Not using Dan Bailey

[BLEU3ASY]

Coaches in the NFL constanly outthink themselves we all know that DB43 can kick it into the 8th row of any stadium.. Teams try to pin you inside the 20 by just kicking over the end zone line enticing return teams to return the ball.. Why flirt with a return specialist and give him a returnable ball? The defense was holding serve for most of the game.. Kick the ball out of the end zone and play D.

 

[perrykemp]

I couldn't agree more with you.

Kick it out of the back zone each and every time.

 

[StylisticS]

I didn't understand it when he did it. Just kick the ball out of the back of the end zone and let your defense do work.

 

[MRV52]

Maybe he made a bad kick.

 

[Tommy]

Coaches in the NFL constanly outthink themselves we all know that DB43 can kick it into the 8th row of any stadium.. Teams try to pin you inside the 20 by just kicking over the end zone line enticing return teams to return the ball.. Why flirt with a return specialist and give him a returnable ball? The defense was holding serve for most of the game.. Kick the ball out of the end zone and play D.

Sometimes the kicker doesn't get all of the ball when he kicks it. Touchbacks aren't automatic.

 

[Bullet22]

Coaches in the NFL constanly outthink themselves we all know that DB43 can kick it into the 8th row of any stadium.. Teams try to pin you inside the 20 by just kicking over the end zone line enticing return teams to return the ball.. Why flirt with a return specialist and give him a returnable ball? The defense was holding serve for most of the game.. Kick the ball out of the end zone and play D.

 

[jblaze2004]

yeah i think it was a bad kick until i hear otherwise.

 

[xwalker]

Coaches in the NFL constanly outthink themselves we all know that DB43 can kick it into the 8th row of any stadium.. Teams try to pin you inside the 20 by just kicking over the end zone line enticing return teams to return the ball.. Why flirt with a return specialist and give him a returnable ball? The defense was holding serve for most of the game.. Kick the ball out of the end zone and play D.

I think that is a natural grass field. Sometimes kickers don't get a perfect kick on grass.

 

[Aven8]

I think it was the wind going that way. Every time he kicked the other direction it was a touchback. There kicker had the same issue. Bailey was 21-24 for touchbacks before this game according to Joe Suck.

While we're on the subject I hate the new rule. It took away all the fun out of the KO for one, and now it has to be taking a toll on KR's as far as getting paid, etc.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

That's an interesting topic. Kicking into the end zone every kickoff negates potential for giving up returns but at the same time it negates ability to create turnovers. I would think that there are just as many fumbles on kickoff returns every year as there are touchdowns allowed.

But considering our coverage units suck balls Bailey needs to uncork it every time.

 

[Awakened]

I also think it factors in that the kick coverage team doesn't expect the ball to actually be returned, so they're not really ready for it. It's like "oh ****, the guy's running with the ball!"

 

[CowboysLegend365]

So y'all want Buehler back? Lol

 

[DFWJC]

Coaches in the NFL constanly outthink themselves we all know that DB43 can kick it into the 8th row of any stadium.. Teams try to pin you inside the 20 by just kicking over the end zone line enticing return teams to return the ball.. Why flirt with a return specialist and give him a returnable ball? The defense was holding serve for most of the game.. Kick the ball out of the end zone and play D.

I thought it was weird that the kick was a bit short.
But I feel pretty certain that was not by design.

It was late in the game (kicks tend to get shorter) and Baily either just didn't get all of it or maybe some wind affected it.
No way with our crap coverage team did we purposely want a guy who was already averaging 28 yards per return to get a shot at it.

Of well, now Harris is back to leading the league in return average, thanks to us.

 

[Venger]

There is no way that was a deliberate short kick. None.

 

[Alexander]

There is no way that was a deliberate short kick. None.

Not completely sure about that. Sometimes you do read about kickers saying they were told to directional kick. It has happened before.

For all we know, that could be what Hardy was fuming about.

 

[w8lifter]

Not completely sure about that. Sometimes you do read about kickers saying they were told to directional kick. It has happened before.

For all we know, that could be what Hardy was fuming about.

I believe that kick was what Hardy was getting 'animated' about with ST coach on the sidelines.

 

[Alexander]

I believe that kick was what Hardy was getting 'animated' about with ST coach on the sidelines.

It did seem personal, directed at the coach specifically.

 

[Venger]

Makes no sense. There is zero reason to do anything but kick the ball out of the end zone. If you can. The absolute last thing you would do is kick the ball to generate a return against a guy who 1) returns kicks for TDs 2) did it for your team and 3) now has a little chip on his shoulder because he's playing against you and wants to show well. There is just no reason to think we did this. There were a bunch of other things Hardy could get pissed about not related to a "directional" kick which frankly is something generally reserved to the punting game, or back when you might have two kick returners, you'd kick to the other one. But with the kickoff so damn far up field there is no reason to not try for the stands on every kickoff.

 

[Alexander]

Makes no sense. There is zero reason to do anything but kick the ball out of the end zone. If you can. The absolute last thing you would do is kick the ball to generate a return against a guy who 1) returns kicks for TDs 2) did it for your team and 3) now has a little chip on his shoulder because he's playing against you and wants to show well. There is just no reason to think we did this. There were a bunch of other things Hardy could get pissed about not related to a "directional" kick which frankly is something generally reserved to the punting game, or back when you might have two kick returners, you'd kick to the other one. But with the kickoff so damn far up field there is no reason to not try for the stands on every kickoff.

The use of directional kickoffs and the coverage each position takes is more common than you might think. Remember this is a returner who were are familiar with (and he also is familiar with our schemes too, which he pointed out after the game). It is not unreasonable to assume this was a strategy intended to take advantage of Harris' aggressive nature and to hopefully pin the Giants back inside the 20. It would not be the first time, Bailey intentionally kicked short versus the Eagles last year to keep Huff from breaking one off, the one that Spillman recovered.

The common sense you are throwing in here might be the best thing to you and I, but sometimes coaches overanalyze things. Sometimes it pays off, other times it does not.

 

[31smackdown]

The Giants kicker did kick one out of bounds, so I would think there may have been some conditions at play. It would be interesting to know if it was a planned lay up to try to pin them inside the 20.