Bills sign Matt Haack

[DCofNC]

Really hope he’s not actually playing, dude is sooooooo slow to punt, can’t afford a block.

[Beck Water]

 

Confirming Haack will be a practice squad signing.

 

14 minutes ago, DCofNC said:

Really hope he’s not actually playing, dude is sooooooo slow to punt, can’t afford a block.

 

Another "No Punt Game" would be fine with me.

Edited January 17 by Beck Water

[TheBrownBear]

Bass had his career season (2021) with Haack as his holder.

[SydneyBillsFan]

4 hours ago, Bigvinny said:

Yep, he knows how to hold for Bass.

 

I can reveal his incentive-laden match payment breakdown courtesy of Beane:

 

Punting - $1.75

Kick holding bonus on successful tries - $50,000.00

[34-78-83]

On a team with a good offense that more often will be punting closer to midfield, a punter that can get you Inside the 20/ inside the 10 numbers is what you want, not avg or net avg even. With that said, that's where Martin has been really killing it for the last 5 weeks. Haack? We shall see, but best option out there, especially due to the familiarity and proven holding consistency.

[stinky finger]

4 hours ago, Bigvinny said:

Yep, he knows how to hold for Bass.

This may be true, but he’s no Entwhistle. 😁

[Blank Stare]

2 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

So who is the punter you wanted them to sign?

Good question. Obviously, pickings are slim this time of year, but I may have considered Andy Lee or a recently retired Brett Kern. Both are old and washed, but have far more bonafides than Haack. If all we are concerned with is holding they should be more than capable, while also offering a slightly better upside in the actual punting department. Either are someone we can trust with big game experience. 
 

If we were looking for a slightly younger guy who has experience kicking in other cold markets like GB or CHI, maybe consider Pat O’Donnell. Probably not a helluva lot better than Haack, but, hell, we already have seen Haack kick here with mixed results. 
 

If you’re looking for the wild card, then, as others have suggested, you could bring back Araiza. While there is tremendous potential there, I understand why they didn’t go this direction. They know him, but it’s been a while and not the best timing to get him reacclimated. More of an offseason consideration than now. 
 

I’m not saying any of the above are ace ideas. Not many of those in January, but I was happy to move on from Haack the first time. I’m hoping Martin is active as best case. Again, I’m like you said in a previous post - hopefully we never punt in this game because we are scoring regularly. In which case, Haack’s holding skills will be on full display and clearly the safest route. In the event he’s punting deep in our end, I’m concerned with a block or duck leading to easy points, both of which he’s had concerns with in the past. 

[Beck Water]

13 minutes ago, 34-78-83 said:

On a team with a good offense that more often will be punting closer to midfield, a punter that can get you Inside the 20/ inside the 10 numbers is what you want, not avg or net avg even. With that said, that's where Martin has been really killing it for the last 5 weeks. Haack? We shall see, but best option out there, especially due to the familiarity and proven holding consistency.

 

The problem with Haack, if I recall correctly, was not his punting distance.  It's that he seems to have this unusually long windup that resulted in some punts being blocked or scarily close to blocked.  Then he would squib some.  So if he punted 5 times, 4 of them might travel a respectable 40 yds and one of them only 28.

 

It was like Forrest Gump's box of Chocolates, you never knew what you were gonna get

[PetermansRedemption]

While I would have liked Araiza, I’m not sure having his first game action be in the playoffs would have been wise. Don’t mind the Hack signing at all. He will be serviceable enough. 

[Beck Water]

10 minutes ago, Blank Stare said:

Good question. Obviously, pickings are slim this time of year, but I may have considered Andy Lee or a recently retired Brett Kern. Both are old and washed, but have far more bonafides than Haack. If all we are concerned with is holding they should be more than capable, while also offering a slightly better upside in the actual punting department. Either are someone we can trust with big game experience. 
 

If we were looking for a slightly younger guy who has experience kicking in other cold markets like GB or CHI, maybe consider Pat O’Donnell. Probably not a helluva lot better than Haack, but, hell, we already have seen Haack kick here with mixed results.

 

Good post.

 

FWIW, Brett Kern had an average NYP of 36.6 his last year with Philly.  That's 10 punts over 4 games in 2022.  Andy Lee is freakin' 40 but that was his NYP average his last year with 'Zona.

 

I think I'd rather Pat O'Donnell than either.  For one thing, he was still bopping around the league this season after being cut by GB at the end of training camp, so evidently he still wants to play.   On the Falcons practice squad in Oct. then on and off their roster in December.  For another, while his NYP average is lower at 38 he did it outside in windy cold weather with Chicago and GB.

 

But I'm not opposed to bringing back Haack.  He does have that "familiar holder for Bass" thing going for him.

Edited January 17 by Beck Water

[The Jokeman]

Called it. I'm good with this yet with him on the PS means we think Martin will be back at some point. As we could've IR'd Martin and added Haack to the active roster.

Edited January 17 by The Jokeman

[Beck Water]

5 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

Called it. I'm good with this yet with him on the PS means we think Martin will be back at some point. sAs we could've IR' and Martin and added Haack to the active roster.

 

Question: how does IR work during the playoffs?  I mean there's only 3 games max left so if we IR someone, does that mean he's gone?

[The Jokeman]

Just now, Beck Water said:

 

Question: how does IR work during the playoffs?  I mean there's only 3 games max left so if we IR someone, does that mean he's gone?

That's the way I see it.

[rusty shackleford]

[Blank Stare]

5 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Good post.

 

FWIW, Brett Kern had an average NYP of 36.6 his last year with Philly.  That's 10 punts over 4 games in 2022.  Andy Lee is freakin' 40 but that was his NYP average his last year with 'Zona.

 

I think I'd rather Pat O'Donnell than either.  For one thing, he was still bopping around the league this season after being cut by GB at the end of training camp, so evidently he still wants to play.   On the Falcons practice squad in Oct. then on and off their roster in December.  For another, while his NYP average is lower at 38 he did it outside in windy cold weather with Chicago and GB.

 

But I'm not opposed to bringing back Haack.  He does have that "familiar holder for Bass" thing going for him.

Thanks. Another guy I considered was Joe Doyle, but, while he is young with upside, he’s coming in even below Araiza for me if they wanted to go the ”young guy” route (which clearly they didn’t). Doyle is a complete unknown. At least with Araiza there is some familiarity since he was drafted here, been through an offseason working with Bass, and he won the job in camp before his release. 

[Beck Water]

8 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

Called it. I'm good with this yet with him on the PS means we think Martin will be back at some point. As we could've IR'd Martin and added Haack to the active roster.

 

The challenge of Haack on the PS is the "two elevations per game" rule.

 

If Davis is unlikely to be back (DNP today, per @HappyDays source Grade 2 PCL tear and out for Division round), we really need to elevate a WR.

With Dodson, Spector, and Bernard all injured, even if 2 of them can play, elevating AJ Klein seems like a no-brainer.

 

So we have to cut someone to bring Haack onto the roster.  Then who do we cut?  And do Waiver rules still apply?

[Bob Jones]

4 hours ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Agree. Closest guy to knowing our system and Bass trusts him.

What, have some holders pulled tha ball away from Bass ala Lucy from Charlie Brown? LOL

 

As a kicker, all you can do is: hope the snap is good, hope the holder fields the snap cleanly, and hope he puts the ball down immediately. Spinning the ball so the laces are facing the goalposts is nice, but not necessary.

 

I don’t really see it as "trust", but just expecting the snapper and holder to be competent at what they do. Sort of the same thing a QB expects of his snapper when in shotgun formation. I'm guessing all league QBs "trust" their centers, but guess what, occasionally those centers make a bad snap on a shotgun formation. For FGs, of course, timing is involved, but that's mostly on the kicker, as there is a certain point where he starts his move toward the ball.

[RyanC883]

 

hopefully just here for practice with punt coverage/returns and/or FG holding.  

 

Using him in a game is less than ideal.  Then again, so is having to punt.  

[Bookie Man]

Between Bass with the yips and Haack's delayed punts... I don't feel great about a game that could be very close.

[The Jokeman]

13 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

The challenge of Haack on the PS is the "two elevations per game" rule.

 

If Davis is unlikely to be back (DNP today, per @HappyDays source Grade 2 PCL tear and out for Division round), we really need to elevate a WR.

With Dodson, Spector, and Bernard all injured, even if 2 of them can play, elevating AJ Klein seems like a no-brainer.

 

So we have to cut someone to bring Haack onto the roster.  Then who do we cut?  And do Waiver rules still apply?

I'd IR Martin and make Haack active so can use PS call up on a more vital position like LB or CB or WR.