tk13
10-07-2004, 01:05 AM
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/football/nfl/kansas_city_chiefs/9853440.htm
Not so special teams
Coverage, kickoff breakdowns hurt Chiefs
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
Dick Vermeil was full of praise for his team's offensive and defensive efforts after Monday night's season-saving 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
But Vermeil had no such love for his special teams.
“Our special teams, especially our coverage teams, were poor,” Vermeil said. “We've worked on it enough to be better. They weren't at the tempo with everybody else, so we have to evaluate that.”
As the Chiefs begin post-open-date preparations for Jacksonville next week, they will at least be able to count on the return of punter Steve Cheek, who missed the last two games with a calf injury.
Cheek's replacement, Jason Baker, performed inconsistently and hurt the Chiefs with a line-drive punt from his 5-yard line against Baltimore that was returned for a 58-yard touchdown.
So far, that return by B.J. Sams is the NFL's only punt or kickoff return for a touchdown this season. But simply replacing Baker with Cheek, who averaged a solid 44.7 yards per punt in the first two games, will not fix all of the Chiefs' special-teams issues, and Vermeil knows it.
Only Houston and Seattle rank worse in kickoff coverage. The Chiefs are allowing an average of 15.5 yards per punt return, and Dante Hall has been limited to long returns of 26 yards on punts and 45 yards on kicks.
Breakdowns in coverage nearly cost the Chiefs their first win last week. Sams' touchdown return was made possible by Baker's poor punt, but at least three Chiefs missed tackles during his return.
On kickoffs, Lawrence Tynes didn't manage a touchback, and the dangerous Sams notched field position-changing returns of 25, 20, 44, 41, 24 and 29 yards.
Vermeil became so frustrated with his kickoff team after the 41-yarder that he walked five yards onto the field, screaming at his players.
Missed tackles, running out of lanes and an inability to get off blocks have been problems, allowing opponents a 28.7 yard-per-kick return average. But Vermeil wants more out of Tynes. The Chiefs kept him over veteran Morten Andersen in part because he has a much stronger leg for kickoffs.
Tynes, who has hit all 11 point-after kicks and four of six field-goal attempts, has managed three touchbacks on 19 kickoffs, and Chiefs opponents have had an average starting position of their own 32-yard line.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have an average starting position of their own 27.
“Our kicks were not what they should be (against Baltimore),” Vermeil said. “They will be better. Tynes did a nice job kicking field goals. He did not do a good job kicking off. One of the reasons we kept him was he could do both well. He has done both well in ballgames already. There was no reason (for his struggles against Baltimore) except for being a bit too uptight and kicking the ball too hard.”
One issue affecting the special teams is injuries. William Bartee was hurt covering a punt at Denver, and Julian Battle has had Achilles' and hamstring problems, so starting cornerback Eric Warfield has been forced to add special-teams duties to his plate.
Rookie linebacker Keyaron Fox was projected to be a standout special-teams player, but he has been hurt. The loss of middle linebacker Mike Maslowski and then his replacement, Kawika Mitchell, during the preseason meant that special-teams ace Monty Beisel has sometimes been forced to pull double duty.
Beisel, who ranked behind only Pro Bowler Gary Stills with 22 special-teams tackles last season, has just two in limited special-teams action this season.
“We've got Fox healthy now, so maybe we ought to get him because some guys aren't getting it done,” Vermeil said. “And when you take Monty Beisel out of the mix on our coverage teams — especially on kickoff coverage — it affects us.”
Another issue is that the Chiefs are missing a handful of solid if unheralded members of last season's special-teams units.
Tight end Billy Baber, who played in the wedge, suffered a season-ending knee injury during camp. Offensive guard Don Willis, who also played in the wedge on kickoffs, is on the physically unable to perform list with a back injury and could miss the season.
Safety Lyle West, who played on the return and cover units, did not make the team. And though offensive coordinator Al Saunders was crushed to lose Marc Boerigter for the season at wide receiver, the team also misses Boerigter's special-teams skills.
Boerigter came up with a pair of crucial fumble recoveries in punt coverage in close wins over Baltimore and Oakland last season and made six special-teams tackles.
“We have some different guys in there, but we've also had a lot of the same guys in there, so that shouldn't matter,” said Stills, who has three special-teams tackles this season. “We still have a lot of guys who can make plays. We just have to tighten some things up and get the job done, bottom line.”
Not so special teams
Coverage, kickoff breakdowns hurt Chiefs
By IVAN CARTER The Kansas City Star
Dick Vermeil was full of praise for his team's offensive and defensive efforts after Monday night's season-saving 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
But Vermeil had no such love for his special teams.
“Our special teams, especially our coverage teams, were poor,” Vermeil said. “We've worked on it enough to be better. They weren't at the tempo with everybody else, so we have to evaluate that.”
As the Chiefs begin post-open-date preparations for Jacksonville next week, they will at least be able to count on the return of punter Steve Cheek, who missed the last two games with a calf injury.
Cheek's replacement, Jason Baker, performed inconsistently and hurt the Chiefs with a line-drive punt from his 5-yard line against Baltimore that was returned for a 58-yard touchdown.
So far, that return by B.J. Sams is the NFL's only punt or kickoff return for a touchdown this season. But simply replacing Baker with Cheek, who averaged a solid 44.7 yards per punt in the first two games, will not fix all of the Chiefs' special-teams issues, and Vermeil knows it.
Only Houston and Seattle rank worse in kickoff coverage. The Chiefs are allowing an average of 15.5 yards per punt return, and Dante Hall has been limited to long returns of 26 yards on punts and 45 yards on kicks.
Breakdowns in coverage nearly cost the Chiefs their first win last week. Sams' touchdown return was made possible by Baker's poor punt, but at least three Chiefs missed tackles during his return.
On kickoffs, Lawrence Tynes didn't manage a touchback, and the dangerous Sams notched field position-changing returns of 25, 20, 44, 41, 24 and 29 yards.
Vermeil became so frustrated with his kickoff team after the 41-yarder that he walked five yards onto the field, screaming at his players.
Missed tackles, running out of lanes and an inability to get off blocks have been problems, allowing opponents a 28.7 yard-per-kick return average. But Vermeil wants more out of Tynes. The Chiefs kept him over veteran Morten Andersen in part because he has a much stronger leg for kickoffs.
Tynes, who has hit all 11 point-after kicks and four of six field-goal attempts, has managed three touchbacks on 19 kickoffs, and Chiefs opponents have had an average starting position of their own 32-yard line.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have an average starting position of their own 27.
“Our kicks were not what they should be (against Baltimore),” Vermeil said. “They will be better. Tynes did a nice job kicking field goals. He did not do a good job kicking off. One of the reasons we kept him was he could do both well. He has done both well in ballgames already. There was no reason (for his struggles against Baltimore) except for being a bit too uptight and kicking the ball too hard.”
One issue affecting the special teams is injuries. William Bartee was hurt covering a punt at Denver, and Julian Battle has had Achilles' and hamstring problems, so starting cornerback Eric Warfield has been forced to add special-teams duties to his plate.
Rookie linebacker Keyaron Fox was projected to be a standout special-teams player, but he has been hurt. The loss of middle linebacker Mike Maslowski and then his replacement, Kawika Mitchell, during the preseason meant that special-teams ace Monty Beisel has sometimes been forced to pull double duty.
Beisel, who ranked behind only Pro Bowler Gary Stills with 22 special-teams tackles last season, has just two in limited special-teams action this season.
“We've got Fox healthy now, so maybe we ought to get him because some guys aren't getting it done,” Vermeil said. “And when you take Monty Beisel out of the mix on our coverage teams — especially on kickoff coverage — it affects us.”
Another issue is that the Chiefs are missing a handful of solid if unheralded members of last season's special-teams units.
Tight end Billy Baber, who played in the wedge, suffered a season-ending knee injury during camp. Offensive guard Don Willis, who also played in the wedge on kickoffs, is on the physically unable to perform list with a back injury and could miss the season.
Safety Lyle West, who played on the return and cover units, did not make the team. And though offensive coordinator Al Saunders was crushed to lose Marc Boerigter for the season at wide receiver, the team also misses Boerigter's special-teams skills.
Boerigter came up with a pair of crucial fumble recoveries in punt coverage in close wins over Baltimore and Oakland last season and made six special-teams tackles.
“We have some different guys in there, but we've also had a lot of the same guys in there, so that shouldn't matter,” said Stills, who has three special-teams tackles this season. “We still have a lot of guys who can make plays. We just have to tighten some things up and get the job done, bottom line.”