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[size=13pt]Special teams work to Vikings' advantage[/size]
Posted: 9:49 a.m. Sept. 16, 2009
By Chip Scoggins
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Darius Reynaud had not returned a punt in a game since high school when he assumed that role against the Dallas Cowboys in the Vikings’ final preseason game....
Definitely a step in the right direction. We really needed to fix this problem in the offseason and I hope Reynaud and Harvin have continued success.
I like our returners this year.
So much better than what we had last year.
I hated Hicks.
I am still worried about the cover side.
Giving up a TD is never good.
I know Cribbs is a special returner but it still worries me since it happened.
"ejmat" wrote:
I think our return guys look great and we will have much better field possition on average then we have seen in the past.Quote:
I like our returners this year.
So much better than what we had last year.
I hated Hicks.
I am still worried about the cover side.
Giving up a TD is never good.
I know Cribbs is a special returner but it still worries me since it happened.
Kluiw has been told to kick high in order to give the covreage team more time. It worked well for the Felcons last year.
Anyone notice who was in on all the ST's tackles and who wasn't?
Loved watching the guys get down there and be in place waiting for the ball to get there.
Long story short, hang time vs "Kick it as fricken far as you can" will be the key to our success this year, not one ST's player.
Case in point.....
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/boxscore...005&page=playsQuote:
Minnesota - 2:23
1st-10, MIN15 2:23 B. Favre incomplete pass to the right
2nd-10, MIN15 2:19 B. Favre sacked by B. Pool
3rd-16, MIN9 2:00 B. Favre passed to C. Taylor to the right for 10 yard gain
4th-6, MIN19 1:30 C. Kluwe punt. J. Cribbs returned punt for 67 yard touchdown
Kluwe clearly outkicked his coverage on this. Cribbs had time to field it and survey the field and select the land not covered.
Result, TD........
I wonder if the coaching staff asked him to kick it like that or if they told him to give it hang time?
"Marrdro" wrote:
OutKicked his coverage?????????????????????????????? Come on Marrdro you are better than this.Quote:
Anyone notice who was in on all the ST's tackles and who wasn't?
Loved watching the guys get down there and be in place waiting for the ball to get there.
Long story short, hang time vs "Kick it as fricken far as you can" will be the key to our success this year, not one ST's player.
Case in point.....
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/boxscore...005&page=playsQuote:
Minnesota - 2:23
1st-10, MIN15 2:23 B. Favre incomplete pass to the right
2nd-10, MIN15 2:19 B. Favre sacked by B. Pool
3rd-16, MIN9 2:00 B. Favre passed to C. Taylor to the right for 10 yard gain
4th-6, MIN19 1:30 C. Kluwe punt. J. Cribbs returned punt for 67 yard touchdown
Kluwe clearly outkicked his coverage on this. Cribbs had time to field it and survey the field and select the land not covered.
Result, TD........
I wonder if the coaching staff asked him to kick it like that or if they told him to give it hang time?
Cribbs TD
Watch this again.
1. Kluwe's total punt distance: 48 yards past the line of scrimmage. It's not like he kicked it 60 some yards. Either our guys are slow, or being blocked
2. Our left runner can't get back his blocker AT ALL.
3. Watch seconds 10-12. Three Vikings collapse on the ball instead of staying in their lanes. Cribbs makes one move and Bye Bye.
I agree that Kluwe has made some mistakes in the past, but this is not one of them.
It helps to have versatile and yet talented guys on the team.Quote:
“They all can interchange and I am not going to lock any of them in,†Childress said. “The great thing is that all those guys have that ability along with Bernard Berrian or Jaymar Johnson if he happened to be up.â€Â
Chilly was talking about pH, Reynaud, BB and JJ.
Once again, we have improved team talent from year to year.
"snowinapril" wrote:
YUCK!Quote:
It helps to have versatile and yet talented guys on the team.Quote:
“They all can interchange and I am not going to lock any of them in,†Childress said. “The great thing is that all those guys have that ability along with Bernard Berrian or Jaymar Johnson if he happened to be up.â€Â
Chilly was talking about pH, Reynaud, BB and JJ.
Once again, we have improved team talent from year to year.
I say pick a guy and stick him back there the entire season.
"V" wrote:
Quote:
"snowinapril" wrote:
YUCK!Quote:
It helps to have versatile and yet talented guys on the team.Quote:
“They all can interchange and I am not going to lock any of them in,†Childress said. “The great thing is that all those guys have that ability along with Bernard Berrian or Jaymar Johnson if he happened to be up.â€Â
Chilly was talking about pH, Reynaud, BB and JJ.
Once again, we have improved team talent from year to year.
I say pick a guy and stick him back there the entire season.
I honestly would like BB and pH for Offense use only.
JMHO!
Hopefully when they get to activate JJ, he will take over the KOs.
"Marrdro" wrote:
Nahh... The kick wasn't booming distance wise - 48 yards.Quote:
Anyone notice who was in on all the ST's tackles and who wasn't?
Loved watching the guys get down there and be in place waiting for the ball to get there.
Long story short, hang time vs "Kick it as fricken far as you can" will be the key to our success this year, not one ST's player.
Case in point.....
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/boxscore...005&page=playsQuote:
Minnesota - 2:23
1st-10, MIN15 2:23 B. Favre incomplete pass to the right
2nd-10, MIN15 2:19 B. Favre sacked by B. Pool
3rd-16, MIN9 2:00 B. Favre passed to C. Taylor to the right for 10 yard gain
4th-6, MIN19 1:30 C. Kluwe punt. J. Cribbs returned punt for 67 yard touchdown
Kluwe clearly outkicked his coverage on this. Cribbs had time to field it and survey the field and select the land not covered.
Result, TD........
I wonder if the coaching staff asked him to kick it like that or if they told him to give it hang time?
And the hang-time wasn't good, but wasn't terrible - 4.4 seconds.
I think that average hang-time across the NFL is something like 4.6 seconds (not positive on that).
What happened is that Onatolu got sucked inside, giving up his lane and allowing the return.
Kluwe took a bad angle too, because he's a punter that thinks he's an athlete, but he's not.
So mostly it was Onatolu.
Here's a first screen shot with Onatolu circled in red:
[img width=450 height=250]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2432/3928913457_774cb3a1b3.jpg[/img]
The red line is the path he's going to take.
The blue path is the lane he should have taken.
Here it is a few frames later:
[img width=450 height=252]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2469/3928913495_41fcc87c9e.jpg[/img]
Now he's caught up in a block and realizes that Cribbs is cutting back where he should have been.
And here it is just a bit later:
[img width=450 height=250]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/3928913547_ecb0a8e532.jpg[/img]
Onatolu is taking a dive at Cribbs, just missing.
Childress mentioned 2 guys getting out of their lanes at the press conference Monday (link).
At 2:58, he talks about the return:
I'm not sure who the other guy is, and who might have had a shot at getting him for a loss or instant stop, but Onatolu was the most obvious guy that missed.Quote:
We had two unblocked guys that jumped out of a lane, and... you know, the same coverage the next time and those two guys get in their lane and it's a minus three return back there.