Special Teams is a concern

[TwistofFate]

Special Teams has been a major concern this year and I've been clamoring about it for weeks on end.  Smiley needs to be relieved of duties at seasons end imo. 

 

Special teams has become a huge liability this year and once again reared it's head in the wild card game.  A blocked field goal and two missed FG in game.  The block changed the entire dynamic of the game. 

 

This year we've had blocked field goals, punt return for TD, kick off return for TD, fake punt against us, and 12 men on the field during FG attempt that directly cost us a game. 

 

Bass has been horrible, punting is less than desirable and outside of a few key Special teams players the SP teams as a whole has been less than average. 

 

A change needs to be made. 

[jimmynunn]

No challenging your facts on our special team challenges this year. And if Smiley's schemes or personnel usage have led to blocked kicks or long returns, he needs to be held accountable for that. But how much does a special teams coach impact the performance of the kicker (assuming he has chosen the proper snapper and holder)? I always assumed the kickers have their own skill coaches, much like JA has Palmer.  If Bass shanks a 27 yd. FG, or pushes a 45 yarder wide , is that really the fault of the ST coach? 

[zow2]

31 minutes ago, TwistofFate said:

Special Teams has been a major concern this year and I've been clamoring about it for weeks on end. 

 

Except for that beauty of a Harty return that got us a home WC game and home game vs KC.  

[Fr. Jerk]

4 minutes ago, zow2 said:

 

Except for that beauty of a Harty return that got us a home WC game and home game vs KC.  

 

[Rubes]

Special teams has been woeful all year, except for the Harty return. That one play, while critical to the season, does not entirely make up for a season's worth of bad play. I'd also mention the punt block that very nearly happened at the beginning of the Dallas game. Still hard to believe the player didn't get a piece of it, but if he had somehow not inexplicably missed the ball, that very well may have completely changed that game.

 

I'm less worried about Bass than others, but Smiley really needs to get his ***** together or else he should be on the street after this year.

 

[transient]

6 minutes ago, jimmynunn said:

No challenging your facts on our special team challenges this year. And if Smiley's schemes or personnel usage have led to blocked kicks or long returns, he needs to be held accountable for that. But how much does a special teams coach impact the performance of the kicker (assuming he has chosen the proper snapper and holder)? I always assumed the kickers have their own skill coaches, much like JA has Palmer.  If Bass shanks a 27 yd. FG, or pushes a 45 yarder wide , is that really the fault of the ST coach? 

It depends... is he the one that dubbed Bass "Shankopotamus" in the locker room this season thinking it would boost his confidence? Does he tell Bass "remember, don't shank it" as he's stepping onto the field, putting the idea in his head? Did he say "whatever you do, don't get it blocked" yesterday going into halftime? I mean, it's not impossible.

 

I wonder what Ronnie Jones and his mullet are up to these days...

[Ramza86]

I mean outside of signing the punt god...what else can we do today?

[JohnNord]

 

38 minutes ago, TwistofFate said:

Special Teams has been a major concern this year and I've been clamoring about it for weeks on end.  Smiley needs to be relieved of duties at seasons end imo. 

 

Special teams has become a huge liability this year and once again reared it's head in the wild card game.  A blocked field goal and two missed FG in game.  The block changed the entire dynamic of the game. 

 

This year we've had blocked field goals, punt return for TD, kick off return for TD, fake punt against us, and 12 men on the field during FG attempt that directly cost us a game. 

 

Bass has been horrible, punting is less than desirable and outside of a few key Special teams players the SP teams as a whole has been less than average. 

 

A change needs to be made. 

I think this a change is definitely possible, and has been for weeks, but things aren’t as bleak as you make them out to be.  
 

Special Teams essentially changed the game against Miami and Sam Martin had been doing an excellent job pinning teams deep in their own territory.   Then there was the fumble caused by Reggie Gilliam on a kick return that started a rout of the Jets.  
 

As far as the block last night, it did change the game.   It seemed to me that it was more of a function of Bass kicking the ball differently resulting in a low kick that got blocked.   It wasn’t related to coaching.  
 

The missed XP looked like a holding issue possibly related to the Martin injury.  
 

So it seems like your gripe is mostly with Bass who has not been great this year.   Like I said, I can see the Bills replacing Smiley because of the moments you mentioned but ST’s have had their moments too.  

[LABILLBACKER]

2 minutes ago, Rubes said:

Special teams has been woeful all year, except for the Harty return. That one play, while critical to the season, does not entirely make up for a season's worth of bad play. I'd also mention the punt block that very nearly happened at the beginning of the Dallas game. Still hard to believe the player didn't get a piece of it, but if he had somehow not inexplicably missed the ball, that very well may have completely changed that game.

 

I'm less worried about Bass than others, but Smiley really needs to get his ***** together or else he should be on the street after this year.

 

I agree, that Harty return was amazing but it hardly covers up the problems we've seen.  I don't know if Bass needs some individual mentoring but I personally have no faith in him anymore. Call it confidence or technique it needs to be addressed. 

2 minutes ago, Ramza86 said:

I mean outside of signing the punt god...what else can we do today?

Probably nothing. We can't just dump Bass this late in the season unless he's injured.  We're stuck and gotta hope for a turnaround. 

[Mark Vader]

16 minutes ago, Rubes said:

Special teams has been woeful all year, except for the Harty return. That one play, while critical to the season, does not entirely make up for a season's worth of bad play. I'd also mention the punt block that very nearly happened at the beginning of the Dallas game. Still hard to believe the player didn't get a piece of it, but if he had somehow not inexplicably missed the ball, that very well may have completely changed that game.

 

I'm less worried about Bass than others, but Smiley really needs to get his ***** together or else he should be on the street after this year.

 

Yeah, I'm not getting the freak out over Bass by so many. He's having a down year with field goals, but he's been very reliable with Extra Points. 

[TwistofFate]

I've been clamoring about special teams for the better part of this season, and as it turns out ironically special teams was the downfall of our season.

 

I've been laughed at and I've been mocked by many people on this board for my concern over this special teams unit which failed to convert on a fake punt and and miss another crucial field goal in this game.

 

I've been calling for the entire special team staff to be fired weeks ago and have come out in this thread and told everyone special teams was the concern in this postseason and here we are eliminated because bass is a joke and because our special teams coordinator is a joke.

[Thrivefourfive]

Think about how much less responsibility there is for special teams too. Kick off, kick return.. almost doesn’t exist. 
 

Wouldn’t the special teams coach have basically the more influential input regarding the status and performance capabilities for the kicker and punter? 
 

Ours failed.

[Dr.Sack]

1/3 of the game and killed us today.