10-24-2016, 01:25 PM
Most of Erickson's decisions have been good. There was one Fair Catch yesterday where the only defender nearby was probably going to be run by him with nobody else around but I don't know what Simmons prescribes when a defender is that close. Obviously the muff yesterday is unacceptable, but again, rookie.
The "don't fair catch inside the ten" rule is out-dated. Punts rarely bounce into the end zone when they hit outside the five yard line. It's even more rare when the kicker is aiming for a short punt. That's partially because of Field Turf and partially because kickers have gotten so much better at kicking so the ball dies when it lands.
Blocking has been the biggest part of the problem. Another part of the problem is field position. Between poor kick return coverage and poor defense it seems like nearly every punt is a short punt fielded inside the twenty. You don't get many return opportunities in that mode.
The "don't fair catch inside the ten" rule is out-dated. Punts rarely bounce into the end zone when they hit outside the five yard line. It's even more rare when the kicker is aiming for a short punt. That's partially because of Field Turf and partially because kickers have gotten so much better at kicking so the ball dies when it lands.
Blocking has been the biggest part of the problem. Another part of the problem is field position. Between poor kick return coverage and poor defense it seems like nearly every punt is a short punt fielded inside the twenty. You don't get many return opportunities in that mode.
