Ill buy it. The important thing I guess is that Tomlin is not going to sit back and do nothing after the way special teams performed this preseason.
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Ill buy it. The important thing I guess is that Tomlin is not going to sit back and do nothing after the way special teams performed this preseason.
[QUOTE=Discipline of Steel;570226]Not arguing with you but the stats for both players last year are nearly identical so I fail to see how we improved.[/QUOTE]
Mesko punted 60 times and had 28 kicks inside the 20 vs Butler punting 77 times and having 26 inside the 20. Each had 6 touchbacks. ie 57% of Meskos punts were on a short field vs 41% of Butler's kicks. So if they're equivalent kickers, Mesko should have a significantly lower punting average because he didn't kick as often from his team's side of the field thus holding down his average. But they're stats are nearly equal so Mesko is likely better.
I haven't really watched Mesko. But I've seen enough of Butler to know he stinks. And Butler's hangtime is non existent. I watched Butler and Moorman punt side by side for 30 minutes at camp. And Moorman's punts made Butler look like a high schooler kicking next to a pro. I don't know what happened in the preseason to Moorman. I suspect he might have gotten hurt and we didn't hear anything about it. There's no way Butler should be able to beat anyone out.
It's a game of inches...
If Mesko can offer even one more net yard per punt, I'm all for it...
They signed him to help the Pirates. [ATTACH=CONFIG]916[/ATTACH]
I haven't seen much of Mesko, but he has a much higher percentage of punts downed inside the 20 than Butler. Butler's stats last year were also a bit inflated from his 79 yard punt - a fluke that rolled, if I remember correctly.
Based on the numbers (including career numbers) I think that Mesko is likely to be a least a slight upgrade. I also heard from one of the talk radio programs that Colbert will give a benefit to a player who has been with the Steelers, and will only go outside if he believes that the new player is a significant upgrade. I'm not sure that the reasoning applies as much with punters, but thought I'd mention it for whatever its worth.
I also like the message that this sends about complacency. If you don't do the job, you will be replaced.
[QUOTE=Ghost;570201]Don't like it. Butler was not nearly as bad as people here made him out to be. They brought in competition and Butler beat him out. This new guy could not beat out his competition and got cut. Don't need a loser.
Nothing is gained by meaningless change. It's like when a corporation has a re-organization to appear to be moving forward when in reality it's the same old issues.
You want positive change, cut that bag of trash Whimper.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. If they cant make a vertical change, why change at all?
[B]Tuesday with Tomlin[/B]
by Dale Lolley
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Mike Tomlin held his first press conference of the year and while there wasn't a ton of information passed, here's what we did learn:
[B]@ The Steelers liked Zoltan Mesko over Drew Butler because of his pedigree and the fact that he's kicked in cold weather throughout his career, in high school, college and in the pros.
Butler's performance tailed off last season as the weather turned colder.[/B]
[URL]http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com/[/URL]
Well, that answers that question. Just goes to show that even when we don't understand some of the personnel moves, theres generally a good reason behind it.
this guy has kicked in big games as well.
its a really nice upgrade.
[QUOTE=hawaiiansteel;570286][B]Tuesday with Tomlin[/B]
by Dale Lolley
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Mike Tomlin held his first press conference of the year and while there wasn't a ton of information passed, here's what we did learn:
[B]@ The Steelers liked Zoltan Mesko over Drew Butler because of his pedigree and the fact that he's kicked in cold weather throughout his career, in high school, college and in the pros.
Butler's performance tailed off last season as the weather turned colder.[/B]
[URL]http://nflfromthesidelines.blogspot.com/[/URL][/QUOTE]
Never thought about the cold weather being a factor, glad TS did.