Darrin Simmons

[*bengalfan74*]

(09-11-2023, 12:08 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: While all the focus seems to be on Zac and the preseason or Burrow and his huge contract, I thought someone should point out a seat that should be starting to get warm...

Simmons made sure we had pretty good ST for many years, but last year the ST were pretty bad. I was hoping that it was just a hiccup and we'd be right back to normal quality ST, but Week 1 didn't seem that way.

Unlike the offense, our ST gets to play plenty in preseason so there's no reason you should expect it to just be Week 1 rust. They should have been ready to go.

-We had a kick returner come out of the endzone to the 18 that never had a chance of getting further.
-We had a punt returner run about 30 yards side-to-side (plus an earlier one where he ran side to side merely 10 yards).
-We had a missed FG.
-We had I believe 2 penalties on ST.
-Probably most importantly our punter (who we can only assume Darrin Simmons chose in the draft and then chose in roster cuts) is absolutely terrible. He barely broke 40 yards per punt with punts of 22, 35, 37, and 38 yards and two of 41.

Darrin Simmons has been a good ST coach for many years for this team, but 2 years in a row of terrible ST is 2 years too many. They really need to turn it around big time this season or his seat needs to be getting redhot.

My H.S. coach hated that!! He'd preach run N and S and just take what you can get. Running sideways works like 1 out of 40 times. He'd rip your face off if you did it in game.

And I still hate it today, haha.

And I sure hope the weather was hurting our punter. Our first game yips or something? Because no matter if you can kick it 100 yards up in the air. You also have to get it downfield as well.