Erickson isnt getting it done

[*wildcats forever*]

(09-25-2018, 10:29 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: The job of Kick Returner is kind of a charade at this point, since it's so hard to get past the 25 yard line that the touchback is taken basically whenever you're given the chance. Looking at stats, Cincinnati is actually averaging the 4th most yards per kick return this season...at 28.7.

That's 3.7 more yards than a touch back yields. And that may not even be correct because those return numbers take the number of yards into the end zone the receiver is. So, realistically, that's probably closer to an average starting position on those returns as a 26 or 27 yard line.

Over the course of the entire 2017 NFL season, the league leader in yards per return was Atlanta...with 26.2 yards per return. So the kick return in the NFL is essentially dead.

As for his job of Punt Returner, he's only had 2 returns so far this year because punters are kicking it shorter now to prevent returns. Especially since the main goal is to just get it inside the 20 yard line. So if you're punting it from your own 40, you only need that ball to go about 45 yards (which, coincidentally, is right around the average for punters nowadays). Nearly every punt the two gunners get to the return man before the ball does. If he tries to return those, all he'll do is get blown up as soon as the ball touches his hands. That risks fumbles and turnovers and we don't need that.

Now, there will be the occasion where a kick does not reach the end zone or a punter is pinned and just needs to kick that thing as far as he can. Those are the only cases where a return man is even really relevant.

If your return man fields the ball cleanly and doesn't allow the ball to bounce unnecessarily (like Tate used to always attempt to let the ball bounce into the end zone, and a guy would stop it at the 5, rather than just catching it at the 10), you're doing just fine at the position.

It's like the long snapper. It isn't a hard job, but it's just nuanced enough that it's worth a roster slot to ensure its done properly.

There are much bigger things to worry about with this team than Erickson. He's doing his job.

^This^ all day long. Further, Erickson would be productive on offense, if only he could get the snaps.