I'm done freaking out. All I had to do was listen to Steve.
First, on Holding. Tampa's FG kicker Barth kicked for TB for 4 years ['09-12] and then was out of football in '13 and 14 until Denver needed him for 5 games in '14. He won the starting job in TB last year making 82.1% of his kicks. From 09-12 his average was 84% and he made every kick inside 40 with Schum holding [Barth did that only 2 of the other 4 years]. It appears Schum was as good a holder as whomever did it from '09-'12. And if we assume Barth was not as good of a kicker in 2015, the argument could be made that Schum was a better holder than the '09-'12 guys.
Punting stats are worthless. 2 punters kicking inside adversary's zone: one gets the ball to 2, one to 19, they both have a kick inside the 20. 1Q 8:03 v. Carolina, Masthay overkicks a 56 yarder that's returned 32 yards, a sucky 24 yard net. But wait, some dope held, so the crappy punt and 24 yard net turns into a 66 yard net [that's better than Ray Guy].
Looked at play-by-play of each punt for 1st 8 games of 2015:
Upside: Masthay on way down; Schum on way up
Shanks: Mastay 3; Schum Zero
Leg Strength: advantage Masthay
Road kicking: Masthey noticeable worse; Schum no noticeable difference
Good kicks inside 10: Schum 2; Masthay 0 [Mastay 37 kicks to 26 for Schum]
Good kicks inside 15: Schum 5; Masthey 7 [2 at the 10 yards]
Returns: Masthay [37 kicks] 32, 22, 16, 11, 11, 11, 8, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5; Schum [26 kicks] 24, 13, 7, 8, 8, 5, 5, 4 Also, Masthay's net was aided by returns of -5, -2, -2. If the kick is good the returner doesn't try to return; a PR that loses yardage has room to make the catch and run, then runs backwards laterally trying for big return. I'd suspect Masthey got low grades for these kicks; though the nets of 55, 49, 40 look all-pro on stats sheet.
Schum
Game 1. 42 yards to 37 [OOB]; 44 yards to 11 [1 yard return]; 56 yards to 30 [0 yard return]; 46 yards to TB 48 [13 yard return].
2. 40 yards to 7 [0]; 37 to 20 [0]; 39 to 24 [FC] Road
3. 43 yards to 36 [0]; 28 yards to 28 [0]; 50 yards to 27 [7]; 35 yards to 11 [FC]; 55 yards to 4 [5]; 52 yards to 16 [0]; 49 to 23 [8]. Road
4. 41 to 25 [0]; 41 to 34 [5].
5. 23 yards to 22 [0 retrun] ; 49 yards [8 yrds return]; 29 yards to 14 [0]
6. 49 to 29 [4]; 40 to 40 [0]. Road
7. 36 to 12 [FC]; 53 to 26 [24]; 38 to 18 đ. Road
8. 36 to 11 [FC]; 49 to Touchback;
Mastay:
1. 54 yard [Touchback]; 43 yards to 48 [11]-Road
2. 49 yards to 13 [22]; 46 yards to 24 [OOB]; 44 to 46 [0]
3. 40 yards to 24 [0]; 40 yards to 30 [0]; 46 yards to 13 [2]; 49 yards to 17 [0]; 40 yards to 11 [16]
4. 48 yards to 15 [6]; 37 yards to 10 [FC]; 41 to 28 [0]; 27 to 33 [OOB]-shank; 49 to 27 [6]; 23 to 28 [OOB]-shank. Road
5. 52 yards [TB]; 47 yards to 37 [-2]; 39 yards [TB]; 52 yards to 24 [6].
6. 28 yards to 12 [OOB]; 38 yards 23 [-2]; 50 yards to 21 [-5]; 46 yards to 22 [FC]
7. 48 to 16 [1]; 45 to 20 [5]; 49 to 22 [FC]; 42 to 20 [FC]; 47 to 21 [6]. Road
8. 56 to 26 [32]; 54 to 30 [8]; 48 to 33 [0]; 26 to 48-shank; 28 yards to 14 [0]; 54 to 18 [11]; 46 to 10 [1]; 45 to 15 [11]. Road