AzPatsFan

Everyone talks about rebuilding the LB corps.

But a major effort facing Belichick last off season was ALSO rebuilding the Special Teams from top to bottom. Only the long snapper had any upside. Both specialist kickers were getting very long in the tooth. Coverage teams stunk.

The coverage teams were slowing down, as the top ST tacklers declined. Cherry is gone, Davis and especially Izzo were visibly slowing down. A couple of good ST players walked (Adam Vinatieri, Matt Chatham) and others got promoted to regular playing status, TBC, Wright etc limiting their availability. The returners were aging, Dwight wasn't anywhere near his youthful self, Troy Brown had lost some PR quickness. Pass was injured and BJ was traded.

After fourteen games we can inspect the rebuilding effort.

The ST coverage units are now in the top half dozen of the League.

The KO returners have a TD and lead the AFC and most of League next to the incomparable Devin Hester of the Bears. Kevin Faulk has had a rebirth as a PR which with his elusiveness is where he should have been all along. Gostkowski has been worth the 4th round pick as a kicker with a booming KO ability (3rd in the league) and solid FG ability and 80% conversion rate including 50+ yard ability.

Mel Mitchell and Tebuckey Jones & Barry Gardner were brought in as established ST players to take Davis and Izzo's jobs.. The all ended up on IR but the groundwork for 2007 is already established, and a generation younger.

Only Punter had not been addressed. Miller was rolling along and then started to lose it. On to IR and Walther returns only to go on IR, after losing the Miami game for field position emphatically. Now we are auditioning two rookie punters, both Ray Guy semifinalists. Maybe they will have found their future Punter, maybe they will have to to look elsewhere, or use a 5th -7th pick to get one in the 2007 draft. But...

The Special Teams have been rebuilt from top to bottom into a championship caliber ST outfit, with but a piece or two to yet fit into the puzzle.

Comments anyone?

cstjohn17

I am glad guys like Mays, Woods, Alexander, Andrews, TBC even Kight have seen an expanded role on ST. The coverage units have been overrated for years, I am sure Izzo and Davis are great guys but next year I would rather see their spots go to ILB with some special teams ability and more important the ability to actually play defense in case of a pinch. Any time I see Izzo lined up a ILB I just cringe.

I like the direction the ST are heading, Hobbs, Maroney and Faulk display above average return ability and some young players have contributed on coverage.

Next year I project that Mitchell will be the primary ST contributor (ala Izzo) and at least one LB is brought in via the draft (rounds 3-5). Any rookie LB will cut ther teeth on ST and then hopefully take over for Bruschi when he retires.

BelizePats

Good analysis. kick returns and coverage are vastly improved while the Ghost will be good for a longf time. I liked Miller and am not sure what happened there. Walters was depressing. We get this piece of gthe puzzle and we're in great shape long term.
St has been a major upgrade.

Box_O_Rocks

Last time I saw a stat on Special Teams tackles, Willie Andrews was the Pats leader. Rebuilding from last season is one perspective, but I find the level they are playing at this season despite all the injuries forcing Seeley to juggle his rosters, to be the more telling accomplishment on Special Teams - Mitchell, Jones, Gardner, Davis, Gay, Miller, Pass, Wilson are all regular Special Teams players who have gone on IR. Harrison, Alexander, Baker, Maroney, Faulk, Watson, Hobbs, Wright, & Seymour are all regular Special Teams players on the injury report. Forget the annual rebuild - the weekly rebuild is really special.

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psychoPat

In his masterpiece of a thread on statistical comparison of the 2006 team against the '03 and '04 editions,
Pats1 wrote:

Finally, special teams.

Real interesting stats here. 2004, while the top in gross punt average, was the worst in the rest of the categories - it being the only year with Josh Miller all the way through. 2003, Walter and Barnard and all, wasn't all that bad, especially holding opponents on returns.Also notice how Gostkowski is an UPGRADE over Vinatieri in the statistical categories included.

By no surprise, 2006 again takes the cake:

2006 Special Teams:

Punted touchbacks: 14th (most)
Punted inside 20: 24th (most)
Punted net average: 25th (best)
Punted gross average: 29th (best)
Punt return average: 5th (best)
Opposing punt return average: 16th (best)

Kickoff average: 4th (best)
Touchbacks: 6th (most)
Kick return average: 1st (best)
Opposing kick return average: 22nd (best)

2004 Special Teams:

Punted touchbacks: 25th (most)
Punted inside 20: 25th (most)
Punted net average: 31th (best)
Punted gross average: 17th (best)
Punt return average: 29th (best)
Opposing punt return average: 28th (best)

Kickoff average: 13th (best)
Touchbacks: 14th (most)
Kick return average: 9th (best)
Opposing kick return average: 28th (best)

2003 Special Teams:

Punted touchbacks: 24th (most)
Punted inside 20: 3rd (most)
Punted net average: 28th (best)
Punted gross average: 31st (best)
Punt return average: 17th (best)
Opposing punt return average: 2nd (best)

Kickoff average: 9th (best)
Touchbacks: 26th (most)
Kick return average: 4th (best)
Opposing kick return average: 13th (best)

...

Rankings:

Best to worst by rankings:

Punted touchbacks: 2006, 2003, 2004
Punted inside 20: 2003, 2006, 2004
Punted net average: 2006, 2003, 2004
Punted gross average: 2004, 2006, 2003
Punt return average: 2006, 2003, 2004
Opposing punt return average: 2003, 2006, 2004

Kickoff average: 2006, 2003, 2004
Touchbacks: 2006, 2003, 2004
Kick return average: 2006, 2003, 2004
Opposing kick return average: 2003, 2006, 2004


2006: 6 first place, 4 second place, 0 third place
2004: 1 first place, 0 second place, 9 third place
2003: 3 first place, 6 second place, 1 third place

The 2006 special teams is better than that of the 2003 and 2004 Super Bowl winning teams.

PonyExpress

Footballoutsiders ranks the Pats' special teams in the top 5 overall, and the return game #1 in the NFL.

Box_O_Rocks

There, I understood this much better than pats1's tome.

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pats1

Even simple minds can comprehend it.

pencilneckgeek

FWIW (i.e., not much), punting touchbacks aren't really a stat from which to infer quality.

jczxohn1

I was disturbed by ST penalties in 2004 and did an analysis of them. This year and 2005 have shown a great deal of improvement.

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``The officials now are evaluating the players and their performance, I mean, that's great,'' Belichick deadpanned. ``I can't say how much that means to me, really.''