Defense and Special Teams

[WilmingtonHeel]

Looking at Banks(CnnSi) article about our division being the toughtest I think we all agree on this. Every team is good let's not pretend it isn't so cause we don't like them. We're not suppose to but we don't have to be blind to the fact.

Anyway the winner of this division will be the team that plays the best defense, runs the football and plays the best special teams will win it. We have alot of depth on defense especially the front seven. Our DLine depth is really starting to look impressive. Special Teams (kicking game) has to be from the absolute worse to the best. With Vandy and McBriar we're in good shape. Green will be better than anyone we had returning punts we gives us field position BP talks alot about "hidden yardage" I think that will favor us this year. Remember this

L Skins 14-13 Missed a 41 yarder in the 1st half
L Seahawks 13-10 OT missed a 30 yarder
L Broncos lost in overtime missed another 40 yarder in regulation

With ALL our problems we're 12-4 if we have what we have now. Our Defense will be better we have alot of young talent and depth and our kicking game will be better I see us on the way up

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I believe that the NFC East will be decided by injuries (who gets injured and how many) along with field goal kicking.

Rick Gosselin has his own special teams formula ranking system and stated that Dallas was 14th overall last year. However, he stated if they had a top 10 kicker last year, they would've been 7th overall. He also stated if we had an average punt returner, we would've easily been in the top 5.

Last year Dallas finished dead last in field goal % in kicks under 50 yards which is especially atrocious given Texas Stadium is one of the easiest places to kick in.

Also, they were very good in kickoff return and solid in punt return coverages. But if they find somebody to replace Keith Davis at FS (Coleman or Watkins), they can move Davis to special teams full time. They also have Rocky Boiman and Kevin Burnett should get better.

When I did my statistical analysis, I felt there's a good chance this could be a dynamic special teams squad if they got a kicker and a FS.

Now we have the following:

KR - Thompson. Thompson finished 9th in kickoff returns. However, his longest run was only 48 yards meaning that he was getting good, consistent kickoff returns. As he gets a year under his belt, he should only get better.

PR - Skyler Green - Has got to better than Crayton who finished 2nd to last in punt returns last year.

K - Vanderjagt. Most accurate kicker of all time. Texas Stadium is like practically kicking in a dome (kickers have kicked for a better % there then at the RCA Dome in the last 3 years). Furthermore, he has road games at Jacksonville, Tennessee, Carolina, Arizona and Atlanta and Philly (early October).

P - Got better last year and was the 10th best punter in the league according to my formula. Hopefully he'll just continue to get better and they'll find another punter in training camp so he doesn't possibly wear out his leg.

Coverage - Burnett, Boiman, Davis, Watkins, Shanle/Fowler



Rich........

 

[Bungarian]

KR - Thompson. Thompson finished 9th in kickoff returns. However, his longest run was only 48 yards meaning that he was getting good, consistent kickoff returns. As he gets a year under his belt, he should only get better.

PR - Skyler Green - Has got to better than Crayton who finished 2nd to last in punt returns last year.

From what I understand Green will return kicks and punts.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Looking at Banks(CnnSi) article about our division being the toughtest I think we all agree on this. Every team is good let's not pretend it isn't so cause we don't like them. We're not suppose to but we don't have to be blind to the fact. Anyway the winner of this division will be the team that plays the best defense, runs the football and plays the best special teams will win it. We have alot of depth on defense especially the front seven. Our DLine depth is really starting to look impressive. Special Teams (kicking game) has to be from the absolute worse to the best. With Vandy and McBriar we're in good shape. Green will be better than anyone we had returning punts we gives us field position BP talks alot about "hidden yardage" I think that will favor us this year. Remember this

L Skins 14-13 Missed a 41 yarder in the 1st half
L Seahawks 13-10 OT missed a 30 yarder
L Broncos lost in overtime missed another 40 yarder in regulation

With ALL our problems we're 12-4 if we have what we have now. Our Defense will be better we have alot of young talent and depth and our kicking game will be better I see us on the way up

This was perhaps the hardest read I've seen in a long time. It was hard to follow.

With that said, I don't think you'll get an argument that had a kicking game been better last year, we never would've been in Week 17 needing some help to get in.

But the secondary was also a concern. There were too many breakdowns in coverage, mainly from the FS position. With Watkins coming in, I think he'll prove to be the real deal and make this unit solid for years to come.

Green will provide an instant boost in the punt return game, but I think Thompson is our best weapon when it comes to the kick return game. He was among the league's best as a rookie and will only get better.

Vandy is Vandy. Hopefully he'll keep his misses to a minimum as he has done his entire career.

I expect great things from the team this year, but I have to see it in the first four or five games before I'll believe this team can bring home the Lombardi. After a quick start last year, we all thought they were going to. But after Flo went down... well, you know the story.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

He was right about we are in a tough division....

 

[Bob Sacamano]

From what I understand Green will return kicks and punts.

there are 2 back there to field kicks

 

[sporadic]

there are 2 back there to field kicks

But one guy usually handles 90% of the return duties, the other is used as a blocker.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

But one guy usually handles 90% of the return duties, the other is used as a blocker.

true, it also depends on where the kick is going, but you're right

 

[Yakuza Rich]

From what I understand Green will return kicks and punts.

I'm sure they'll have Green back there on kickoffs, but my guess is that Thompson will be the main kickoff returner.

Last year they had Marion Barber and Terrence Copper helping out, but neither of them are that great at it.

Parcells mentioned last year that he prefers his kickoff returners to be built like running backs because WR's and CB's tend to wear down too quickly. I'm all for giving Thompson some competition, but I wouldn't be ready to unseat him so quickly if I was Parcells.

Rich.......