Special Teams

[FastEddie]

What has happened to the Bengals special teams? I used to expect Brandon Wilson to get at least one good runback per game. I know he's on IR but his replacements have not taken up the slack

Now We have Darius Phillips losing yards on every punt trying to run backwards rather than just taking a few yards.

Yesterday, Pooka Williams cost them yards every time he caught the ball on a kickoff. On the kickoff after the field goal to make it 9-0, the ball was going out of bounds and he picked it up and returned it to the 12. All he had to do was step out of bounds and catch the ball and it would have been at the 40. Or just let it go. There was 28 yards and it would have been great field position at the 40 but we had to start at the 12.

The special teams used to be one of the advantages on this team, now they seem to be a big liability. I saw Simmons on the sidelines a few times yesterday and he seemed pretty ticked off.

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(12-06-2021, 11:31 AM)FastEddie Wrote: What has happened to the Bengals special teams? I used to expect Brandon Wilson to get at least one good runback per game. I know he's on IR but his replacements have not taken up the slack

Now We have Darius Phillips losing yards on every punt trying to run backwards rather than just taking a few yards.

Yesterday, Pooka Williams cost them yards every time he caught the ball on a kickoff. On the kickoff after the field goal to make it 9-0, the ball was going out of bounds and he picked it up and returned it to the 12. All he had to do was step out of bounds and catch the ball and it would have been at the 40. Or just let it go. There was 28 yards and it would have been great field position at the 40 but we had to start at the 12.

The special teams used to be one of the advantages on this team, now they seem to be a big liability. I saw Simmons on the sidelines a few times yesterday and he seemed pretty ticked off.

STs are still perfectly fine; our STs DVOA or whatever, was #2 coming into yesterday, so the real return (no pin intended) on play has been there.

To the first bold, Phillips has been doing that since his injury in '19; the worst vision imaginable. Now, while a ton of people gave him shit last game about the KO he fielded with his foot on the line, that's a fluke, once in a while sitch, so that's not a big deal. But yeah, athleticism aside, he is dreadful when it comes to vision.

The to the second, I think this was Pooka's audition with the big boys and he was a MASSIVE failure. I can't believe he was not only that bad, but that he didn't let the ball go OB on the second kickoff; it was literally a foot or two (from what I could see) from the OB line. Hell, go OB yourself and touch the ball, it'll still get moved to the 40 (like Cobb and some others have done a bunch of times).

Wouldn't be surprised at all if Pooka sits out the rest of the year (on PS) and they try someone else AGAIN at KR.

But yeah, not worried at STs on the whole; we still have a good unit from top to bottom and some players are outright elite (Harris, Evan, Morgan, even Huber is still superb).

[Bengalitis]

(12-06-2021, 11:31 AM)FastEddie Wrote: What has happened to the Bengals special teams? I used to expect Brandon Wilson to get at least one good runback per game. I know he's on IR but his replacements have not taken up the slack

Now We have Darius Phillips losing yards on every punt trying to run backwards rather than just taking a few yards.

Yesterday, Pooka Williams cost them yards every time he caught the ball on a kickoff. On the kickoff after the field goal to make it 9-0, the ball was going out of bounds and he picked it up and returned it to the 12. All he had to do was step out of bounds and catch the ball and it would have been at the 40. Or just let it go. There was 28 yards and it would have been great field position at the 40 but we had to start at the 12.

The special teams used to be one of the advantages on this team, now they seem to be a big liability. I saw Simmons on the sidelines a few times yesterday and he seemed pretty ticked off.

The reason you see kick returners do so well then start running backwards is because the hits they get on kick returns are some serious hits, probably the worst you'll get in an NFL game. Phillips was wowing everyone and getting the yards running full speed, but I'm sure after steadily doing more returns, the hits started taking a toll and started runing more to avoid players rather than run full speed ahead and get as far as you can. The way the NFL changed the kick offs (kicking team closer to the receiver) means the lanes all get jammed in the same spot and few lanes for them to run through, back in the day, it was spread out through out the field as many players would be scattered all over depending on their running and how well the team block their advance. That's why there were more yardage returns back in the day, or so it feels that way, I don't know the stats though. Hope that gives some better insight.

[lone bengal]

The Chargers took the opening kickoff to almost midfield to I think we’re struggling in all areas. Injuries are playing a factor Logan Wilson was on the punt team due to Bailey getting hurt. Plus we lost special teams guys like Jordan Evans, Davis-Gaither , Bradon Wilson for the year. Chris Evans , Mike Thomas , Phillips all out as well not sure if Tate plays special teams.

[FastEddie]

(12-06-2021, 11:37 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: STs are still perfectly fine; our STs DVOA or whatever, was #2 coming into yesterday, so the real return (no pin intended) on play has been there.

To the first bold, Phillips has been doing that since his injury in '19; the worst vision imaginable. Now, while a ton of people gave him shit last game about the KO he fielded with his foot on the line, that's a fluke, once in a while sitch, so that's not a big deal. But yeah, athleticism aside, he is dreadful when it comes to vision.

The to the second, I think this was Pooka's audition with the big boys and he was a MASSIVE failure. I can't believe he was not only that bad, but that he didn't let the ball go OB on the second kickoff; it was literally a foot or two (from what I could see) from the OB line. Hell, go OB yourself and touch the ball, it'll still get moved to the 40 (like Cobb and some others have done a bunch of times).

Wouldn't be surprised at all if Pooka sits out the rest of the year (on PS) and they try someone else AGAIN at KR.

But yeah, not worried at STs on the whole; we still have a good unit from top to bottom and some players are outright elite (Harris, Evan, Morgan, even Huber is still superb).

As a whole I think you are right, no problem with Huber or Harris. They both do there jobs so well there's hardly ever a mention about either one of them. For the most part the Special Teams is fine. I would be happy with no runbacks on kickoffs, as there seems to be more injuries on those plays, but they don't always kick it into the end zone so I realize sometimes you have to run it back. The opposing teams just always seem to have at least one midfield runback per game and we have seemed to have lost that edge in our returns.

On Stanley Morgan's penalty, do they give them a specific number of yards to get back on the field? It seems like if the opposing players are there to keep you from returning to the field of play by continually blocking you out of bounds, that should be unsportsmanlike conduct.

[SunsetBengal]

(12-06-2021, 11:37 AM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: But yeah, not worried at STs on the whole; we still have a good unit from top to bottom and some players are outright elite (Harris, Evan, Morgan, even Huber is still superb).

Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like Huber was punting short yesterday.  Seemed like the Chargers were fielding the ball outside of their 40, for much of the second half.

[Truck_1_0_1_]

(12-06-2021, 01:54 PM)FastEddie Wrote: As a whole I think you are right, no problem with Huber or Harris. They both do there jobs so well there's hardly ever a mention about either one of them. For the most part the Special Teams is fine. I would be happy with no runbacks on kickoffs, as there seems to be more injuries on those plays, but they don't always kick it into the end zone so I realize sometimes you have to run it back. The opposing teams just always seem to have at least one midfield runback per game and we have seemed to have lost that edge in our returns.

On Stanley Morgan's penalty, do they give them a specific number of yards to get back on the field? It seems like if the opposing players are there to keep you from returning to the field of play by continually blocking you out of bounds, that should be unsportsmanlike conduct.

Yeah, that penalty was utter BS and both he and Simmons were shown complaining.

If you watch the replay, he was literally OB for less than 1.5 seconds.

If the guy runs 20 yards OB before coming back in then it's one thing, but I don't even think he ran 5 yards OB, before coming back in.

BS.

(12-06-2021, 02:07 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like Huber was punting short yesterday.  Seemed like the Chargers were fielding the ball outside of their 40, for much of the second half.

Kicking was off for everyone yesterday.

Perhaps the wind?