Originally Posted by TheOak (Post 531594)

Everyone is more than welcome to be happy with penalties and being at the bottom of the league in return yardage... I am not.

Originally Posted by TheOak (Post 531594)

FYI we have punted 11 times this season. That would be tied with the Colts @#1 for the lest amounts of punts in the league.

I didnt mention "our" punting because that is fine and our punt numbers are due to Morstead The Leg.

Returning other teams punts is where we are 29th in the league.
NFL Football Stats - NFL Team Opponent Net Yards per Successful Punt on TeamRankings.com

Sproles is averaging 7.3 yards per punt return (20th). And 23 yards per Kick Off Return (27th).
Returning Stat Leaders 2013,NFL Overall Punt & Kick Return Rankings

Special teams is all about field position. Sproles needs those guys to block.

Everyone is more than welcome to be happy with penalties and being at the bottom of the league in return yardage... I am not.

Originally Posted by ScottF (Post 531650)

Return yardage in perspective:
--We have returned TWO kicks this year. Love or hate the 23 yard average, it is really meaningless; teams aren't going to kick to Sproles.

--Punt return average is 15th in the league. Doesn't factor in high, intentionally unreturnable punts that result in fair catches (4) or touchbacks, or times teams simply kick away from Sproles (often)

the penalties are inexcusable, but we are actually not anywhere near the bottom in returns
2013 NFL Team Returning Stats - National Football League - ESPN

Originally Posted by TheOak (Post 531594)

Everyone is more than welcome to be happy with penalties and being at the bottom of the league in return yardage... I am not.

Originally Posted by SaintsBro (Post 531787)

Of course you're not, and no one in their right mind is going to disagree with you...BUT the real question you need to ask is, who do you want to see coaching the Saints on Sunday morning, out of all the subset of people in the world NOT named Sean Payton???? Take your pick. The world is your oyster. So to get a change at special teams coach, who do you plug in at Head Coach?

Originally Posted by TheOak (Post 531690)

I was going off Sproles stats, yours were team stats. Which are the same, the ranking was a little different because some teams have more than one returner above Sproles.

individual and team are clearly different. A guy with 1 PR for 9 yards is ahead of Sproles, even if the team average is 5 yards. We are 15th, not 29th.

If teams are going to punt away from Sproles, or kick it out of the endzone on Sproles, why is he back there?


Wouldn't we stand to get better field position on punts if we had someone they would kick to? Or is the faith in our special teams low enough that we rather just take it where the ball lands?

no fumbles, no TO's, fewer injuries when they kick away. I'm fine with getting decent field position and giving it to Brees. Yes, there are 15-16 PR TD's each year, but on the risk-reward side I'll stay conservative

What I don't see in the link you provided is where certain kicks are omitted and the stats are dubious...

Payton Manning has thrown 12 TD passes this season but Denver has only kicked off 7 times? San Diego has had 16 opponent kick offs ATT return against them in 3 games?

I am doing this on my phone so I may be missing something on the mobile version.

Originally Posted by ScottF (Post 531799)

These stats are kick returns. You are thinking kicks. Siri always confuses the two :}

Originally Posted by SaintsBro (Post 531787)

Of course you're not, and no one in their right mind is going to disagree with you...BUT the real question you need to ask is, who do you want to see coaching the Saints on Sunday morning, out of all the subset of people in the world NOT named Sean Payton???? Take your pick. The world is your oyster. So to get a change at special teams coach, who do you plug in at Head Coach?

Originally Posted by TheOak (Post 531847)

And here I thought giving Siri the male voice I would get better answers.