Special Teams get Seattle to the Super Bowl

[1bigdawg]

Seattle is in the Super Bowl only because of excellent special teams play: A fake punt for a touchdown, a successful onside kick and a successful two point conversion.

Without any of the three plays, Green Bay would be playing in the Super Bowl.

I know I am beating a dead horse here, but when are we going to get our act together on Special Teams? Counting Mullen, we have 6 offensive coaches and 4 defensive coaches.

[DownwardDawg]

Seattle is in the Super Bowl only because of excellent special teams play: A fake punt for a touchdown, a successful onside kick and a successful two point conversion.

Without any of the three plays, Green Bay would be playing in the Super Bowl.

I know I am beating a dead horse here, but when are we going to get our act together on Special Teams? Counting Mullen, we have 6 offensive coaches and 4 defensive coaches.

Not sure it'll ever happen under Mullen. He won't turn them over to a ST coach.

[Todd4State]

A lot of the problem is Dan doesn't even acknowledge that there's a problem.

[1bigdawg]

A lot of the problem is Dan doesn't even acknowledge that there's a problem.

Yet, he acknowledges that field position was a problem for us in the games we lost. It should not be that hard to make a connection.

[Todd4State]

Yet, he acknowledges that field position was a problem for us in the games we lost. It should not be that hard to make a connection.

You would think. I wonder if he blamed Collins bend and break defense for the field position issue- and quite frankly he would have a point.

[smootness]

Seattle is in the Super Bowl only because of excellent special teams play: A fake punt for a touchdown, a successful onside kick and a successful two point conversion.

Without any of the three plays, Green Bay would be playing in the Super Bowl.

I know I am beating a dead horse here, but when are we going to get our act together on Special Teams? Counting Mullen, we have 6 offensive coaches and 4 defensive coaches.

This is both right and wrong. Obviously the onside kick was massive. As was the fake FG TD. But their ST were not great all day. They also fumbled on a KO that led to a FG, and it wasn't a TD only because their D is ridiculous. And they also gave up a big punt return that led to a TD. So that's perhaps 10 points they cost them as well.

And I don't really consider onside kicks and fakes a big part of ST play. They're so rare and flukish that you can't really evaluate based on that. And the 2-point conversion was their offense, not ST.

I agree with your overall point about our ST, but this isn't really a great example. The more controllable, primary parts of ST they struggled with. They made the right call to determine GB wouldn't cover the fake, and they got a lucky bounce on the onside kick.

[engie]

It's a good thing we let John Baxter rot out in LA teaching a class for 2 years until Harbaugh just scooped him up at Michigan**