Why is Price returning punts?

[Chocolate Lab]

A few more points and I'll stop with this.

1. If it's really about the injuries, guys like Roy Williams and plenty of other players you don't want getting hurt should not be playing special teams. The ones running back the kicks aren't any more likely to get injured than the ones defensing them and getting blocked in the open field.

2. If it's not about the injuries, then Parcells must just think either (a) Newman is not as good as some of his other options, like Peerless Price, who has the preferred body type but no history of success, or (b) Newman's not in good enough shape to do it.

Personally, I'm leaning towards the body type. I think Parcells has this idea in his head of what the perfect punt returner looks like and Newman ain't it.

Good points. I think this is one of those quirky Parcells things where he just doesn't want Newman to do it and isn't going to let him, good reason or not.

The fatigue reason doesn't really fly IMO because in past years Newman always blocked the gunner on punt returns, usually by himself, and that's probably at least as fatiguing as returning -- you have to run 40 yards or so every time and stay in front of the gunner the whole way, even on fair catches. That's a tough job.

And the skinny legs reason doesn't fly either, when you let a 160-lb guy with "the build of a junior high basketball player" do it all year in 2003.

Maybe Parcells really does think Newman is that valuable to the defense, but he doesn't ever say much about him because he's superstitious or something. I don't really believe that idea, though. IMO he'd be just as comfortable with Glenn out there.

But how dangerous would it be to let him do it once a game or so anyway? That was supposed to be the plan, that wouldn't he do it every single punt, but in special situations like when the other team was kicking out of its endzone. But we've been in that situation a few times already this year, and it was still Crayton. Think about it guys, Parcells didn't even let Newman return in desperation time of the Skins game, with around a minute left, when a big return was about our only hope, and Newman most likely wasn't even going to have to cover anyone the rest of the game. (If the Skins had got the ball back, they'd just kneel out the clock.) When I saw that, I knew Parcells was never going to let him do it.

I don't think Parcells trusts Price much, so if he makes one tiny slip up, I look for Barber to be back there, and that's fine with me. I'm a big Barber believer anyway. But I still wish we had a threat with enough speed to take it all the way.

 

[Trip]

I'm trying to remember but it seems he was hurt at the time.

TNew doesn't need to return punts on a regular basis. PERIOD.

Look at the list of current punt returners and tell me which guy is a front liner? How many of them are pro bowlers at another position? In the top 20 there is one guy I'd guess is a pro bowler and he is literally, 20th.

PP didn't return punts in college for the same reason TNew won't now.
Deion and TNew while in college could return punts because teams never threw on them at all so they remained fresh.

On 3rd downs we move TNew in the slot and ask him to run all over the place with a slot WR on 3rd down. Thats not ideal for your returner by any means.

After reading your post, it's easy for me to conclude that you don't want Newman to return punts, not so easy to figure out why.

What do the top 20 punt returners have to do with anything? Do you think Newman would be good at it or not?

It seems like you're leaning towards the fatigue factor. I'm not buying that as the reason at all. It's not any more taxing to run back back a punt than it is to run down the field and block on special teams, which Newman's done, while he was playing CB, obviously.

Injury factor? Nope, not in Parcells mind, IMO. Parcell doesn't shelter players, besides when I stop seeing #31 flying down the field like a kamikaze, I'll buy that.

He just doesn't think Newman would be good at it, IMO, for whatever reason.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Deion and TNew while in college could return punts because teams never threw on them at all so they remained fresh.

You can believe that.

 

[Trip]

I'm trying to remember but it seems he was hurt at the time.

TNew doesn't need to return punts on a regular basis. PERIOD.

Look at the list of current punt returners and tell me which guy is a front liner? How many of them are pro bowlers at another position? In the top 20 there is one guy I'd guess is a pro bowler and he is literally, 20th.

PP didn't return punts in college for the same reason TNew won't now.
Deion and TNew while in college could return punts because teams never threw on them at all so they remained fresh.

On 3rd downs we move TNew in the slot and ask him to run all over the place with a slot WR on 3rd down. Thats not ideal for your returner by any means.

By the way, not meaning to be a total arse (it comes naturally, I guess) but is that why PP didn't run back punts in high school as well? He's lived a sheltered life. But kickoffs in college and high school were both okay?

 

[Hiero]

Its been discussed. Being the target, is a lot different than RW as a heatseeking missile hitting someone else. RW doesnt get hurt laying the hit, he hurts people, not a valid argument. If it's not about the injuries, its about Newman being on the field every single play, and being able to keep him that way without unnecessarily tiring him out on something less important.

A few more points and I'll stop with this.

1. If it's really about the injuries, guys like Roy Williams and plenty of other players you don't want getting hurt should not be playing special teams. The ones running back the kicks aren't any more likely to get injured than the ones defensing them and getting blocked in the open field.

2. If it's not about the injuries, then Parcells must just think either (a) Newman is not as good as some of his other options, like Peerless Price, who has the preferred body type but no history of success, or (b) Newman's not in good enough shape to do it.

Personally, I'm leaning towards the body type. I think Parcells has this idea in his head of what the perfect punt returner looks like and Newman ain't it.

 

[Trip]

Its been discussed. Being the target, is a lot different than RW as a heatseeking missile hitting someone else. RW doesnt get hurt laying the hit, he hurts people, not a valid argument.

That contradicts this study.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/specialreports/specialnfl/s_291035.html

So I believe it still is a valid argument.