Let's take a second to applaud the ST play

[impactplaya]

Yeah, Joe and front 7 on defense are getting the
Headlines and kudos.
I want to shine a light on Darrin Simmons special teams play.
Their are 3 phases to a game obviously.
You can play a flawless game on both sides of the ball.
But all it takes is one breakdown on.special teams
And that effort by the offense and defense goes all for not.
Let's not forget special teams has put 2 W's in the win column for us.
So far the coverage teams have been excellent.
No long KO returns, or PR returns have been allowed.
No blocked punts. No mishandled placekicks

These things are brought up until.they are blown

Yeah I know our return game hasnt lit the world on.fire through 4 games
And yeah I wanna see JB start with a shorter field
But overall the special teams has really helped put this team at 3-and 1

[GreenCornBengal]

We have a good special teams unit.

However, I’m not applauding the significant amount of times we’ve started within our own 20 due to some dumb kick returning.

Also, didn’t think Phillips would make me want Erickson back but dang man, at least go forward when you return it!

[NUGDUKWE]

(10-08-2021, 07:46 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: We have a good special teams unit.

However, I’m not applauding the significant amount of times we’ve started within our own 20 due to some dumb kick returning.

Also, didn’t think Phillips would make me want Erickson back but dang man, at least go forward when you return it!

I think the return game will get better as the season goes. Hopefully we can start to get the occasional good kickoff return soon and maybe even a score before the season is over. But yeah Phillips needs to learn sometimes it just isn't there and just get the few you can and go down.

[Au165]

Phillips has been awful in terms of decision making and Wilson has been at times as well. I am going to need Simmons to give Phillips hard and fast rules and hold him accountable for breaking them.

[*jason*]

We take them for granted at this point... Our ST is always on point.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(10-08-2021, 07:36 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Yeah, Joe and front 7 on defense are getting the
Headlines and kudos.
I want to shine a light on Darrin Simmons special teams play.
Their are 3 phases to a game obviously.
You can play a flawless game on both sides of the ball.
But all it takes is one breakdown on.special teams
And that effort by the offense and defense goes all for not.
Let's not forget special teams has put 2 W's in the win column for us.
So far the coverage teams have been excellent.
No long KO returns, or PR returns have been allowed.
No blocked punts. No mishandled placekicks

These things are brought up until.they are blown

Yeah I know our return game hasnt lit the world on.fire through 4 games
And yeah I wanna see JB start with a shorter field
But overall the special teams has really helped put this team at 3-and 1

Very true, Simmons always does a good job as coach but there usually are a few big returns we give up no matter what.

Thought we might miss Cethan Carter this year but so far haven't. 

I have liked how Darius Phillips has looked on Punt Returns a few bad decisions but no muffs (knock on wood).

Brandon Wilson on the other hand who I have always liked on KR needs to step it up.

Overall though, this phase has also played top tier so far this year.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-08-2021, 07:46 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: We have a good special teams unit.

However, I’m not applauding the significant amount of times we’ve started within our own 20 due to some dumb kick returning.

Also, didn’t think Phillips would make me want Erickson back but dang man, at least go forward when you return it!

THANK YOU!  I want to shoot Phillips every time I see him field a KR without the "down it" arms outstretched at his side gesture when the kick has had amazing hangtime and he is 4 yards deep.   I swear it is as though the kid doesn't know you get it at the 25 yard line now.  

Someone with more patience could calculate the average starting KR when he brings it out (and you should have to include penalties because they are so common on KR).  I bet he has given up almost 10 yards of free field position.  Impactplaya's point is valid;  the overall special teams play has been really good, but these stupid KR have got to stop.  If he is being coached to bring those out hoping to break a long one, so be it, but I find that hard to believe.  

This doesn't even take in to account the potential for injuries being higher than any other play in the sport.  If it is in the end zone and had hang time, take a knee and start at the 25.  

[fredtoast]

(10-09-2021, 10:58 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Someone with more patience could calculate the average starting KR when he brings it out (and you should have to include penalties because they are so common on KR).  I bet he has given up almost 10 yards of free field position.  Impactplaya's point is valid;  the overall special teams play has been really good, but these stupid KR have got to stop.  If h  

Not trying to defend Phillips but this is not always as simple as it appears.  A KR man is supposed to count the hang time and make his decision based on that.  If a deep kick is also flat (little hang time) then the return man should bring it out because the cover team has not had enough time to get downfield.

[*SHRacerX*]

(10-09-2021, 11:04 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Not trying to defend Phillips but this is not always as simple as it appears.  A KR man is supposed to count the hang time and make his decision based on that.  If a deep kick is also flat (little hang time) then the return man should bring it out because the cover team has not had enough time to get downfield.

Then he can't count.  Because when he reached the goal line on several, defenders were already at the 10.  Dumb and unnecessary risk. 

[Burrow Sass]

Agree that Phillips needs to have more fielding yard line awareness, if you’re fielding every kick inside the 10 yard line, like it seems he does 90% of the time, wave that arm and give our Offense manageable field position that will inherently open up our play book, that will keep their D honest and Burrows numbers will improve over his already great numbers. Seems like simple logic to me. Can I get a Who Dey on that? WHO DEY !!

[fredtoast]

(10-09-2021, 11:31 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Then he can't count.  Because when he reached the goal line on several, defenders were already at the 10.  Dumb and unnecessary risk. 

That is why I said this

(10-09-2021, 11:04 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Not trying to defend Phillips

[*rfaulk34*]

(10-08-2021, 07:46 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: We have a good special teams unit.

However, I’m not applauding the significant amount of times we’ve started within our own 20 due to some dumb kick returning.

Also, didn’t think Phillips would make me want Erickson back but dang man, at least go forward when you return it!

No way Jose. 

It's not as bad as people are making it out. Phillips is 14th overall in punt return average. For guys with at least 5 returns, he's 10th and that's with at least 2 pretty backwards returns. They are 21st in kick return average but we've all seen what Wilson can do. I don't know how many new guys they have on teams but with Phillips and Wilson (who everyone screamed for) and Simmons coaching, i don't doubt they will get it straightened out. 

[GreenCornBengal]

(10-09-2021, 01:15 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: No way Jose. 

It's not as bad as people are making it out. Phillips is 14th overall in punt return average. For guys with at least 5 returns, he's 10th and that's with at least 2 pretty backwards returns. They are 21st in kick return average but we've all seen what Wilson can do. I don't know how many new guys they have on teams but with Phillips and Wilson (who everyone screamed for) and Simmons coaching, i don't doubt they will get it straightened out. 

I’ve been wanting Phillips returning punts since we drafted him. He just hasn’t been as special as I was expecting. I had pretty high hopes. I still think he will return one to the house this year. Hopefully this week!

[fredtoast]

(10-09-2021, 01:15 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: No way Jose. 

It's not as bad as people are making it out. Phillips is 14th overall in punt return average. For guys with at least 5 returns, he's 10th and that's with at least 2 pretty backwards returns. They are 21st in kick return average but we've all seen what Wilson can do. I don't know how many new guys they have on teams but with Phillips and Wilson (who everyone screamed for) and Simmons coaching, i don't doubt they will get it straightened out. 

This.

Over the last two seasons Brandon Wilson has averaged 28.5 per kick return (4th in NFL).  I don't think he has suddenly lost the ability to return kicks just because he is averaging less than 20 in 4 games.

Sample size is a little to small to bash Phillips.  He needs to work on his decisions, but I feel he has the potential to be a good return man.

[fredtoast]

Huber is only middle of the pack (17th) in punting average, but there are so many other ways to measure his success.

He is 10th in total number of punts, but has only had 2 punts returned (lowest in league).

He is 7th in punts downed inside the 20, but only has 2 touchbacks. That is a pretty good ratio.

[fredtoast]

We all know about McPherson's FG ability, but he is also helping with his kickoffs. He has the 4th highest touchback percentage in the league. Only 4 of his 14 kickoffs have been returned.

So Bengals have the the fewest punts returned against them (2) and the 6th fewest kick offs (4).

[*rfaulk34*]

(10-09-2021, 01:25 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: I’ve been wanting Phillips returning punts since we drafted him. He just hasn’t been as special as I was expecting. I had pretty high hopes. I still think he will return one to the house this year. Hopefully this week!

I'll vote for that.

I think he just needs some time to get back into it. 

[*Go Cards*]

Can't complain with the special teams at all at this point with the exception of Phillips field awareness. Feel it will be corrected though.