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Armstrong/Welker

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There's a debate going on in the main forum regarding the performance of the ST unit this year.

What do you guys think... was it Welker making Armstrong look good, Armstrong making Welker look good, or a combination of both?

I'm of the opinion that it was a little bit of both, but I don't understand why some people question Welker's abilities as a return guy.
 
O'Brien is a sort of do it all man that will provide opportunities for us to get better on and off the field. Dooley coaches another position apart from ST.

I think Welker made Armstrong better, although we were aided by the play of Benny Ayanbadejo stepping in for Tommy Hendricks.
 
I thought ST was pretty good this year. Welker is not Dante Hall......he gets the ball and goes up-field, and not real fast. You can't argue with numbers though, and I think we usually started with pretty good field postion on kick-offs. I can only remember the one fumble he had (maybe two).

ST though didn't really do anything that made them standout. I don't remember a blocked FG or punt. I don't remember a tried onside kick, and if we did I am sure we didn't get it. And only the one TD on a KO, and the long punt return against the Pats.
 
Boomer said:
O'Brien is a sort of do it all man that will provide opportunities for us to get better on and off the field. Dooley coaches another position apart from ST.

I think Welker made Armstrong better, although we were aided by the play of Benny Ayanbadejo stepping in for Tommy Hendricks.
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Thanks for the speedy clarification. ;)
 
A muddled situation, to be sure.

First, Armstrong wasd retained, but there's no guanrantee he will coach ST; it might be one of the others, and he might do something else. Or, Saban will have more coaches, such as maybe having a ST coach, but still having Armstrong work specifically with the returners, or the blockers, etc.

Second, I think the Phins ST unit has been an overall disppointment in the time since Westhoff left. They seem to do well on coverage; they get downfield fast and tackle well. But the thing I see other teams do all the time that I don't see from the Phins is establish a blocking wedge; when the retruners here get a good return, it seems to be more by accident than design. There isn't that dominant consistency, that sense of a plan in place that I see when I watch other teams' returns.

Third, I'm sorry that this is going against the popular opinion -and I don't mean to be a bummer on what emerged as a possible bright spot on the team late last season - but I don't think Welker has the speed to be a true top-five return guy in the NFL. He has some moves, some elusiveness, but when it comes right down to it he makes big returns on blown coverages and misdirection. He's not a guy we can count on to get a seam and take it in because no one can catch him.

I could be wrong about him; now, watch him score repeatedly next season and make me wrong - which I would LOVE; but I doubt it. I just don't think he has that straight-ahead burner's speed that you want in a top returner.
 
Welker has tremendous vision which few return-men have.
 
If Welker had 4.4 speed, he would be Tim Dwight. He's got everything that Tim Dwight has with the exception of the 4.4 speed.
 
phinphanphrommi said:
There's a debate going on in the main forum regarding the performance of the ST unit this year.

What do you guys think... was it Welker making Armstrong look good, Armstrong making Welker look good, or a combination of both?

I'm of the opinion that it was a little bit of both, but I don't understand why some people question Welker's abilities as a return guy.
Click to expand...

Welker is a natural return man. He sees the field very very well. He most definitely helped Armstrong in the return game this year.

What worries me is that this is the first year Armstrong's coverage team has been terrible. I hope it's not a trend because his coverage teams usually rank top five, and this year they're rank is near the bottom.
 
I think Buffalo's return (and maybe one or two others) made the coverage teams look worse than they were. Coverage was excellent this year IMO.

As for Welker, he doesn't have much speed. But he doesn't take false steps. He doesn't run backwards. He doesn't fumble the ball. He just sees the field exceptionally well, is smart and picks up lots of positive yardage. Also, when was the last time you yelled, "Why did he fair catch it!?!?". Doesn't happen with Welker.

But the Phins never get close on a punt or FG block.
 
You're allowed to block the other team's punts and kicks?

:roflmao:
 
Muck said:
I think Buffalo's return (and maybe one or two others) made the coverage teams look worse than they were. Coverage was excellent this year IMO.

As for Welker, he doesn't have much speed. But he doesn't take false steps. He doesn't run backwards. He doesn't fumble the ball. He just sees the field exceptionally well, is smart and picks up lots of positive yardage. Also, when was the last time you yelled, "Why did he fair catch it!?!?". Doesn't happen with Welker.

But the Phins never get close on a punt or FG block.
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Didn't we have someone in camp who had been a frickin' kick blocking PHENOM in college? I coulda sworn it was Will Poole. Not that a rookie year in the NFL is anything like college, but I remember feeling like we were gonna see a FGA getting swatted. (Not to say Poole hasn't delivered. A true steal.)
 
It was indeed Will Poole. I think he got six in college.

Will Poole battled a number of injuries this year that weren't publicized. Lots of leg injuries.
 
It's funny how better players, make better coaches.

Before Welker, this wouldn't even have been a discussion.
 
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