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Message: <blockquote data-quote="HardRightEdge" data-source="post: 657244">I started paying close attention to this around mid-season.  To my eye, a key factor was simply lack of opportunity due to poor return blocking.  Given the significant improvement in kick coverage, one is inclined to believe the special team composition had a greater emphasis on guys who could make tackles at the expense of blocking ability.There were just a couple of instances where I noticed Hyde opting for the fair catch where there looked to be some room to run, but that's not unusual even among the better returners given the guess work involved.  His fair catches last season were 40% of punts fielded.  This compares with 31% the previous 2 seasons combined, which amounts to one more FC per 10 punts fielded in 2015, not a particularly meaningful difference in judging any risk aversion, something not uncommon among NFL returners as they solidify their careers as position players.In short, what I saw was tacklers consistently in his face.  A big part of productive punt returning is getting off the dime and into the first move before the threat of initial contact, and I was not seeing those opportunities.</blockquote>

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