Can anyone explain our philosophy on fair catching PUNTS inside the 10?

[CYDJ]

Like everyone else today, I was on the edge of my seat, but I had confidence that we would pull it out. This team / coaching staff is melting my protective coating away. I like what they bring to the table and I rarely question our guys (the officials get my full attention though.)

However, I have one big issue with our play. It's definitely not effort, its on the strategy side and I'm guessing I don't know the answer because I've never returned a punt in my life. It looks hard and dangerous and I don't think I would have ever wanted to do it.

BUT....

Why would we ever fair catch inside the 10. We fair caught on the 8 with an over the head catch and again on the 4 for goodness sakes. What is up with that? Are you trying to save it from dribbling to the 1? What the heck is the difference? Shouldn't you make the punter and gunner earn a tough spot rather than just hand it to them with a fair catch? Why not give it a chance to go into the end zone instead? Are punters just that good that they are stopping balls consistently where they hit anymore? Maybe I have missed that.

I put Purdy's end zone turn over as much on fair catching on the 4 as anything.

AND, I just want to know 1) is this a coaching thing? Do they set the rules and the players just blindly follow it and 2) are there statistics that show that punters are so good now that they are going to kill a punt very close to where it bounces with positive yardage? Heck, even if it backed up a bit, we'd still be better off than fair catching it.

Fire away.

 

[CyArob]

I honestly think our special teams coach has tried to get too cute with the new kickoff rule. Both when kicking and receiving.

 

[BeneventiCy28]

Like everyone else today, I was on the edge of my seat, but I had confidence that we would pull it out. This team / coaching staff is melting my protective coating away. I like what they bring to the table and I rarely question our guys (the officials get my full attention though.)

However, I have one big issue with our play. It's definitely not effort, its on the strategy side and I'm guessing I don't know the answer because I've never returned a punt in my life. It looks hard and dangerous and I don't think I would have ever wanted to do it.

BUT....

Why would we ever fair catch inside the 10. We fair caught on the 8 with an over the head catch and again on the 4 for goodness sakes. What is up with that? Are you trying to save it from dribbling to the 1? What the heck is the difference? Shouldn't you make the punter and gunner earn a tough spot rather than just hand it to them with a fair catch? Why not give it a chance to go into the end zone instead? Are punters just that good that they are stopping balls consistently where they hit anymore? Maybe I have missed that.

I put Purdy's end zone turn over as much on fair catching on the 4 as anything.

AND, I just want to know 1) is this a coaching thing? Do they set the rules and the players just blindly follow it and 2) are there statistics that show that punters are so good now that they are going to kill a punt very close to where it bounces with positive yardage? Heck, even if it backed up a bit, we'd still be better off than fair catching it.

Fire away.

A few years ago, you were taught to know where the 10 yard line was, and once you got to it, let the ball go. But in recent years, punters have started to drop the from tip of the ball and kick end over end on a punt (just like a kickoff). That causes the ball to predictably bounce straight up either forwards or backwards. But in doing so, the ball could land at the 7, and instead of rocketing into the end zone, the end over end style causes the ball to bounce up in the air, just like one of our last kickoffs where it landed at the 3 and bounced to the 5.

 

[clonedude]

IMO you shouldn't ever fair catch it inside the 10 yd. I've always been told you plant your feet on the 10 yd line and NEVER back up. If it goes over your head leave it alone and get the hell away from it.

Hopefully this will be the case from here on out because it nearly cost us the game today.

Special Teams today was atrocious. Easily could have cost us the game, and would have under previous coaches.

 

[fenton06]

Fair catch inside the 10...and start at the 25. 15 guaranteed yards. I'm more worried about the punting.

 

[madguy30]

Announcers said on the kick off he was practicing the signal so it was coached ilon the kickoff.

Automatic start at the 25 yard line so whatever.

I'd like to see more aggressiveness on the punt returns.

 

[clonedude]

Fair catch inside the 10...and start at the 25. 15 guaranteed yards. I'm more worried about the punting.

Wait... we're talking about the punt, correct?

But the fair catch on the kickoff after the safety was just awful as well..... dumb.

 

[CYDJ]

I'm sorry, let me specify. This only refers to punts, we all know about why we might do it for a kickoff now.

Thanks

 

[casey1973]

It appeared the coaches made the call to fair catch. If they would have known he had 25 yards or so of space I'm pretty sure he would have been running. We won,

 

[Clonehomer]

With 10 guys up to protect against an onside kick I'm sure the coaches were worried about fumbling when we just needed to run the clock out. All we needed to do is burn 4 minutes, field position didn't matter. I'd hope that without the new 25 yardline rule that they would not have made althat decision.

 

[flycy]

Fair catch inside the 10...and start at the 25. 15 guaranteed yards. I'm more worried about the punting.

He is talking about on the punt that led to the defensive TD. Also didn't agree with fair catching after the safety. I know you get it at the 25 but he would have been at the 35 before anyone could have even touched him.

 

[CNECloneFan]

Special Teams today was atrocious. Easily could have cost us the game, and would have under previous coaches.

That is the key. Hard to overstate that.

 

[CYDJ]

I didn't mean to ask about the kickoff situations. I think we wanted to get the ball to our best player and kill clock. That didn't bother me strategically. Fair catching inside the 10 seems like a strategic mistake and it is driving me nuts. We've done it in past games too. Im guessing they're is a reason to do it. Can anyone explain it please? This is not a low discipline team where guys will just continue to do things incorrectly or against team strategy.

 

[moforisu]

With today's punting anything inside the 5 should be left alone. Absolutely nothing to gain by fair catch. Don't understand the fair catch on the safety kickoff either when you catch it on the 15 with no one around. Guess we won though.

 

[clonedude]

Not sure how this thread got so far off track? The OP clearly was talking about punts, not kickoffs. And it was the fair catch on the 4 yd line of a PUNT that led to the sack, fumble TD for TT.

 

[demoncore1031]

Gotta fake the fair catch and let it go over your head. Football 101.

Also, on kickoffs... Just kick the damn thing deep!!

 

[FinalFourCy]

ST staff members have a lot of work to do.

 

[CycloneErik]

Just keeping it interesting so these lower-level teams feel like they have a chance.

 

[FerShizzle]

I think letting catchable balls bounce at the 15-30 yard line is an equally big issue. Several times this year we just haven’t been agressive enough in running up on short kicks to fair catch them. And instead let them bounce and roll out for an additional 10-15 yards.

Punt return in general has been a bad unit all year. I love Milton in the passing game, but he has terrible instincts as a returner. Can Kene return punts?

 

[Rabbuk]

Our return man isn't good?