QuickFix: Special teams analysis (Week 15 - Saints)
Special teams didn't really make a difference in yesterday's game, but let's review everything that went down:
Kicking game - Rashard Luck
There was one play that could have had a big impact on yesterday's game, as Rashard Robinson came close to recovering this onside kick with the Jets down five:
If anyone was going to recover that, Robinson with his long arms was the best bet, but it wasn't to be.
With long-snapper Thomas Hennessy back, Lachlan Edwards had easier working conditions this week but had mixed results. Two of his kicks were long ones that got the return man backpedaling and one landed inside the 10 but he shanked one out of bounds and laid a couple up short.
Chandler Catanzaro was a non-factor. He had two field goals, two touchbacks and two extra points.
Kick coverage - Bad Brooks
In kick coverage this week, Marcus Maye was the first player to be credited with a tackle, which is notable because he's barely played on the kick coverage unit all season.
In punt coverage, Terrance Brooks did a good job of getting down the field but he had three missed tackles. Lawrence Thomas also missed a tackle and ArDarius Stewart was blocked out on one runback.
Rontez Miles stepped up again with two more tackles, while linebacker Bruce Carter, Julian Stanford and Josh Martin all made stops.
Return game - No good vice
It was another disappointing performance from Jojo Natson, who was stopped before the 25 on all five of his kick return attempts. It's not all down to Natson, as this image shows:
As you can see, there are seven blockers and seven defenders, but five blockers take the three defenders on the left side, leaving two blockers to (not) block the four defenders to Natson's right. Compounding matters, Natson started off going left and then cut back to the right.
Thomas was among those who had missed blocks leading to a kick return being blown up and Miles had an illegal block in the back penalty. Stewart did blow someone up though, not that it led to a good return.
They didn't fare any better on punts either as Natson fair caught one where he seemed to have a ton of room and then when he tried to return one, he got blown up by the gunner, who had beaten the vice Darryl Roberts badly.
Previously: Reviewing the rotations.