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buck
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Special Teams Coverage Rankings
I have organized the information in two tables.
The information is the same in both tables.
Here is the information organized by year.
compiled from
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/team/_/stat/returning/sort/yardsPerKickReturn/position/defense/order/false
[ Edited by buck on Jun 8, 2014 at 9:04 AM ]
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SofaKing
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^^ Very interesting, buck.
What a weird year 2012 was for the ST unit. 31st in kickoff coverage, but 4th in punt coverage. The 1 TD given up comes with an asterisk too. That was the Randall Cobb TD return in week 1. Should have never happened as the refs missed a blatant block in the back that led to the TD.
Regardless, nice to see the ST unit bounce back in 2013. Had an even better year statistically than the 2011 unit we all love.
Despite the generally good rankings, ST mistakes have burned us badly in the playoffs each of the past 3 seasons. I'm afraid Kyle Williams has hexed the unit after fumble-gate pt. I & II. Maybe the new Stadium will erase the curse.
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ninergold
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great collection of ST talent, especially if you include Andy Lee. the only thing missing is a returner that the rest of the league fears.
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NCommand
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I have to say, Andy Lee had an off year last year (by his standards) and these stats showed it. The punt coverage units where tremendous and needed to be b/c we were 26th in Kickoff Touchback Percentage. I think towards the end of the year, the leg gets tired and this is why for 3 straight years, we've been burned on KOR in the playoffs. And naturally, we choose to punt/KO to PROVEN dynamic returners (never get this line of thinking...ever...esp. when you have a top ranked defense; make them march 80 yards on you every single time!).
I wonder how the new stadium will help/hurt us. Does anyone live out there...is it like a lot of places where the winds kick up more (or a lot) our East once the sun starts to go down?
[ Edited by NCommand on Jun 8, 2014 at 9:30 AM ]
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49AllTheTime
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Originally posted by NCommand:
I have to say, Andy Lee had an off year last year (by his standards) and these stats showed it. The punt coverage units where tremendous and needed to be b/c we were 26th in Kickoff Touchback Percentage. I think towards the end of the year, the leg gets tired and this is why for 3 straight years, we've been burned on KOR in the playoffs. And naturally, we choose to punt/KO to PROVEN dynamic returners (never get this line of thinking...ever...esp. when you have a top ranked defense; make them march 80 yards on you every single time!).
I wonder how the new stadium will help/hurt us. Does anyone live out there...is it like a lot of places where the winds kick up more (or a lot) our East once the sun starts to go down?
Yeah it gets windy in the afternoon, then it dies down.
By now they should know if its really windy at the stadium...I haven't heard anything
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NCommand
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Originally posted by 49AllTheTime:
Yeah it gets windy in the afternoon, then it dies down.
By now they should know if its really windy at the stadium...I haven't heard anything
I would think that would be the case every day the further you get East (out in the desert, so-to-speak). And then like you said, it dies down a ton OR they rage throughout the night (variable based on conditions). Later evening games and night games "may" be interesting but then again, Candlestick was a hot mess when it came to winds.
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SofaKing
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Originally posted by NCommand:
I have to say, Andy Lee had an off year last year (by his standards) and these stats showed it. The punt coverage units where tremendous and needed to be b/c we were 26th in Kickoff Touchback Percentage. I think towards the end of the year, the leg gets tired and this is why for 3 straight years, we've been burned on KOR in the playoffs. And naturally, we choose to punt/KO to PROVEN dynamic returners (never get this line of thinking...ever...esp. when you have a top ranked defense; make them march 80 yards on you every single time!).
I wonder how the new stadium will help/hurt us. Does anyone live out there...is it like a lot of places where the winds kick up more (or a lot) our East once the sun starts to go down?
Doesn't Dawson handle the kickoffs though? Last couple years we had him and Akers. Two older guys with good legs, but not strong to the point where they can kick a touchback on command. That would be a nice luxury to have. It's practically a gimme ever since they moved the kickoff up. Returns like the ones Baldwin and Jones had against us would have never happened. Sigh...what could have been lol.
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buck
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matt49er
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I put myself through the torture of trying to predict the 53 man roster on the predict the 53 man roster thread & I just don't see any possible way we keep all these veteran ST only guys. Out of the 12 rookies we drafted, 3 will go IR, and I have 2 going to the PS and I'm not sold on them being able to stay there w/o getting plucked by other teams. Adding 7 rookies, plus injured players from last year like Tank, Lattimore, Dial, Ian Williams & Culliver to me means that at least 3 of the following will probably get cut: Ventrone, Osgood, Costanzo, Morris, Moody, Dahl, Spillman.
I don't see Dahl or Spillman going since they are at least okay backup safeties, no chance IMO both Costanzo & Moody make it w/all the ILBs we have (even w/Bowman on PUP) our depth at WR makes it really tough on Osgood (especially w/Lloyd lighting it up in OTAs). I really wish the NFL allowed for like 60 players & maybe let you designate 5 or so players as STs only or something, then this STs would probably be the best coverage unit in the league.
On paper right now we have a tremendous STs group, but that's the 90 man roster, I think we're going to have to rely on some of the rookies to play effective STs, especially guys like Ward, D.Johnson, Hyde, Ellington (returns), Borland, Skov along with some 2nd year guys like Lemonier, Vance. It kinda sucks that of our "ST stars" really only Skuta has proved himself at a "regular" position.
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buck
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Originally posted by SofaKing:
^^ Very interesting, buck.
What a weird year 2012 was for the ST unit. 31st in kickoff coverage, but 4th in punt coverage. The 1 TD given up comes with an asterisk too. That was the Randall Cobb TD return in week 1. Should have never happened as the refs missed a blatant block in the back that led to the TD.
Regardless, nice to see the ST unit bounce back in 2013. Had an even better year statistically than the 2011 unit we all love.
Despite the generally good rankings, ST mistakes have burned us badly in the playoffs each of the past 3 seasons. I'm afraid Kyle Williams has hexed the unit after fumble-gate pt. I & II. Maybe the new Stadium will erase the curse.
If I remember correctly, mistakes on
special teams, defense, and offense have cost dearly in the play-offs.
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NCommand
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Originally posted by SofaKing:
Originally posted by NCommand:
I have to say, Andy Lee had an off year last year (by his standards) and these stats showed it. The punt coverage units where tremendous and needed to be b/c we were 26th in Kickoff Touchback Percentage. I think towards the end of the year, the leg gets tired and this is why for 3 straight years, we've been burned on KOR in the playoffs. And naturally, we choose to punt/KO to PROVEN dynamic returners (never get this line of thinking...ever...esp. when you have a top ranked defense; make them march 80 yards on you every single time!).
I wonder how the new stadium will help/hurt us. Does anyone live out there...is it like a lot of places where the winds kick up more (or a lot) our East once the sun starts to go down?
Doesn't Dawson Dawson handle the kickoffs though? Last couple years we had him and Akers. Two older guys with good legs, but not strong to the point where they can kick a touchback on command. That would be a nice luxury to have. It's practically a gimme ever since they moved the kickoff up. Returns like the ones Baldwin and Jones had against us would have never happened. Sigh...what could have been lol.
Yeah that was pretty much my point spot on!
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buck
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buck
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49ersSC
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The Bay Area's own GOOSE the bulldog (& 49er faithful) is in Justin Timberlake's new music video for "Not A Bad Thing"! If his picture gets most likes, JT will surprise him next week. Please support the bay and like his picture! Thanks in advance!
http://justintimberlake.com/news/2014/notabadlovestory-now-its-your-turn-to-play-cupid/