So what is the Special Teams Gamplan?

[uninja]

1 minute ago, Jobot said:

What's the consensus on Heath Farwell?

 

He's good, based purely on the eye test our ST play has been above average since he came onboard. Haack does look slow AF kicking punts, but that slow wind up + his better than average hang time has meant that he never outkicks our coverage which in a punt return situation is exactly what you want. 

[FilthyBeast]

Ironically our ST made a huge play against the Chiefs in the AFC Championship and essentially scored our only meaningful TD until garbage time.

 

If we do hang with the Chiefs and win this game I could see Bass being the hero and making a game winning kick.

[Matt_In_NH]

dont get a punt blocked.  Catch all kickoffs in the field of play.  No holding

[Don Otreply]

22 hours ago, unbillievable said:

Do we trust Mckenzie to handle punts in the rain?

Will the Bills punt at all?

Is our secret weapon, Taiwan, going to be unleashed?

Can they try building a wall with all the tall people on the roster?

 

Oy vey, if I could only roll my eyes with more Emphasis…, 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

On 10/8/2021 at 8:18 AM, Jobot said:

This is a legit question.. We've had two SP blunders this year that cost us opposing TDs. Steelers blocked punt was a game decider, Washington thankfully made no difference.. but 2 major blunders in 4 games is not a good start/trend. 

 

Those aren't "gameplan" issues but matters of execution IMO.  IIRC Dirty Red (Matekavitch) said they'd practiced against the rush scheme the Steelers used that week.  It was simply a matter of communication when it counted, combined with Haack cheating up a couple yards (which kickers tend to do when they're near their endzone)

 

I suppose you could call the botched kickoff a gameplan issue, since in retrospect with that wind, as someone else said "we needed the Hands team on the field"

 

 

19 hours ago, MJS said:

Do you feel like he has had more punts blocked than average in the NFL?

 

The league average last season was 0.4, and the previous season 0.3, so the factual answer to any season where the punter has 1 blocked punt would be "yes".  

 

On the other hand, it was Haack's 2nd block in 4 seasons (maybe 3rd if you count a punt in the 2018 NE game that just passed the LOS). 

 

If it happens again it's a problem.

 

You can bet on it that Belichick is on the watch for a pattern in our blocking that he can exploit.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Same as usual 

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2021/10/9/22717763/buffalo-bills-lead-nfl-with-average-drive-start-at-own-36
 

The Buffalo Bills are nearly four yards better than the rest of the league in terms of starting field position. Buffalo starts their drives on average at the 36.1-yard line

[Chandler#81]

32 minutes ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

Same as usual 

 

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2021/10/9/22717763/buffalo-bills-lead-nfl-with-average-drive-start-at-own-36
 

The Buffalo Bills are nearly four yards better than the rest of the league in terms of starting field position. Buffalo starts their drives on average at the 36.1-yard line

I’ve been wondering how much of an effect this really is. Taking it in reverse, if Chiefs down a punt inside our 10 or we stop them there in 4 downs and McKittrick decides to return a KO but only makes it to the 20 yrd line, does this mean we’re in trouble? I don’t think so..

[Hapless Bills Fan]

7 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

I’ve been wondering how much of an effect this really is. Taking it in reverse, if Chiefs down a punt inside our 10 or we stop them there in 4 downs and McKittrick decides to return a KO but only makes it to the 20 yrd line, does this mean we’re in trouble? I don’t think so..

 

Really good question.

 

I recall interviews after the Colts game with Daboll and with Allen (separately) and both said something to the effect that when you're inside certain yardage, it affects the plays you can run and you have to get out to the ___ yard line to run your full playbook. 

 

I can't remember what they said, but I think it was the 15 yd line.

 

If recalled correctly, that would argue that McKenzie returning a KO but only getting to the 20 instead of the 25 is NBD, but that having a punt downed or a kickoff return tackled at the 5 or 10 yd line is a disadvantage because it affects our gameplan.

 

I looked for the interviews but they're lengthy and I don't have time to go through them.

 

If we stopped the Chiefs and got a TOD on our own 10 yd line I would.......mmmmm can't talk about that here!!!!!!!

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

4 extra yards can decide between a FG or Punt 

being pinned deep - there are limited play calls 

 

similar to 1st and goal at the 10.  
 

there are limited play calls 

[MJS]

4 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

The league average last season was 0.4, and the previous season 0.3, so the factual answer to any season where the punter has 1 blocked punt would be "yes".  

 

On the other hand, it was Haack's 2nd block in 4 seasons (maybe 3rd if you count a punt in the 2018 NE game that just passed the LOS). 

 

If it happens again it's a problem.

 

You can bet on it that Belichick is on the watch for a pattern in our blocking that he can exploit.

The answer is no. He is not blocked more often in his career than other punters. This is something that people do not need to be worried about.

[John from Riverside]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:12 PM, unbillievable said:

Do we trust Mckenzie to handle punts in the rain?

Will the Bills punt at all?

Is our secret weapon, Taiwan, going to be unleashed?

Can they try building a wall with all the tall people on the roster?

 

Keep our punter doing whatever is taking that extra hitch out of his step when he kicks it.....other then that why would the game plan be different?  Our special teams has been awesome?

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Hide the 'E's in thread titles?

[unbillievable]

Can't get a punt blocked if you never punt.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Kick far, hit hard.