I'd love to do some sort of statistical analysis of how many times a punt gets blocked using that formation as opposed to the old fashioned "two-wideouts-one protect man-everybody else on the line" version.
But it's not just about the blocks though. I can't tell you how many rushed punts and shanked kicks I've seen due to the punter freaking out about getting the kick off in time because the entire opposing D-line is sprinting at him from right up the gut as opposed to the one or two from the side that might get a chance at it using the old fashioned way.
Don't get me wrong. I understand the philosophy that it will allow for better coverage but things just don't seem to add up. If I'm kicking from my own 40 yard line, I'd much rather take a good punt with a 8-10 yard return than a kick that fails to go farther than 20 yards past the line of scrimmage. Even ten yards of difference in field position can make a huge effect on the game down the line and field position is a part of the game that is very often overlooked.
Again, I have no factual basis for this but it just seems to me that coaches have "out-thinked" themseleves into bad field position and more blocked kicks with this spread version. Perhaps when it was first introduced it made better sense since it was a new look but as more teams have made the switch, I think it's becoming more and more clear that people are figuring out how to defend against it better.
Maybe I'm just old school but I say go back to, well...the old school version. Teach your special teams players how to break out into lanes once the kick has occured, how to make an open field tackle, how to use your protect man as a safety, and your punter how to place a kick to a predetermined part of the field. It's not as complicated or as hard as I think some football coaches are making it seem and I think as time goes by this new spread punt will become less and less effective.
Now don't even get me started on the swigning gate field goal...
You see the punt get blocked in the Monday Night Football game? Regular formation, too, just a stunt that beat the punt team.
ReplyDeleteIf the odds of getting your punt blocked are the same either way, why not have a formation that increases field coverage?
I think the newer version is more advantageous for a fake punt too. I know that doesn't happen very often, but with a few guys back to act as lead blockers, it may at least slow down some defenders or make them think about stopping a fake.
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