Some Bisaccia Love

[kevm3]

Special teams had a nice game.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Sometimes you have to let the young players play. Alot of times mistakes are a result of confidence...or lack thereof. But the only way you can get that confidence is by doing it...and it's not quite the same if you only get to try in practice. He needs to be put in sink or swim situations. That's my one gripe about Garrett still to this day. He has trust issues and often takes a little too long pulling the trigger on guy's with obvious talent. C Mike may turn out to be another example of that I'm afraid.

Who are all these guys who are massively talented yet can't get playing time under Jg?

 

[ConstantReboot]

Every year, we freak out over special teams in the preseason while guys who will never be here look awful.

And almost every year, it turns out to be just fine.

Heck lots of folks was freakin out about the Eagles and was buying into the Chip Kelly koolaid. It also seems that happens every preseason.

 

[gimmesix]

It wasn't just the preseason. The Eagles had a great ST season last year and we were very average.

Seeing it repeated in the preseason didn't provide much hope for improvement.

Just saying it will get better with no evidence is exactly the same thing as panicking.

But it's impossible to judge STs in the preseason. It isn't like looking at a player and saying based on what he does in a preseason game, it doesn't look like he can play.

You've got 11 guys out there covering a kick and several of them are bubble players who don't end up making the team. If you're looking for hope for improvement from a unit that has little chance of being cohesive in the preseason, you're looking to be frustrated or filled with false hope.

Also, we weren't bad on special teams last year. We allowed an average kickoff return of 21.4 yards (long of 46), while averaged 23.6 on our returns. We allowed an average punt return of 9.6 yards (with a long of 38), while averaging 9.2. And Jones averaged 45.4 yards per punt, with one blocked.

Right now, Jones is crushing that average (52.8) and we have the blocked punt. That's also allowing us to limit opponents to 5.8 yards per return, but we're averaging -0.7. Kickoff coverage is about the same as last year (21.0), but we're averaging less there too at 21.2 (although Dunbar is averaging 25.3).

 

[bayeslife]

Chris Jones surprised me the most I always thought he had a noodle leg cause his punts used to be horrible.

 

[Nightman]

But it's impossible to judge STs in the preseason. It isn't like looking at a player and saying based on what he does in a preseason game, it doesn't look like he can play.

You've got 11 guys out there covering a kick and several of them are bubble players who don't end up making the team. If you're looking for hope for improvement from a unit that has little chance of being cohesive in the preseason, you're looking to be frustrated or filled with false hope.

Also, we weren't bad on special teams last year. We allowed an average kickoff return of 21.4 yards (long of 46), while averaged 23.6 on our returns. We allowed an average punt return of 9.6 yards (with a long of 38), while averaging 9.2. And Jones averaged 45.4 yards per punt, with one blocked.

Right now, Jones is crushing that average (52.8) and we have the blocked punt. That's also allowing us to limit opponents to 5.8 yards per return, but we're averaging -0.7. Kickoff coverage is about the same as last year (21.0), but we're averaging less there too at 21.2 (although Dunbar is averaging 25.3).

We didn't make any big plays on STs. I always felt they were an equal 1/3 in terms of impact on the game. I would use the best players, not just backups.

It didn't look like we attack on STs, more finesse. When you see sloppiness during preseason it doesn't give you hope.

Why does it always have to be sloppy and uninspired. Why can't the mirage be postiive for once? The other teams are using scrubs as well.

 

[gimmesix]

Why does it always have to be sloppy and uninspired. Why can't the mirage be postiive for once? The other teams are using scrubs as well.

It's hit and miss because of the players used. There were several plays where Lucky Whitehead looked good on returns. By individual performance, it gives hope that he might have a future as a return man. But when he finally gets out there in the regular season, he may go nowhere because he's no longer trying to make a team's 54th-best player or even 90th-best player miss.

Who was the rugby player on San Fran that tore us up and had everyone raving? Well, in the real world, he has 2 returns for 7 yards and 1 fumble. Players always talk about how speed of the game in the preseason compared to college and how it kicks up another notch during the regular season.

In the preseason, all you're looking for is individual ability. Keep that in mind and don't worry about the meaningless slop.