joemalzacher
Scout Team
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- Apr 22, 2007
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I have been a bit concerned about our punt coverage, but Sparano clarified some of why we may have given up more yards than normal. He was basically having Fields out kick the coverage so that he could evaluate the coverage team. In real game situations we won't be outkicking the coverage.
On what the punt coverage has to do to become efficient) – “Well first, you have to get all the players out there, at one time, that you are going to play. I think at one time… which we have not done yet. There is really… we don’t have that need right now. You are trying to see a lot of people do a lot of things. I think also the punt; it helps you a little bit. I’ll give you an example and I am not saying anything that I shouldn’t say here, but the other night – to you guys - our punter punted a 65-yard punt at one point. Nice punt, nice job [Brandon] Fields. But that is not, in some situations is really, isn’t helpful from a coverage standpoint. Brandon knows that. Sometimes, it just happens that way. He hit the ball and he hit it good. He did a great job hitting the ball like that, but you can outkick your coverage sort of speak. Some of you have heard that before. So that can happen a little bit. That is a scenario there. In games last year as you would start to get better, we [were] actually coaching Brandon on 40, 38, 40, 41 [yards] and high, high as we could get it. Well that is not where we are right now. We need to see these guys cover and who can cover so we are not really worried about that at this time. Now, does the group have to improve? Sure it does. We want to get better in every phrase of our special teams. We made little improvements right now along the way. We blocked a punt the other night. Now that is the strangest scenario I have ever – I have never seen anything like it (laughter.) But I am going to tell you, we practiced that situation; we blocked it and you are just in a game and you are trying to make a play, but that is a blocked punt in the special teams. That is a big play in the course of a ballgame for us. We have had a few of these. We had a few good returns early on in the preseason. Early on, 10 days ago right, however many days ago. So we have made some good plays in those areas; coverage, getting people on the ground, lane discipline, those things need to continue to improve in that area.”
On what the punt coverage has to do to become efficient) – “Well first, you have to get all the players out there, at one time, that you are going to play. I think at one time… which we have not done yet. There is really… we don’t have that need right now. You are trying to see a lot of people do a lot of things. I think also the punt; it helps you a little bit. I’ll give you an example and I am not saying anything that I shouldn’t say here, but the other night – to you guys - our punter punted a 65-yard punt at one point. Nice punt, nice job [Brandon] Fields. But that is not, in some situations is really, isn’t helpful from a coverage standpoint. Brandon knows that. Sometimes, it just happens that way. He hit the ball and he hit it good. He did a great job hitting the ball like that, but you can outkick your coverage sort of speak. Some of you have heard that before. So that can happen a little bit. That is a scenario there. In games last year as you would start to get better, we [were] actually coaching Brandon on 40, 38, 40, 41 [yards] and high, high as we could get it. Well that is not where we are right now. We need to see these guys cover and who can cover so we are not really worried about that at this time. Now, does the group have to improve? Sure it does. We want to get better in every phrase of our special teams. We made little improvements right now along the way. We blocked a punt the other night. Now that is the strangest scenario I have ever – I have never seen anything like it (laughter.) But I am going to tell you, we practiced that situation; we blocked it and you are just in a game and you are trying to make a play, but that is a blocked punt in the special teams. That is a big play in the course of a ballgame for us. We have had a few of these. We had a few good returns early on in the preseason. Early on, 10 days ago right, however many days ago. So we have made some good plays in those areas; coverage, getting people on the ground, lane discipline, those things need to continue to improve in that area.”