

I was thinking of the forum when I saw that kickoff return. About how whenever things like that happen we get the "Fire Slocum" threads going.

And then we return the favor from a punt.
Any praise for Slocum or STs?

 

[HyponGrey]

I was thinking of the forum when I saw that kickoff return. About how whenever things like that happen we get the "Fire Slocum" threads going.

And then we return the favor from a punt.
Any praise for Slocum or STs?

No. I give the players the credit, not Slocum. I still say Cobb saved his job.

 

[FrankRizzo]

The kickoff coverage unit sucks, maybe that's a better assessment. The stats will certainly bear that. That's the only major deficiency on ST.

That's what I mean.

If anyone here besides me has all games on DVR, all you have to do is replay all the kickoffs. Both to us, and by us.

95% of the time, our returner meets tacklers way before our tacklers get thru their wall and to their guy.
All these comments are about those discrepancies.

Usually our return guy encounters guys trying to kill him at the 15.
When we cover, they usually get to at least the 20 before we get anyone thru... and that's with the ball usually 5+ yard into the end zone.

I LOL'd when I saw Crosby kicking off the 2nd one.... Slocum wanted to pin the coverage problem, return TD on Masthay for not making the emergency tackle in the open field on Cordarrelle.

 

[Oshkoshpackfan]

Love the thread title frank, nice !!!

 

[lambeaulambo]

With all the injuries to the team, it is really not that shocking that the kick coverage was less than par. Not making excuses - but it has been a week for the adjustments. If it becomes a trend when the walking wounded return, then it becomes a problem.

 

[PackerFlatLander]

Our coverage teams have been terrible since forever.

 

[Forget Favre]

No. I give the players the credit, not Slocum. I still say Cobb saved his job.

I'm willing to give the coach's a break.
The Packers staff knows them better than we do and if they didn't like them they would be fired and new coaches would be hired.
And sometimes other players on other teams are better than us.
Or sometimes we just simply get out-coached by their guys.
It's a lot of factors and not just one.

 

[Bus Cook]

If the guy who runs on the field to pick up the tee, doesn't trip, I feel that our special teams had a good day.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Injuries have killed special teams. ESPN noted that the coverage unit that gave up the TD had six rookies or first years players who weren't on the week 1 roster. Also noted, "Jerron McMillian and Sam Barrington both had shots inside the 20-yard line, and Micah Hyde missed a diving attempt at the 23".

 

[PWT]

FrankRizzo quote
"when I saw Crosby kicking off the 2nd one.... Slocum wanted to pin the coverage problem, return TD on Masthay for not making the emergency tackle in the open field on Cordarrelle".



Slocum put Crosby doing kick off duty, because he was better at directional kick offs than Masthay. This ended long kick off returns by Patterson

 

[Powarun]

I'd don't consider our ST as special (ED) till I see the lineman make a run for it again. We haven't allowed that, so we are bad, not terrible. Plus Crosby made all his field goals and we didn't allow the Vikings to recover an onside kick. We aren't that bad, just have lapses LIKE EVERY OTHER TEAM.

 

[Einstein McFly]

Injuries have killed special teams. ESPN noted that the coverage unit that gave up the TD had six rookies or first years players who weren't on the week 1 roster. Also noted, "Jerron McMillian and Sam Barrington both had shots inside the 20-yard line, and Micah Hyde missed a diving attempt at the 23".

This post should end the thread. We should be happy that injuries haven't derailed our offense or defense, but when you're plugging 22 year old guys from the practice squad into a NFL game against the other team's #1 special teamers you're going to see a difference. That's why the top guys on special teams were the top guys; because they were good at it. I feel like people would expect this more if the offense and defense showed more of the effect of losing guys, but rather than be happy that they don't some folks want to find something (anything!) to whine about.

 

[Poppa San]

Bush, Kuhn, and Goode should be making all the plays. It is the only reason they hold down a roster spot!

 

[FrankRizzo]

I'm pretty sure we returned a punt for a TD. I'm right here. We also stuffed Patterson the rest of the game.

Still defending the kick coverage and return units?
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/11/opponent_scouting_report_green_bay_packers.html

Special Teams: The Packers’ special teams are terrible on kickoffs..... Green Bay is 30th in the NFL on kickoff returns and 32nd in kick coverage...... (There are only 32 teams in the league, so do the math)

Punter Tim Masthay and kicker Mason Crosby both have big legs, but are a bit erratic.
Only five kickers have missed more field goals this season than Crosby.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

Still defending the kick coverage and return units?
http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2013/11/opponent_scouting_report_green_bay_packers.html

I'll just quote what I wrote at the end of October (don't think health has improved much since then):

Injuries have killed special teams. ESPN noted that the coverage unit that gave up the TD had six rookies or first years players who weren't on the week 1 roster.

 

[FrankRizzo]

I'll just quote what I wrote at the end of October (don't think health has improved much since then):

Injuries have killed special teams. ESPN noted that the coverage unit that gave up the TD had six rookies or first years players who weren't on the week 1 roster.

People often use the cliche that "injuries aren't an excuse".
I always disagree because I think they ARE often totally valid REASONS/FACTORS.

Obviously nobody can replace guys like Rodgers or Matthews or Finley or Cobb on this team, or any team. Backups behind them are never gonna be as bad as the starters.

This kick return and kick coverage unit were bad to begin with.

I noticed this from the get go: On the occasions where the kick returner actually was able to return the kick (because many now are touchbacks), I noticed our return guy would usually get smashed into by around the 15-yard line..... one, two, three guys would flood in there that fast and whallop our guy.

Flipside was when their guys would take one out of the end zone, they'd usually run free until the 20-yard line or further, before any one of our guys would crash thru the blocking wall.

I wasn't imagining this. I paused, rewound, replayed it a dozen times.

And the starting field position is indicative of this.

I think it goes along with the general theme of these "defense" being soft, not physical.
It's not only the pathetic tackling of the defense. It's special teams as well.