With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO specialist?

[hawaiiansteel]

Post-Eagles thoughts

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
posted by Dale Lolley



© Swayze Waters isn't much of a field goal kicker, but he could be a weapon on kickoffs. Shaun Suisham was scratched Thursday and Waters handled all of the kicking duties - except punts.

His kickoffs were deep, except one the Steelers told him to kick short and allow a return.

With the new kickoff rules, it may make sense for teams to carry a guy who can put the ball through the back of the end zone instead of an extra DB or WR to play special teams.

If you're putting the ball out of the end zone, who needs coverage guys?

[url="http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/"]http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/[/url]

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

Is a KO specialist needed?

Even the reguLar guys are kicking deep into the EZ

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

I didn't realize Suisham had been cut?

[DHSF]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

Suisham was scratched for the game. That isn't the same as being cut.

[Oviedo]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

A kick off specialist is IMO an act of desperation.

We have exactly what we should have in Brown...a guy who can return kicks and play well at a real position.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

I didn't realize Suisham had been cut?

Sushi had an emergency appendectomy this week. He'll be back kicking for us in a week or two, I suppose.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

Can Steelers afford to cut kicker?

August 28, 2011 - Ray Eckenrode



Journeyman Swayze Waters is making a case

The Steelers have an interesting (and potentially important) roster dilemma that no one is talking about. What to do with Swayze Waters?

Despite having potentially the best name in the NFL, the UAB product has kicked around (rimshot!) a couple NFL camps but never appeared in a regular season game. Almost certainly, the Steelers brought him in this year as “just a training camp leg,” but Shaun Suisham’s appendectomy has pressed him into extended duty.

While Waters’ placements have been erratic, he’s boomed kickoff after kickoff nine yards deep resulting in touchback after touchback (11 of 13 in the past two games, the returned kicks were brought out from two yards deep and eight yards deep). That’s something that neither Suisham nor Daniel Sepulveda can consistently do, even from the 35 yard line, and it’s something that gives any defense (let alone one of the best defenses in the NFL) a HUGE advantage.

We’ll have to do a little research at [url="http://www.advancednflstats.com"]http://www.advancednflstats.com[/url], but we’re guessing that giving an opponent an average starting point at the 20 vs., say, the 29, is worth at least a point per game, maybe two points. As we’ve discussed here before in regard to coaches who go for the two-point conversion way too early in games, that’s worth at least one win per season. So if Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers brass aren’t exploring whether their roster can tolerate a kickoff specialist, they should be. And, if they have no intention of keeping Waters around, why let their defense “practice” drives with the opponent starting at the 20 consistently when it’s not going to be like that in real games?

The kicking game, both this situation and the punting battle, looks like one of the biggest things to watch this Thursday night at Carolina.

[url="http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/blogs.detail/display/5222/Can-Steelers-afford-to-cut-kicker-.html"]http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/blogs ... cker-.html[/url]

[steelblood]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

If it is Waters or Battle, I'd take Waters. Our kick coverage is poor and he's help that tremendously. Besides, does anyone believe that Suisham will be kicking them into deep into the endzone in December?

Now, if it is Waters or Cortez Allen, I'd take Allen.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

OK, maybe I'm hallucinating, but didn't "Quadzilla's" consistently short KOs over the years cost us points, games, ... heck, didn't we actually miss the post-season a few years back because of long run backs on TD's kickoffs (TD = Towel Dispenser, aka Jeff Reed)?

I guess what I'm saying is that if we can take a weapon out of the other team's hands (the potential for a long run back/short field for the other offense - or worst case scenario a run to the house), it's something that we should strongly consider doing.

So many things can go wrong on the KO coverage team, it seems almost a no brainer that if we can eliminate our dependence on them to keep from losing a game, we should, IMO. My vote - keep both kickers!

(Only downside scenario ... November, our KO team has spent all season NOT having to make plays, then Waters gets hurt, all of a sudden our kickoffs start getting run back consistently because Sweezey doesn't get them as deep, and we are watching a rusty coverage team getting beat time and time again by run-backs they've gotten "unused" to covering...).

[flippy]

Re: With the new kickoff rules, should we carry a KO special

If the KO specialist can put the ball deep into or out of the end zone consistently, then it seems he has more value than a coverage specialist.