macbob
  • macbob
  • Veteran Member Topic Starter
13 years ago


http://gnb.scout.com/2/1088300.html 

Bad.

That’s the short-and-sweet — OK, not-so-sweet — way to describe the Green Bay Packers’ special teams.

Mason Crosby remains a below-average kicker in terms of accuracy on field goals.

Tim Masthay ranked in the middle of the pack among punters.

Four players returned kickoffs but none of them did it at an acceptable level. Not that the blocking helped.

Tramon Williams returned punts. The best thing you can say about the results was at least he didn’t get injured.

Really, nothing more needs to be said than this: The longest kickoff return by Green Bay last season was Jordy Nelson’s 51-yard runback in the opener against Philadelphia. New England’s Dan Connolly — a 313-pound offensive lineman — had a 71-yard return against the Packers.

OK, if you’re a glutton for punishment, how’s this for added insult: The Packers haven’t had a return that long since Robert Ferguson’s 71-yard runback in ... 2004.

Maybe “bad” doesn’t begin to tell the story.

There are some reasons for hope, though, if you’re special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum.

— Chances are, the Packers won’t have to endure such a plague of injuries again. With some continuity on the roster, the return and coverage units should have improved continuity, as well.

— Masthay’s numbers sat squarely in the middle of the pack, but once he overcame some early-season troubles, he performed like the answer to the Packers’ lengthy punting troubles. While his season-long net average was a meager 34.7 yards, he topped that number in nine of the final 10 regular-season games. After six games, Masthay had just six inside-the-20 punts with two touchbacks. In the final 10 games, he put 19 punts inside the 20 with three touchbacks.

When the Packers needed him in a defensive struggle against the Jets and two January games against Chicago’s dangerous Devin Hester, Masthay delivered three of his finest performances.

— For the fourth time in as many seasons, Crosby failed to convert 80 percent of his field goal attempts. However, because of the revolving door at punter, he’s battled a revolving door with his holders, too. With Masthay returning, Crosby hopefully will be able to pick up where he left off last season, when he made 9-of-10 kicks to end the regular season. Crosby will be an unrestricted free agent when the collective bargaining agreement is agreed upon. Based on the Packers’ decision to not draft a kicker and a weak class of free agents, re-signing Crosby appears to be a priority.

— Showing more commitment to special teams than usual, the Packers invested a second-round pick in Randall Cobb, who was an excellent kickoff and punt returner at Kentucky, and a third-round pick in Alex Green, who didn’t return kicks at Hawaii but is an option on kickoffs, according to Slocum.

“I think these returners have a chance to really impact the game,” Slocum told Packer Report during one of our lockout exclusives, putting the onus on the returners rather than the blockers to provide better field position. “Playing good special teams statistically, there are a couple key components. No. 1, the guys that can affect the field position the quickest are the returner, the punter and the kicker. The returner, he can make a poor block look good. He can affect the field position dramatically. Look at the things Hester does. When he makes impactful returns, they’re a better football team and they win more games.”

— They used a seventh-round pick on Ryan Taylor, who was North Carolina’s three-time special teams player of the year. The hope is Taylor will join Jarrett Bush in giving the Packers two hard-nosed difference-makers.

— Slocum isn’t popular among the fans but the players did respond to his coaching. The penalty total went from 32 in 17 games in 2009 to 22 in 20 games in 2010.

— Along with last year’s coaches — Slocum and assistant Chad Morton — a third coach was added, with John Rushing to split his time between receivers and special teams.

Scout.com wrote:

Nonstopdrivel
13 years ago
Please don't tell me that this author expects us to rejoice that our team is "only" averaging 1.1 special teams penalties per game.
UserPostedImage
nerdmann
13 years ago
Going back and reviewing these games, there were quite a few returns where Jordi could have been gone if he had that extra burst. I think Cobb could really show something on this roster.
“Winning is not a sometime thing, it is an all the time thing. You don't do things right once in a while…you do them right all the time.”
Fan Shout
Mucky Tundra (1h) : Kaydon Finley, son of Jermichael Finley, commits to Notre Dame
dfosterf (3-Jul) : Make sure to send my props to him! A plus move!
Zero2Cool (3-Jul) : My cousin, yes.
dfosterf (3-Jul) : That was your brother the GB press gazette referenced with the red cross draft props thing, yes?
Zero2Cool (2-Jul) : Packers gonna unveil new throwback helmet in few weeks.
Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : I know it's Kleiman but this stuff writes itself
Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : "Make sure she signs the NDA before asking for a Happy Ending!"
Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : @NFL_DovKleiman Powerful: Deshaun Watson is taking Shedeur Sanders 'under his wing' as a mentor to the Browns QBs
Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Dolphins get (back) Minkah Fitzpatrick in trade
Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Steelers land Jalen Ramsey via Trade
dfosterf (26-Jun) : I think it would be great to have someone like Tom Grossi or Andy Herman on the Board of Directors so he/they could inform us
dfosterf (26-Jun) : Fair enough, WPR. Thing is, I have been a long time advocate to at least have some inkling of the dynamics within the board.
wpr (26-Jun) : 1st world owners/stockholders problems dfosterf.
Martha Careful (25-Jun) : I would have otherwise admirably served
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Also, no more provision for a write-in candidate, so Martha is off the table at least for this year
dfosterf (25-Jun) : You do have to interpret the boring fine print, but all stockholders all see he is on the ballot
dfosterf (25-Jun) : It also says he is subject to another ballot in 2028. I recall nothing of this nature with Murphy
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy is on my ballot subject to me penciling him in as a no.
dfosterf (25-Jun) : I thought it used to be we voted for the whatever they called the 45, and then they voted for the seven, and then they voted for Mark Murphy
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Because I was too lazy to change my address, I haven't voted fot years until this year
dfosterf (25-Jun) : of the folks that run this team. I do not recall Mark Murphy being subject to our vote.
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy yay or nay is on the pre-approved ballot that we always approve because we are uninformed and lazy, along with all the rest
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Weird question. Very esoteric. For stockholders. Also lengthy. Sorry. Offseason.
Zero2Cool (25-Jun) : Maybe wicked wind chill made it worse?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : And then he signs with Cleveland in the offseason
Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : @SharpFootball WR Diontae Johnson just admitted he refused to enter a game in 41° weather last year in Baltimore because he felt “ice cold”
Zero2Cool (24-Jun) : Yawn. Rodgers says he is "pretty sure" this be final season.
Zero2Cool (23-Jun) : PFT claims Packers are having extension talks with Zach Tom, Quay Walker.
Mucky Tundra (20-Jun) : GB-Minnesota 2004 Wild Card game popped up on my YouTube page....UGH
beast (20-Jun) : Hmm 🤔 re-signing Walker before Tom? Sounds highly questionable to me.
Mucky Tundra (19-Jun) : One person on Twitter=cannon law
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Well, to ONE person on Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : According to Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Packers are working on extension for LT Walker they hope to have done before camp
dfosterf (18-Jun) : E4B landed at Andrews last night
dfosterf (18-Jun) : 101 in a 60
dfosterf (18-Jun) : FAFO
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : one year $4m with incentives to make it up to $6m
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Or Lions
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Beats the hell out of a Vikings signing
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : Baltimore Ravens now have signed former Packers CB Jaire Alexander.
dfosterf (14-Jun) : TWO magnificent strikes for touchdowns. Lose the pennstate semigeezer non nfl backup
dfosterf (14-Jun) : There was minicamp Thursday. My man Taylor Engersma threw
dfosterf (11-Jun) : There will be a mini camp practice Thursday.
Zero2Cool (11-Jun) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
wpr (10-Jun) : That's awesome Martha.
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : Turns out he like older women
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
4-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

2-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

2-Jul / Fantasy Sports Talk / dfosterf

1-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

29-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

25-Jun / Around The NFL / Martha Careful

23-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

20-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

20-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

18-Jun / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

16-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

15-Jun / Random Babble / Martha Careful

14-Jun / Around The NFL / beast

14-Jun / Community Welcome! / dfosterf

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.