Zero2Cool
15 years ago
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Maybe it was getting to kick in a dome for the first time. Maybe it was putting together a solid week of practice after a frustrating performance in Week 2. Or maybe it was just a sign of natural growth from a developing punter trying to establish himself in the NFL.

Most likely, it was a combination of all of those factors in various proportions. But whatever the underlying reasons, punter Jeremy Kapinos enjoyed the best day of his young career last Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, which bodes well as the Packers play another road game in a dome this coming Monday night in Minnesota.

Against the Rams on his four punts, Kapinos posted career-high averages of 50.0 gross yards and 44.3 net yards, placing a career-best three inside the 20-yard line. All his punts came in the second half with the Packers protecting a lead, and his performance helped keep the field position in Green Bay's favor down the stretch.

"I think he's settled in a little bit," special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum said. "This was the third game of the year, and he looked a lot more smooth in his rhythm to me. I think that helped him."

Kapinos needed to put a rough outing the previous week against Cincinnati behind him, and he did that. Against the Bengals, two of his six punts were fairly low line drives that stayed too far to the middle of the field, and Cincinnati punt returner Quan Cosby took advantage by ripping off returns of 60 and 32 yards that set up 10 Bengals points.

Last Sunday, the hang time was much better on three of his four punts, and Slocum felt his directional placement overall was "outstanding." For the most part, he put his kicks high and between the numbers and the sidelines, limiting the Rams' options for a return.

His first punt was a high 52-yarder that return man Danny Amendola fair-caught at the St. Louis 19. His second was the only one that didn't work out as well as the Packers had hoped, a 54-yarder that lacked sufficient hang time, and Amendola returned it 14 yards. Still, a 40-yard net is a solid number.

His third punt went 51 yards all the way to the St. Louis 8, with Amendola returning it nine yards to the 17. His fourth was a 43-yarder that the Packers downed at the St. Louis 15, for a third inside the 20 and a fourth with a net of at least 40 yards.

After the Cincinnati game, when his net was an ugly 24.2 mostly due to the two long returns, Kapinos said he worked specifically on getting more lift on the ball, and a productive week of practice paid off.

"You have to have a quick memory in this league, and Coach Slocum had three things that he said on Monday (after the Bengals game) when we came in -- identify the problem, fix it and move on," Kapinos said after the St. Louis game. "We did that earlier in the week."

Slocum saw it carry over, which any coach loves to see. The performance in St. Louis marked the first time a Green Bay punter posted a 50-yard average, with a minimum of four punts, since Week 8 of the 2007 season (Jon Ryan, 4-52.3).

"He took what he had been practicing and applied it to the game," Slocum said. "The technical part of it is what you work on during the week. It's the player's responsibility to apply it in the ballgame, and he did that for the most part."

Hopefully the controlled conditions of a dome will provide a springboard to Kapinos' season rather than function as only a temporary boost. In closing out the final four games of the 2008 season as Green Bay's punter, Kapinos kicked in three cold-weather games and did respectably well.

That helped him beat out the oft-injured Durant Brooks for the full-time job this season, but in the mild September weather at Lambeau Field in the first two games, Kapinos was decent against Chicago (six punts, 44.7 gross, 35.5 net) but took a step back against Cincinnati.

"We've had good weather in the other two games, so I don't think the weather was a factor," Slocum said. "But I do think that a punter looks forward to punting indoors. There's zero wind factor and it's a good environment for them to punt in."

Kapinos took advantage, and will look to do so again at the Metrodome next Monday night. All offseason, Slocum preached that he was looking for consistency at punter more than anything else, and now it's up to Kapinos to prove he can provide that in a crucial NFC North road game.

"Absolutely -- that's why he's here," Slocum said. "He's a professional and he approaches his job very diligently. I expect him to do that. He needs to if we're going to win. We need to control field position, and the punting game is a big part of that."


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Zero2Cool
15 years ago
over 30 views, no comments? but when the punter messes up lets treat it like the world is ending!!!

im jus playing ... but cmon isn't this good? Kapino's doing well?!?!
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Cheesey
15 years ago
A dome can make any guy look good.
When it's cold in GB, i hope he can nail some good ones.
At least SO far he has been better then Frost.
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earthquake
15 years ago
I've been pretty happy with Kapinos, he had that one shank against the bungles, but that was after a pretty good kick that was called back on a stupid penalty. Hard to get too down on him in that situation.

He isn't a superstar Craigh Hentrich type of guy, but he seems solid and is a good upgrade over frost!
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Zero2Cool
15 years ago

A dome can make any guy look good.
When it's cold in GB, i hope he can nail some good ones.
At least SO far he has been better then Frost.

"Cheesey" wrote:



The guy who handled our punting the last four or so games last season did an okay job. 😉
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PackerBuddha
15 years ago
Kapinos has been doing a really good job punting this year, ill take this over anything we seen last year.
BAD EMAIL because the address couldn ot be found, or is unable to receive mail.
El3ment12
15 years ago
You can't complain, hes been doing good. I'm glad we don't have to worry about the punting position now lol
Grabacr
15 years ago

over 30 views, no comments? but when the punter messes up lets treat it like the world is ending!!!

im jus playing ... but cmon isn't this good? Kapino's doing well?!?!

"Zero2Cool" wrote:



yeh i agree. an important player who no one really gives credit they deserve. Hooray for kapinos!
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masseyattack
15 years ago
I seem to remember even B.J. Sander getting off to a decent start in the warmer-weather and in domes, and we all know how that panned out. I hope Kapinos works out, but he's not won me over just yet.
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RashaanSalaami
15 years ago
I think Kapinos is clearly the best equipped to pin opponents within the 20 and minimize return yards (of our last three). He's not the best in the league, but I think we are making some progress with him. Let's stick with Kapinos through this season and see how he does. We should see some improvement over the year (with weather in mind) and maybe we more progress going into next year.

Secondly, they should make hang time an official stat. Even if it isn't completely meaningful, it's just as important as the rest. Sure it depends on where you're punting from, but all other punting stats (aside from gross) depends on the entire special teams unit. I think we could get a better barometer of how Kapinos is actually doing if we could have this state.

Anywho, I still don't feel completely comfortable with our punting situation, but these are some comforting numbers.

Ryan: 16% TB -- 25% I20 -- 12.5% Fair Caught

Frost: 10% TB -- 17% I20 -- 14.6% Fair Caught

Kapinos: 9% TB -- 36% I20 -- 15.1% Fair Caught
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packerfanoutwest (14m) : both games Watson missed, Packers won
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Mucky Tundra (12h) : Oh I know about Jacobs, I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to mimic Zero lol
buckeyepackfan (12h) : Jacobs was just sat down, Watson re-injured that knee that kept him out 1 game earlier
buckeyepackfan (12h) : I needed .14 that's. .14 points for the whole 4th quarter to win and go to the SB. Lol
Mucky Tundra (12h) : Jacobs gonna be OK???
Zero2Cool (12h) : Watson gonna be OK???
packerfanoutwest (15h) : Inactives tonight for the Pack: Alexander- knee Bullard - ankle Williams - quad Walker -ankle Monk Heath
packerfanoutwest (15h) : No Jaire, but hopefully the front 7 destroys the line of scrimmage & forces Rattler into a few passes to McKinney.
packerfanoutwest (16h) : minny could be #1 seed and the Lions #5 seed
Zero2Cool (18h) : We'd have same Division and Conference records. Strength of schedule we edge them
Zero2Cool (18h) : I just checked. What tie breaker?
bboystyle (18h) : yes its possible but unlikely. If we do get the 5th, we face the NFCS winner
Zero2Cool (18h) : Ahh, ok.
bboystyle (18h) : yes due to tie breaker
Zero2Cool (18h) : I mean, unlikely, yes, but mathematically, 5th is possible by what I'm reading.
Zero2Cool (18h) : If Vikings lose out, Packers win out, Packers get 5th, right?
bboystyle (18h) : Minny isnt going to lose out so 5th seed is out of the equation. We are playing for the 6th or 7th seed which makes no difference
Mucky Tundra (19h) : beast, the ad revenue goes to the broadcast company but they gotta pay to air the game on their channel/network
beast (20h) : If we win tonight the game is still relative in terms of 5th, 6th or 7th seed... win and it's 5th or 6th, lose and it's 6th or 7th
beast (20h) : Mucky, I thought the ad revenue went to the broadcasting companies or the NFL, at least not directly
Zero2Cool (20h) : I think the revenue share is moot, isn't it? That's the CBA an Salary Cap handling that.
bboystyle (20h) : i mean game becomes irrelevant if we win tonight. Just a game where we are trying to play spoilers to Vikings chance at the #1 seed
Mucky Tundra (20h) : beast, I would guess ad revenue from more eyes watching tv
Zero2Cool (21h) : I would think it would hurt the home team because people would have to cancel last minute maybe? i dunno
beast (21h) : I agree that it's BS for fans planning on going to the game. But how does it bring in more money? I'm guessing indirectly?
packerfanoutwest (21h) : bs on flexing the game....they do it for the $$league$$, not the hometown fans
Zero2Cool (22h) : I see what you did there Mucky
Zero2Cool (22h) : dammit. 3:25pm
Zero2Cool (22h) : Packers Vikings flexed to 3:35pm
Mucky Tundra (22h) : Upon receiving the news about Luke Musgrave, I immediately fell to the ground
Mucky Tundra (22h) : Yeah baby!
Zero2Cool (22h) : LUKE MUSGRAVE PLAYING TONIGHT~!~~~~WOWHOAAOHAOAA yah
Zero2Cool (23h) : I wanna kill new QB's ... blitz the crap out of them.
beast (23h) : Barry seemed to get too conservative against new QBs, Hafley doesn't have that issue
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : However, we seem to struggle vs new QB's
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Should be moot point, cuz Packers should win tonight.
packerfanoutwest (23-Dec) : ok I stand corrected
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Ok, yes, you are right. I see that now how they get 7th
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : 5th - Packers win out, Vikings lose out. Maybe?
beast (23-Dec) : Saying no to the 6th lock.
beast (23-Dec) : No, with the Commanders beating the Eagles, Packers could have a good chance of 6th or 7th unless the win out
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I think if Packers win, they are locked 6th with chance for 5th.
beast (23-Dec) : But it doesn't matter, as the Packers win surely win one of their remaining games
beast (23-Dec) : This is not complex, just someone doesn't want to believe reality
beast (23-Dec) : We already have told you... if Packers lose all their games (they won't, but if they did), and Buccaneers and Falcons win all theirs
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I posted it in that Packers and 1 seed thread
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : I literally just said it.
packerfanoutwest (23-Dec) : show us a scenario where Pack don't get in? bet you can't
Zero2Cool (23-Dec) : Falcons, Buccaneers would need to win final two games.
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