FWST Blog: David Buehler on his first game

[WoodysGirl]

Special player

The Cowboys said when they drafted him that rookie kicker David Buehler was athletic enough to play on special teams besides just kicking off. In his first NFL game, Buehler kicked and was on the punt coverage and punt return units.

He kicked a 39-yard field goal, had one touchback on three kickoffs and made two tackles.

"My body is sore right now," Buehler said. "I haven't tackled in a while, so my back is sore; my neck is sore. I need tomorrow to rest up. But I had a great time out there. I hadn't played in a while, and it was nice to get out there and knock off the rust."

The hardest part was getting his shoes changed.

The Cowboys had no touchbacks last season. Buehler had 48 touchbacks on 88 kickoffs last season at USC.

-- Charean Williams

Posted at 01:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The hardest part was getting his shoes changed.

He should just go barefoot.

 

[Cajuncowboy]

BTW, how do you pronounce his last name? The Raider gus were saying "Beeler" and I thought it was "Buler".

 

[WoodysGirl]

BTW, how do you pronounce his last name? The Raider gus were saying "Beeler" and I thought it was "Buler".

It's "Beeler"

 

[Cajuncowboy]

It's "Beeler"

Thanks.

And props on the ribbon. Nice touch.

 

[Pottsville Maroons]

BTW, how do you pronounce his last name? The Raider gus were saying "Beeler" and I thought it was "Buler".

I'm pretty sure Beeler is right. There was an article that clarified it shortly after the draft.

It wasn't mentioned during the coverage that I saw, but on his 3rd kickoff (touchback kickoff was #2), he was in on the tackle. And not one of those "last line of defense" kind of kicker-tackles. He stuck his head in there with the rest of the coverage team.

 

[kmp77]

He's got to be one of the toughest kickers ever.

 

[JPM]

He's got to be one of the toughest kickers ever.

Don't let him hear you call him a kicker or he will kill you and eat your remains.

 

[LarryCanadian]

Well, he sure got a lot closer to the ball carrier than others on kick coverage. He was in on one tackle I thought, and was in the right spot on another. I guess he doesn't have a set guy that blocks him, but he gets down field to help cover in a hurry, so that is good.

I think it is kind of fun. He was brought in to put ball in endzone for touchbacks though, so 1 for 3 ain't gonna cut it over a full season! That is priority 1, and something that can help us with 15-30 yards of field position average a game, which is nothing to sneeze at!

LarryCanadian

 

[kmp77]

He was brought in to put ball in endzone for touchbacks though, so 1 for 3 ain't gonna cut it over a full season!

33% of his kicks being touchbacks > 0% we had last year!!

 

[AdamJT13]

He was brought in to put ball in endzone for touchbacks though, so 1 for 3 ain't gonna cut it over a full season!

Really? Leading the NFL in touchback percentage isn't going to cut it, huh?

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Well, he sure got a lot closer to the ball carrier than others on kick coverage. He was in on one tackle I thought, and was in the right spot on another. I guess he doesn't have a set guy that blocks him, but he gets down field to help cover in a hurry, so that is good.

I think it is kind of fun. He was brought in to put ball in endzone for touchbacks though, so 1 for 3 ain't gonna cut it over a full season! That is priority 1, and something that can help us with 15-30 yards of field position average a game, which is nothing to sneeze at!

LarryCanadian

We had zero touchbacks last season. Zero. 1 for 3 would be quite an improvement, but would it be enough to justify keeping him on the team? That is the question. Personally, I think he had butterflies last night and we will see more touchbacks in the remaining preseason games.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Buehler is sore and needs to rest? That's laughable. Soreness and sleep are the bane of average men, not Supermen like Buehler.

Either Buehler was joking or the journalist is misquoting him. No matter, this journalist will rue the day he ever misrepresented David Buehler.

 

[WarDaddy]

33% touchbacks would either lead the league or be right there with the league leaders. He's not gonna get one everytime. 1 out of 3 ain't bad. It's actually very good.

 

[Cowboys22]

33% of his kicks being touchbacks > 0% we had last year!!

True, but worth the roster spot and 45 man gameday spot? I'd like to see at least 2 out of every 3 kicks be at least 3 yards deep. That would justify taking two kickers on gameday.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Buehler is sore and needs to rest? That's laughable. Soreness and sleep are the bane of average men, not Supermen like Buehler.

Either Buehler was joking or the journalist is misquoting him. No matter, this journalist will rue the day he ever misrepresented David Buehler.

that's what makes Buehler so dangerous

he makes you believe that he struggles like any other, mortal man, and then

WHAM! busts you right into orbit

 

[Bob Sacamano]

33% touchbacks would either lead the league or be right there with the league leaders. He's not gonna get one everytime. 1 out of 3 ain't bad. It's actually very good.

I excuse the 1st kick because he had pre-game jitters

 

[YosemiteSam]

He should just go barefoot.

I would prefer he wear Gene Simmons' boots.

 

[AdamJT13]

True, but worth the roster spot and 45 man gameday spot? I'd like to see at least 2 out of every 3 kicks be at least 3 yards deep. That would justify taking two kickers on gameday.

Wow, the expectations for Buehler's kickoffs are unreal.

Just so people actually get some perspective, here are the top three touchback percentages for each season since 2000 --


2000 -- 18.8, 16.0, 15.7
2001 -- 22.0, 16.7, 16.4
2002 -- 22.7, 21.6, 17.4
2003 -- 32.4, 17.0, 15.3
2004 -- 32.9, 19.4, 18.6
2005 -- 26.7, 25.3, 21.6
2006 -- 35.8, 25.3, 25.0
2007 -- 32.4, 22.1, 21.3
2008 -- 33.3, 32.4, 31.0


Only seven teams (four different kickers) in the past nine years have had higher than 27 percent touchbacks. If Buehler gets even 20-25 percent, he'll be among the best in the NFL.

 

[Four]

I like how buehler pretends he is sore so we don't feel so inferior to him.

You can't make up that kind of humility.