Week 3 Special Teams Thread

[Barry from MS]

Positives:
Morstead: Freakin' Beast. 4 punts 176 NET yardage. Field position flipper.
PRob: great tackle on first kick-off return by one of the best returners in the league.
Punt coverage to end the first half: MIN pinned down at 4 yard line to close out the half.
Last Kick Return 4th QTR - stopping Patterson inside 20 yard line was huge for field position, making MIN go 80+ yards down by 11 with 12 minutes to play. MIN would not get the ball back after that possession. Crucial.

Negatives

Missed PAT: Seriously? Seriously?!?! Isn't this the NFL? It's irrelevant that if it is blocked or missed. PAT are gimme points; points win football games. Disgraceful.

Kick-Off coverage b/w 1st MIN return & the last MIN return: Average-to-below average at best. One of those returns going for 43 yards to open the 2nd half. In a 13-6 game, you give MIN the ball starting at the 35 yard to open the half? Terrible.

Return game: Can't help Walsh kicking it into the upper deck on kick-offs. However, we had one opportunity for a good return from a dynamic player named Cooks. We get -3 yards. Where have I heard that before? Last week, too. 2 Things: Coach up Cooks to go straight line up-the-field on returns and remove your head from your @$$, Coordinator McMahon, and get your return coverage team to block better.

Summary: A Very Generous Below Average Crucial stops on one of the best kick returners in the league opening and closing the game. Morstead is the savior with negating returns on punts and NET punting average. Missed PAT will get you dinged to below average automatically. Big return to open the 2nd half shows the blatant incompetence of the coordinator, especially in a 7 point game. And we may as well accept the fact that Cooks' talent in punt returns will be wasted until McMahon is permanently removed.