Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog

Wow, An ST Signing Worked

Since the end of last season, the Eagles have brought in a couple handfuls of guys who were supposed to help the special teams.  With only a couple partial exceptions, this hasn't really worked out. 

Thanks to the weekly ST production tracking of reader/commenter "shlynch," we know that Tank Daniels is the only "new guy" in the team's top ten most productive players.  And even he's a repeat visitor. 

Shlynch sent me the updated numbers after the last game, though, and folks, we finally have a winner.  Reserve linebacker -- the guy who won't be getting an Igglesblog Christmas present this year because he took Tony Hunt's roster spot -- made an immediate impact, putting up 35 production points in his first game with the Eagles.  That's the biggest number anyone's dropped all year (Akeem Jordan has a 33 and a 34). 

So it looks like the team may finally have found someone.

While we're on the topic of special teams, what's going on right now with Sav Rocca?  I don't think his kicking last week was a consistency issue.  It looked like a couple of times he saw the returner lined up pretty deep, so he actually took something off the ball, trying to make it un-fieldable.  So rather than, say, a 50 yard punt and eight yard return, he was going for just 42 yards, no return.

The thing is, it didn't really work.  The first punt came back 16 yards. 

Or maybe I'm overthinking this and Sav is still just inconsistent.  After all, that last punt (you know, the one that was "muffed") only traveled 34 yards.  And it was definitely catchable. 

Wonder what's up there.

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. 

Talking Special Teams

Two poor performances in two weeks have really put the focus on the Eagles' special teams.  This is one of my favorite topics, so let's dig into it a bit.

- - - - - -

#1 -- For fans without access to game film -- i.e., all of us -- it is really, really hard to evaluate the performance of the special teams.

Obviously, we can see the results.  If you go an entire season without a kickoff return of longer than 35 yards, then clearly you have a problem.  But without access to game film, we really have no idea what that problem is, since we see three things on the average special teams play:  1) the snap, 2) the ball in the air, and 3) the tackle.  That cuts out the whole "run down field and try to make/beat blocks" phase.  Which is kind of the important part.

#2 -- Special teams performance is very much a "weakest link" type of thing.

If nine guys fulfill their assignments on a play, but one guy slips and misses his block, the returner is likely to get plastered.  (Same thing happens when everyone misses his block.)  That's yet another thing that makes it hard to evaluate preseason special teams, since the coaches could be rotating in a guy who won't be there in a couple weeks.

#3 -- It's simply not true that the problems began when John Harbaugh vacated the special teams coordinator role.

This seems to be a popular theme on the message boards right now, but it's just not true:

 

Eagles fans have been complaining about the special teams for at least two years now (in hindsight, calling 2005 a "disaster" is almost funny, given how much worse things have gotten since then). 

Heck, the Eagles conspiracy theorist in me even wondered if the Harbaugh's move away from special teams was really as voluntary as suggested.  (Not one of the brighter points I've ever made.)

The problems clearly began in 2005 and have worsened ever since.  They certainly bottomed out last year, but to lay all this at the feet of Segrest just isn't right -- especially because of points #1 and #2 above.

#4 -- Akers is clearly a concern, but...

The league's made field goal percentage on kicks of 40-to-49 yards was 76 percent.  Those aren't gimmes.  Missing a 45-yarder in the first preseason game doesn't mean he's done.  (Although one more...) 

The other thing to point out about Akers is that he seems to be absolutely bombing the ball off the tee this year.  Yes, the missed field goals can be killers, but if Akers can give us five bonus yards every time he kicks off, that's going to add up.

#5 -- It's a little strange to say that the Eagles weren't aware / didn't try to fix the problem.

Reid went so far as to call the performance on special teams last year "horrendous."  They knew there was a problem.  That's why they went out and drafted or signed:

• DeSean Jackson
• Quintin Demps
• Luke Lawton
• Rocky Boiman
• Dan Klecko
• Kris Wilson
• And ...... Lorenzo Booker (heh)

They've also gone out of their way to let the bubble guys know that special teams performance will be an important deciding factor in final cuts.  Finally, Segrest has talked about using standouts like Quintin Mikell more on STs during the regular season than he was able to last year.

The kick return situation is unnerving, particularly given what happened last year.  But if the problems don't get fixed, it won't be for lack of bodies.

Not Another Larry Fitzgerald Post

According to PFT, the Cardinals haven't quite finished that deal with Larry Fitzgerald yet.  Now... I know what you're thinking:  "Oh, wow, there's still a chance we could get him!"  Sadly, no, that's not happening.  This is going to get worked out.

But check out this little detail:

Fitzgerald's contract is not yet official, and that has caused some juggling on the Cardinals' part. The team had to cut receiver Sean Morey to fit long snapper Nathan Hodel's contract under the salary cap. Morey is expected to be re-signed when Fitzgerald's deal is completed and the team gains the cap space that comes with it.    

Not to go all special teams, all the time today, but there's an opportunity here.  Morey is a fantastic special teams player.  From wikipedia:

In 2001 Morey joined the Philadelphia Eagles where he would become 2003 Special Teams MVP. That same year he was nominated for Dr. Z's (Sports Illustrated) All-Pro team as a special teams player.

No, he's not a great wide receiver (his nominal position) but I'm confident he could replace the 13 catches Greg Lewis chipped in last year.  And I realize we can't just go around stocking the bottom of the depth chart with special teams aces, but if you want to improve the ST play quickly, here's one way to do it. 

Bring Back Morey.

Still to Come: Fixing the Return Game

As is their wont, the Eagles have taken a systematic approach to free agency this spring:

• Need to improve the secondary and create more turnovers?  Check, bring in the ball-hawking Asante Samuel to start at left cornerback.
• Need to improve the pass rush?  Check, bring in Chris Clemons as a pass rush specialist to goose the outside pressure.
• Need to improve the fullback position?  Check, let Tapeh walk, look for practice-squadder Jason Davis to win the job, but bring in veteran competition in the form of Dan Klecko.
• Need to improve a pitiful return game that ranked #24 in the league in both kick return average AND punt return average?  Che--

Oh wait, no, not yet.

The Eagles clearly need to improve on special teams.  And this isn't just about the return man, as this video I put up after the Patriots game shows (basically a lot of whiffed blocks if you don't have time to watch it):

One of the reasons they gave for bringing in Klecko is that he's really good in the game's third phase -- Tapeh never even played on "teams" at all.  But the Eagles haven't had a real threat in the return game since the days of Young Westbrook.  And while the first 25 yards of a kickoff return might be about scheme and blocking, the next 75 are about the returner. 

So as free agency winds to a close, we have a pretty good sense of what might be coming in the draft, because this doesn't seem to be the year the Eagles are going to let issues fester.

I do have one more suggestion, though.  I realize Troy Brown doesn't have much tread left on his tires, but you have to ask yourself, as a special teams ace and experienced return man, along with the ability to play both wide receiver and cornerback, might not Brown have a bit more roster value than someone like Greg Lewis? 

Well, he's looking for a job.  And he's nearby.