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Read’s Option: Improve The Special Team’s Coverage
One of the lasting images from the Giants’ playoff loss is the breakdown in kick coverage, which gave New York a very short field for their game winning touchdown drive. The special teams had perhaps their worst game that day and new coach Bruce Read took a lot of grief, here and elsewhere.
The special teams were hit-and-miss in Read’s first year. The bigger issue was not any overall weakness but their inconsistency; in week three the Cowboys bottled up Chicago’s Devin Hester. One week later they gave up an 85-yard punt return to St. Louis’ Dante Hall and surrendered a 103-yard kickoff return to the Bills’ Terence McGee in the following game.
You never knew if the good or the bad Cowboys’ units would appear. To be fair, the inconsistency was a carryover from the Bruce DeHaven-coached units of ‘05 and ‘06. Recall Rock Cartright’s 100-yard return for the Commanders in the ‘06 home game versus Washington, the sloppy field-goal blocking that handed the Commanders a win after the gun in the rematch and Eddie Drummond’s 40 and 32 yard punt returns in the Lions’ fiasco.
Read’s units treaded water in relation to ’06’s squads, but Dallas needs improvement across the board if it wants to play deep into the post season this year. Here’s a rundown of the Dallas units:
Kickoff Coverage
– Dallas ranked 14th in the league, allowing 23 yards per return. The average is decent but does not take Nick Folk’s shorter kickoffs into account. Return men often fielded the high kicks near the ten, meaning starting position near the 30. I think Folk’s popups were intentional, since he showed plenty of leg on his field goals.
Kickoff Returns
– Dallas ranked a weak 21st, averaging just 21.9 yards per return. Dallas ranked even lower early on, as that number improved after Miles Austin replaced Tyson Thompson as the primary returner. Austin had big returns down the stretch and just missed TDs in the Jets and Packers games.
The return numbers should improve even more with the addition of Felix Jones, a premiere college return man. Quick, name the last time Dallas had a big time kickoff returner. Quick! That’s okay, I can’t name one either.
Punt Coverage
– The unit in greatest need of improvement. Mat McBriar was 4th best in punt average, with a 47.1 number; the coverage ranked 4th worst however, allowing 11.6 yards per return. Keith Davis is gone, but Pat Watkins was doing an effective Davis impersonation late in the season. Dallas needs improved play from its gunners and will have some new ones, with Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones gone. Watch Courtney Brown, who started to make some plays in the last third.
Punt Returns
– Another pedestrian unit, tying for 16th with an 8.7 yard average. Patrick Crayton has sure hands and had a huge return against Miami in week two, but he doesn’t scare anybody. (Consider that Buffalo and Chicago, the best punt returns teams, had averages around 15.0 yards.)
The hope is that Pacman Jones gets back on the field. Jones averaged 12.9 yards per return and returned three punts for touchdowns in ‘06. He would be Dallas’ best returner since Deion Sanders and could push the return squad into elite status.
Kicker
Nick Folk ranked mid-pack in field-goal percentage but no Cowboys fan will complain. His back-to-back 53 yarders in Buffalo showed he’s got the guts to kick under pressure. Folk made the kicks under 40 yards, something a parade of Cowboys kickers failed to do in the Parcells’ years.
The Core
Linebackers and defensive backs are the heart of special teams units, and these four players form the core of Dallas’ squad. (’07 tackles in parentheses):
Kevin Burnett (13)
Pat Watkins (13)
Bobby Carpenter (11)
Justin Rogers (11)
(Keith Davis had 12 special-teams tackles.)
Pat McQuistan and Cory Proctor also feature on the Dallas wedge. These guys figure to make the ‘08 roster on special teams play alone, if they don’t get injured.
http://www.blueandsilverreport.com/2008/06/13/reads-option-improve-the-special-teams-coverage/
One of the lasting images from the Giants’ playoff loss is the breakdown in kick coverage, which gave New York a very short field for their game winning touchdown drive. The special teams had perhaps their worst game that day and new coach Bruce Read took a lot of grief, here and elsewhere.
The special teams were hit-and-miss in Read’s first year. The bigger issue was not any overall weakness but their inconsistency; in week three the Cowboys bottled up Chicago’s Devin Hester. One week later they gave up an 85-yard punt return to St. Louis’ Dante Hall and surrendered a 103-yard kickoff return to the Bills’ Terence McGee in the following game.
You never knew if the good or the bad Cowboys’ units would appear. To be fair, the inconsistency was a carryover from the Bruce DeHaven-coached units of ‘05 and ‘06. Recall Rock Cartright’s 100-yard return for the Commanders in the ‘06 home game versus Washington, the sloppy field-goal blocking that handed the Commanders a win after the gun in the rematch and Eddie Drummond’s 40 and 32 yard punt returns in the Lions’ fiasco.
Read’s units treaded water in relation to ’06’s squads, but Dallas needs improvement across the board if it wants to play deep into the post season this year. Here’s a rundown of the Dallas units:
Kickoff Coverage
– Dallas ranked 14th in the league, allowing 23 yards per return. The average is decent but does not take Nick Folk’s shorter kickoffs into account. Return men often fielded the high kicks near the ten, meaning starting position near the 30. I think Folk’s popups were intentional, since he showed plenty of leg on his field goals.
Kickoff Returns
– Dallas ranked a weak 21st, averaging just 21.9 yards per return. Dallas ranked even lower early on, as that number improved after Miles Austin replaced Tyson Thompson as the primary returner. Austin had big returns down the stretch and just missed TDs in the Jets and Packers games.
The return numbers should improve even more with the addition of Felix Jones, a premiere college return man. Quick, name the last time Dallas had a big time kickoff returner. Quick! That’s okay, I can’t name one either.
Punt Coverage
– The unit in greatest need of improvement. Mat McBriar was 4th best in punt average, with a 47.1 number; the coverage ranked 4th worst however, allowing 11.6 yards per return. Keith Davis is gone, but Pat Watkins was doing an effective Davis impersonation late in the season. Dallas needs improved play from its gunners and will have some new ones, with Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones gone. Watch Courtney Brown, who started to make some plays in the last third.
Punt Returns
– Another pedestrian unit, tying for 16th with an 8.7 yard average. Patrick Crayton has sure hands and had a huge return against Miami in week two, but he doesn’t scare anybody. (Consider that Buffalo and Chicago, the best punt returns teams, had averages around 15.0 yards.)
The hope is that Pacman Jones gets back on the field. Jones averaged 12.9 yards per return and returned three punts for touchdowns in ‘06. He would be Dallas’ best returner since Deion Sanders and could push the return squad into elite status.
Kicker
Nick Folk ranked mid-pack in field-goal percentage but no Cowboys fan will complain. His back-to-back 53 yarders in Buffalo showed he’s got the guts to kick under pressure. Folk made the kicks under 40 yards, something a parade of Cowboys kickers failed to do in the Parcells’ years.
The Core
Linebackers and defensive backs are the heart of special teams units, and these four players form the core of Dallas’ squad. (’07 tackles in parentheses):
Kevin Burnett (13)
Pat Watkins (13)
Bobby Carpenter (11)
Justin Rogers (11)
(Keith Davis had 12 special-teams tackles.)
Pat McQuistan and Cory Proctor also feature on the Dallas wedge. These guys figure to make the ‘08 roster on special teams play alone, if they don’t get injured.
http://www.blueandsilverreport.com/2008/06/13/reads-option-improve-the-special-teams-coverage/
