Tavon Austin - punt returns

[OmerV]

This may just be stirring up stuff (I don't care), or maybe nobody will even respond, but I was thinking that given the effort we saw from Austin Sunday where he ran most of the way across the field, losing 8-9 yards in the process, all in an effort to make a big punt return, maybe a fair catch was the right decision on that punt in the Vikings game. I know there is still some confusion on what was or was not communicated to Austin, but regardless, he may not be the kind of North/South runner we needed in that situation. I'm not even convinced he makes a difference in any situation. We haven't seen much from him as a returner so far.

 

[links18]

Nah.

 

[Blackthorn]

Yep, you are stirring things up. Each punt return is unique and a player with elite speed just needs to find a crease.The Vikings game was two weeks ago. The fair catch against the Vikings was ludicrous. He had a clear path for 20 yards running north, which would have taken less time than Dak throwing out routes then a "hail Mary". The return could have put the Cowboys in range for two legitimate plays.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

This may just be stirring up stuff (I don't care), or maybe nobody will even respond, but I was thinking that given the effort we saw from Austin Sunday where he ran most of the way across the field, losing 8-9 yards in the process, all in an effort to make a big punt return, maybe a fair catch was the right decision on that punt in the Vikings game. I know there is still some confusion on what was or was not communicated to Austin, but regardless, he may not be the kind of North/South runner we needed in that situation. I'm not even convinced he makes a difference in any situation. We haven't seen much from him as a returner so far.

Him doing that actually helped the coaching staff’s case regarding the whole fair catch flub. Dude, pick a lane and go (north/south).

 

[OmerV]

Nah.

Nah what? lol

 

[Creeper]

I concluded a long time ago that Austin is not as good as his reputation. He does not have the speed to outrun other teams anymore. The Cowboys could use a guy who lives up to Austin's reputation to return punts and kickoffs.

 

[Stash]

This may just be stirring up stuff (I don't care), or maybe nobody will even respond, but I was thinking that given the effort we saw from Austin Sunday where he ran most of the way across the field, losing 8-9 yards in the process, all in an effort to make a big punt return, maybe a fair catch was the right decision on that punt in the Vikings game. I know there is still some confusion on what was or was not communicated to Austin, but regardless, he may not be the kind of North/South runner we needed in that situation. I'm not even convinced he makes a difference in any situation. We haven't seen much from him as a returner so far.

Garrett and the team already - albeit awkwardly - admitted their mistakes in proper communication. How about we don't now look for some way to still try to blame the player afterwards?

 

[OmerV]

I concluded a long time ago that Austin is not as good as his reputation. He does not have the speed to outrun other teams anymore. The Cowboys could use a guy who lives up to Austin's reputation to return punts and kickoffs.

But really the good punt returners aren't always speedy guys. Obviously speed helps, but a guy with average speed can still be effective if he can make the first guy miss and find a seam while running North/South. We aren't seeing that from Austin.

 

[Stash]

I concluded a long time ago that Austin is not as good as his reputation. He does not have the speed to outrun other teams anymore. The Cowboys could use a guy who lives up to Austin's reputation to return punts and kickoffs.

One disappointment I will mention is that he's not running away from anyone in the passing agame this year. The few times he has been in there and Prescott has taken a shot to him, he's either been double covered and the pass is incomplete or the pass has been intercepted. Either way, he hasn't gotten open.

 

[OmerV]

Garrett and the team already - albeit awkwardly - admitted their mistakes in proper communication. How about we don't now look for some way to still try to blame the player afterwards?

I didn't blame the player for the Vikings game, but I do blame him for the punt return effort in the Lion's game, and it is reasonable for that effort to raise a question about his decision making as a punt returner.

 

[OmerV]

One disappointment I will mention is that he's not running away from anyone in the passing agame this year. The few times he has been in there and Prescott has taken a shot to him, he's either been double covered and the pass is incomplete or the pass has been intercepted. Either way, he hasn't gotten open.

I've noticed that too.

 

[Stash]

I didn't blame the player for the Vikings game, but I do blame him for the punt return effort in the Lion's game, and it is reasonable for that effort to raise a question about his decision making as a punt returner.

Is it?

I don't think so. Certainly not where you're trying to go, the revisionist history route to where what he did in the Lions game somehow makes telling him to make a fair catch looks like a good decision. It doesn't.

 

[Stash]

I've noticed that too.

I had been hoping to see him get more opportunities in the passing game to add that speed element, but I haven't seen it.

 

[John813]

One disappointment I will mention is that he's not running away from anyone in the passing agame this year. The few times he has been in there and Prescott has taken a shot to him, he's either been double covered and the pass is incomplete or the pass has been intercepted. Either way, he hasn't gotten open.

He's just not a good route runner. He's fast, but not Tyreek Hill fast. IMO corners can cheat knowing he can't run a lot of routes.

He's merely a gadget player who needs a simple screen or open space to make a play

 

[Stash]

He's just not a good route runner. He's fast, but not Tyreek Hill fast. IMO corners can cheat knowing he can't run a lot of routes.

He's merely a gadget player who needs a simple screen or open space to make a play

I thought he was faster than the guy I'm seeing this year. And this team doesn't seem to want to use him for the gadget plays much either.

 

[OmerV]

Is it?

I don't think so. Certainly not where you're trying to go, the revisionist history route to where what he did in the Lions game somehow makes telling him to make a fair catch looks like a good decision. It doesn't.

Surely you agree that the choice he made Sunday was a bad decision.

 

[John813]

I thought he was faster than the guy I'm seeing this year. And this team doesn't seem to want to use him for the gadget plays much either.

They get these niche players and don't use them for their niche strength often enough.

I get they have other weapons, some more potent than others, but take a page from Gase and run a screen or two with Austin every so often.

Honestly haven't seen enough of him this year to wonder if his speed took a hit.

 

[Stash]

Surely you agree that the choice he made Sunday was a bad decision.

Absolutely. But I don't expand on that one to somehow extend to all of his decisions. And certainly not that one against Minnesota. It's well established what he was told to do, even if the organization couldn't actually be honest about it from the start.

 

[Stash]

They get these niche players and don't use them for their niche strength often enough.

I get they have other weapons, some more potent than others, but take a page from Gase and run a screen or two with Austin every so often.

Honestly haven't seen enough of him this year to wonder if his speed took a hit.

That's just speculation on my part about the speed thing from my own eyeball test. No proof on that, he just looks slower to my eyes.

But yes, frustratingly creativity seems to ebb and flow by the week around here. Creative one week, bland and predictable the next. Did we throw a single screen pass against the Vikings while theirs killed us all night?

 

[OmerV]

Absolutely. But I don't expand on that one to somehow extend to all of his decisions. And certainly not that one against Minnesota. It's well established what he was told to do, even if the organization couldn't actually be honest about it from the start.

It was just food for thought. I'm not saying he was certain to do the same thing had he tried to return the punt against the Vikings. I'm really just saying the concern in the kind of situation we were in against the Vikings is that the returner will try to do too much, and it will hurt the team, and this week showed that can happen, and is an argument for the conservative approach.