Special Teams Production

Reader shlynch keeps a weekly tracking log of all special teams production points, as collected by the team's official game releases, which is why he's always so much better informed than the rest of us are on those return/coverage questions.

I've pulled a selection from this week's sheet, focusing on the top end of the production and taking out the starting offensive linemen who seem to get points just for standing there.  Here are the results through six weeks:

A few things jump out here:

1)  The signing of the new LB was taken as a shot across the bow of current special teams linebackers Akeem Jordan and Tank Daniels.  Maybe that's the case for Daniels, but Jordan seem to be pretty consistently near the top each week in terms of production.  Even Tank put up a big game this week.  I realize these are cumulative numbers -- so a guy playing in most phases during a week with a lot of special teams plays may have inflated numbers -- but still, Jordan at least seems to be doing fine.

2)  Compare the chart above to the year-end charts for 2007 and 2006:

Baskett and Avant have more of a role in the offense this year, but it's not so large that they can't run down the field 10 times a game.  Interesting to see that change from last year's two top contributors.

3)  Look down that first chart a bit to see who suddenly pops up in the sixth week.  Quintin Mikell seems to be back on special teams.  I thought Segrest told us at the beginning of the year that he'd have him more all season.  Maybe Johnson nixed that idea until things got a little ugly.

4)  I'm not sure how a punter gets -1 points, especially when he only punts twice and the second one pins the other team at the 12-yard-line.  They must have really hammered him for that short line drive he unleashed in the first.