Cowboys Special Teams Key Stats

[ondaedg]

• Opponents have 403 more yds in kick returns than we do.
• Cowboys are averaging a historically bad 12.5yds per kick return. By far worst in the NFL. Next closest is 17.9yds by Steelers. Most teams are above 20yds per return. Just wow...
• We are 24th in kick return yds allowed at 24.8.
• Cowboys are dead last in punt avg 41.8.
• We are ranked 29th in yds per punt return allowed at 10.0
• 27th in yds per punt return 5.6.

We are losing the punt battle by about 10yds per punt to our opponent. And losing about 8yds per kick return. When all is said and done we are losing the ST yardage battle by a minimum of 50 yds per game if you assume 3 punts and 3 kickoffs per team. Some games will be worse. Just wow...

 

[Jake]

Dallas is also 29th in average starting field position (ASFP). Special teams play a part in that, along with having the fewest interceptions by their defense in the NFL.

The top two teams in ASFP? New England and San Francisco.

Our offense rarely gets a short field "easy" touchdown. It's always a long drive.

 

[Carson]

Special Teams Blunders in Week 12

• Blocked punt resulted in Patriots taking over at Dallas’ 12, scored game’s only touchdown
• Missed 46-yard field goal into the wind
• Pollard muffed kickoff return on pop-up kick to Dallas 12
• Schultz muffed kickoff return on pop-up kick to Dallas 24
• Delay of Game because of indecisiveness over Patriots only having 10 men on the field
• Illegal motion on subsequent punt attempt
• 32-yard punt fair caught on subsequent punt attempt, losing 20 yards of field position
• Pollard muffed kickoff return on pop-up kick to Dallas 11

 

[ondaedg]

Dallas is also 29th in average starting field position (ASFP). Special teams play a part in that, along with having the fewest interceptions by their defense in the NFL.

The top two teams in ASFP? New England and San Francisco.

Our offense rarely gets a short field "easy" touchdown. It's always a long drive.

Yep. Our inability to create turnovers is why I didn't include avg starting fiekd position. But awful special teans play combined with lack of takeaways is why our avg field position is so bad.

 

[ondaedg]

Special Teams Blunders in Week 12

• Blocked punt resulted in Patriots taking over at Dallas’ 12, scored game’s only touchdown
• Missed 46-yard field goal into the wind
• Pollard muffed kickoff return on pop-up kick to Dallas 12
• Schultz muffed kickoff return on pop-up kick to Dallas 24
• Delay of Game because of indecisiveness over Patriots only having 10 men on the field
• Illegal motion on subsequent punt attempt
• 32-yard punt fair caught on subsequent punt attempt, losing 20 yards of field position
• Pollard muffed kickoff return on pop-up kick to Dallas 11

And to think I dug up my stats on my own. Should have checked Mosher first!

 

[Carson]

And to think I dug up my stats on my own. Should have checked Mosher first!

No I prefer yours. They put it more into perspective. A lot of the stats he posted can simply be changed by one blocked punt or a huge return.

 

[ondaedg]

No I prefer yours. They put it more into perspective. A lot of the stats he posted can simply be changed by one blocked punt or a huge return.

I appreciate that.

 

[Yoshimitsu]

I tried to dig up the special teams coaches history. Dude spent years with dallas as a scout and now hes coaching special teams? How the hell did this happen?

 

[fifaguy]

• Opponents have 403 more yds in kick returns than we do.
• Cowboys are averaging a historically bad 12.5yds per kick return. By far worst in the NFL. Next closest is 17.9yds by Steelers. Most teams are above 20yds per return. Just wow...
• We are 24th in kick return yds allowed at 24.8.
• Cowboys are dead last in punt avg 41.8.
• We are ranked 29th in yds per punt return allowed at 10.0
• 27th in yds per punt return 5.6.

We are losing the punt battle by about 10yds per punt to our opponent. And losing about 8yds per kick return. When all is said and done we are losing the ST yardage battle by a minimum of 50 yds per game if you assume 3 punts and 3 kickoffs per team. Some games will be worse. Just wow...

Any idea about penalties as well? Feels like we get at least 2-3 of those a game on ST.

 

[ondaedg]

Any idea about penalties as well? Feels like we get at least 2-3 of those a game on ST.

Good question. I am thinking someone with a subscription to a stat service might have that.

 

[movaughn88]

• Opponents have 403 more yds in kick returns than we do.
• Cowboys are averaging a historically bad 12.5yds per kick return. By far worst in the NFL. Next closest is 17.9yds by Steelers. Most teams are above 20yds per return. Just wow...
• We are 24th in kick return yds allowed at 24.8.
• Cowboys are dead last in punt avg 41.8.
• We are ranked 29th in yds per punt return allowed at 10.0
• 27th in yds per punt return 5.6.

We are losing the punt battle by about 10yds per punt to our opponent. And losing about 8yds per kick return. When all is said and done we are losing the ST yardage battle by a minimum of 50 yds per game if you assume 3 punts and 3 kickoffs per team. Some games will be worse. Just wow...

Honest question and maybe someone out there has been part of or knows more about how an NFL staff works, but how hard is it to fire and replace a ST coach mid season? Is it harder than it sounds? A position coach or coordinator I guess can be replaced by someone just under them (for instance a RB coach or OL coach can replace an OC) but how does this work with ST coaches?

I can't for the love of God figure out how we didn't fire ours two weeks ago after the Austin punt gaffe (and the well noted stats on this thread), and now after yesterday I can't imagine how O'Quinn isn't publicly and mercilessly fired today.

 

[Carson]

Honest question and maybe someone out there has been part of or knows more about how an NFL staff works, but how hard is it to fire and replace a ST coach mid season? Is it harder than it sounds? A position coach or coordinator I guess can be replaced by someone just under them (for instance a RB coach or OL coach can replace an OC) but how does this work with ST coaches?

I can't for the love of God figure out how we didn't fire ours two weeks ago after the Austin punt gaffe (and the well noted stats on this thread), and now after yesterday I can't imagine how O'Quinn isn't publicly and mercilessly fired today.

I highly highly doubt firing O'Quinn would be hard to replace.

He has arguably the worst Kick return, punt return, punter and an erratic kicker.

I'm sure any coach can get more than this.

 

[Kaiser]

'm sure any coach can get more than this.

I'm not sure they fire him during the season but he has been awful. I've always thought the ST coach was a check the box kind of job where very few were significantly above or below the average.

But this guy has been a disaster and needs to be fired.

 

[conner01]

Stats don’t tell the whole story
It’s really worse when you watch the most basic things being missed

 

[Carson]

Stats don’t tell the whole story
It’s really worse when you watch the most basic things being missed

This cannot be emphasize enough

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

The special teams phase is the easiest of the 3 phases to fix. You can be a bad team but still have a pretty good special teams.

 

[NickZepp]

Jerry Jones and company have always put as little money into special teams as possible for the most part. It's amazing it's as good as it is half the time.

 

[ondaedg]

To add some perspective to my original post, we are on pace to break the record for lowest average per kick return by almost a full 2yds.

And this is with Tavon and Pollard on our roster who were both great returners in college.

 

[Ranching]

• Opponents have 403 more yds in kick returns than we do.
• Cowboys are averaging a historically bad 12.5yds per kick return. By far worst in the NFL. Next closest is 17.9yds by Steelers. Most teams are above 20yds per return. Just wow...
• We are 24th in kick return yds allowed at 24.8.
• Cowboys are dead last in punt avg 41.8.
• We are ranked 29th in yds per punt return allowed at 10.0
• 27th in yds per punt return 5.6.

We are losing the punt battle by about 10yds per punt to our opponent. And losing about 8yds per kick return. When all is said and done we are losing the ST yardage battle by a minimum of 50 yds per game if you assume 3 punts and 3 kickoffs per team. Some games will be worse. Just wow...

It's the referees fault!!!!

 

[ondaedg]

I tried to dig up the special teams coaches history. Dude spent years with dallas as a scout and now hes coaching special teams? How the hell did this happen?

There was an article just recently explaining how he got the job. If I recall correctly it was an inhouse hire. Will try to find it.