ganesh Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We are half way into the season and our Kick and Punt returns have been pretty average. What is blocking Bruce Dehaven from putting out a good special teams. Our punt returns have pretty much been "fair catches". We really need our Special Teams to kick some butt this week.
Erik Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We are half way into the season and our Kick and Punt returns have been pretty average. What is blocking Bruce Dehaven from putting out a good special teams. Our punt returns have pretty much been "fair catches". We really need our Special Teams to kick some butt this week. One of the biggest problems I've seen is that the opposing teams haven't employed our strategy of kicking it so they can return and and trying to cover the kick. They just kick it as far as they can. I guess that's what happens when you've got Brad Smith back there. As a matter of fact I read an article a few weeks ago where he talked about being frustrated that he hasn't been able to return any kicks. Not sure about the punt returns but I think our kick-off coverage has been outstanding.
TheBrownBear Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) We haven't had a chance to return any kicks. You're right on the punt returns. Spiller has yet to impress me as a punt returner (or at all really). He just seems to lack that instinct to find the small seams in a defense that parrish and mcgee had (and fjax has on O). You may be on to something with dehaven too. If you recall, our return game was always pretty crappy during the super bowl years. Edited November 5, 2011 by TheBrownBear
bananathumb Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We haven't had a chance to return any kicks. You're right on the punt returns. Spiller has yet to impress me as a punt returner (or at all really). He just seems to lack that instinct to find the small seams in a defense that parrish and mcgee had (and fjax has on O). You may be on to something with dehaven too. If you recall, our return game was always pretty crappy during the super bowl years. yep, they need to replace this retread as special teams coach
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We haven't had a chance to return any kicks. You're right on the punt returns. Spiller has yet to impress me as a punt returner (or at all really). He just seems to lack that instinct to find the small seams in a defense that parrish and mcgee had (and fjax has on O). You may be on to something with dehaven too. If you recall, our return game was always pretty crappy during the super bowl years. Quite true on DeHaven. His STs were famous for kick coverage, blocked kicks, and the like, but the Bills only became a dangerous return team under Bobby April. Of course, it helped that April had Roscoe Parrish and Terence McGee returning punts and kicks.
White Linen Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We are half way into the season and our Kick and Punt returns have been pretty average. What is blocking Bruce Dehaven from putting out a good special teams. Our punt returns have pretty much been "fair catches". We really need our Special Teams to kick some butt this week. Average? There's been nothing average about being the NFL's last in return yards. By design we don't return kickoff's from inside the end zone, I agree with that. But Spiller has been awful, and I'm a Spiller apologist. His first move after making the catch is to either side and it needs to be forward. He's running to either side and trying to get to an edge. Everyone that knows anything about returning in the NFL knows that a quick cut to allude the initial rush and going forward is the only way to successfully return punts in the NFL. It's also the most dangerous to your body. So he's either not being coached properly, he's a bit skittish (scared), or the Bills brass are ok with him just not fumbling and staying healthy.
CardinalScotts Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We haven't had a chance to return any kicks. You're right on the punt returns. Spiller has yet to impress me as a punt returner (or at all really). He just seems to lack that instinct to find the small seams in a defense that parrish and mcgee had (and fjax has on O). You may be on to something with dehaven too. If you recall, our return game was always pretty crappy during the super bowl years. ya DeHaven's return game sucked during the super bowl years. I mean he had Clifford Hicks on punts and Al Edwards on kickoffs so you can't say -oh wait I think DeHaven was fine.
Mr_Blizzard Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 One of the biggest problems I've seen is that the opposing teams haven't employed our strategy of kicking it so they can return and and trying to cover the kick. They just kick it as far as they can. I guess that's what happens when you've got Brad Smith back there. As a matter of fact I read an article a few weeks ago where he talked about being frustrated that he hasn't been able to return any kicks. Not sure about the punt returns but I think our kick-off coverage has been outstanding. We have not had too many return opportunities.
I hate the Bills ! Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Bring Back Bobby April as Special Teams Coach, He is the one guy who should have survived the firing, he was and still is the best special teams coach in the NFL !
San Jose Bills Fan Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Bring Back Bobby April as Special Teams Coach, He is the one guy who should have survived the firing, he was and still is the best special teams coach in the NFL ! However when April wasn't given any consideration for the interim head coach position given to Fewell, he made it clear that he wasn't interested in staying in Buffalo as a holdover, as George Catavolos did. We might want April but he was done with the Bills.
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We have not had too many return opportunities. We can fix that. We can tell Brad Smith that he can and should return kick-offs that are 5 yards deep in the endzone. The other elite returners in the league are bringing out deep kicks.
John from Riverside Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Didnt Chan already answer this in a press conference? Something about the new rules on the average killing kickoff return averages? Meanwhile our special teams coverage (thanks to one Corey Mclentire) is sticking return guys at like the 15 yard line.
RealityCheck Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We can fix that. We can tell Brad Smith that he can and should return kick-offs that are 5 yards deep in the endzone. The other elite returners in the league are bringing out deep kicks. Are they doing it with regularity? Are these returns sometimes stuffed inside the ten? How many of these returns from deep in the end zone happened on losing efforts?
hondo in seattle Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 I recall that DeHaven was an excellent ST coach during the Super Bowl years. I remember Levy tended to treat ST equal with Offense and Defense. I do worry, however, that maybe the game has passed DeHaven by. April is currently the better ST coach.
Dragonborn10 Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 We can fix that. We can tell Brad Smith that he can and should return kick-offs that are 5 yards deep in the endzone. The other elite returners in the league are bringing out deep kicks. And mostly tackled at the 15yard line...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 And mostly tackled at the 15yard line... I think you play the averages. If I have a guy who has historically averaged 25 yards on KR's, then I give him free reign to bring anything from the endzone out.
TheBrownBear Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) ya DeHaven's return game sucked during the super bowl years. I mean he had Clifford Hicks on punts and Al Edwards on kickoffs so you can't say -oh wait I think DeHaven was fine. I think it's a chicken or the egg type scenario. I mean, can we categorically say that hicks, don smith and al edwards were crappy returners, or, just maybe, did dehaven's schemes have something to do with how those guys looked? I'll just say that our return units always sucked under dehaven and improved dramatically under bobby april. Now as soon as april left and dehaven returned, the return units are again crappy. By the way, I'm not advocating replacing dehaven at all. He's done a marvelous job with our coverage units and that is, imo, the most important responsibility of a special teams coach. Edited November 5, 2011 by TheBrownBear
Thunderstealer Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Really though, as long as the KR's and PR's safely field the kicks it's enough for me-- with Buffalo having such an explosive offense, anything beyond their twenty I feel confident they can drive all the way.
vincec Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 By the way, I'm not advocating replacing dehaven at all. He's done a marvelous job with our coverage units and that is, imo, the most important responsibility of a special teams coach. Really though, as long as the KR's and PR's safely field the kicks it's enough for me-- with Buffalo having such an explosive offense, anything beyond their twenty I feel confident they can drive all the way. My thoughts exactly. I still think that if the Bills had a more explosive kick returner they would look a lot better.
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