With how outstandingly poor they have performed, why are Kyshoen and Demitri still returning punts and kickoffs? 8 games is a pretty good barometer.
Kyshoen has no idea the end zone is straight ahead of him (someone must have told him the sidelines were). It amazes me how many times he leaves 15-20 (or more) yards of returns because he insists on running all the way to the other side of the field, stopping, juking and getting tackled for little or know return. If you have a blocker in front of you, read the block and burst straight ahead. This East-West crap just gives the coverage team time to catch, causes illegal blocks and is impossible for a return man to hold a block that long. Don't even get me started about the poor decisions on fair catches (or lack thereof). Plan B: Watching Kendall return that one interception shows he has way more field presence and the ability to break a big play (now that the DBs...hopefully...are back to full strength maybe he'll get a shot). Plan C: put 11 on the line and block it!!!
As for Demitri - why is the fastest guy on the field jogging? He receives the ball and jogs (my wife actually said "I thought you said that guy was fast...why is he sauntering?") to the blockers and then gives a half-hearted juke and falls down. Same philosophy as KJ...run straight ahead (or toward the closest blocker), read his block, cut the other side and keep going. DK's speed is so deceptive, I would be willing to bet defenders would take poor angles and create huge holes for him. If his action is by design a RB should be back there...as the blocking seems to be more set up for zone/OL blocking than open-field blocking (i.e. like a WR screen). My opinion for better options: Mangus, Caleb, Montley (yes, a back-up QB, kid can make stuff happen in space!), Facyson, Kendall, Logan (okay...just kidding on that one).
Comments
The whole east-west thing has been bothering me all season. More often than not they just run sideline to sideline and gain 1 yard when if they just ran forward they would get at least 5 before anyone touches them. It makes me wonder if they're just trying too hard to make a huge play or the coaches aren't emphasizing getting yardage or they're just stubborn.
I couldn't agree more with you regarding Jarrett. His lack of go forward leaves me cursing at the television while reaching for the bottle of bourbon. Fortunately I decide to pour more often than throw said bottle.
Oh good...I'm not the only crazy one. Seems like I'm yelling run forward...FOR-WARD...damn-it!...everytime he catches a punt. Everyone around me gives me weird looks. Was beginning to think I was on the bus and could find the crazy person (you know what means, right?).
This is why I usually end up watching the game alone, in the basement, as far away from my newborn so hopefully she doesn't pick up my full verbal repertoire until at least the age of three....will make for awkward family events if every other word out of my kids mouth is a curse word
Moorehead was said to be working with the returners a bit in the bye week. I wonder if this has continued?
Looked like the JUGS machine didn't get as much work this week as it did in weeks past
You can't stop playing with the JUGS or bad things happen.
Agreed, gotta practice their firm grip with the JUGS.
Sometimes I wonder why that has to be a "special" part of practice. Like, the receivers will go out of their way and put in the extra effort...to work on catching passes. Isn't that the single most important thing they have to do? Why is that considered going the extra mile?
Last game I actually screamed at the screen at the bar "This isn't So You Think You Can Dance! Run forward and stop dancing!" much to the puzzled looks of my girlfriend and half the other people in the place.
I get the same looks, yelling similar things while in the stands.
I'll be tailgating in my driveway this Saturday with a TV and I expect the neighbors to call the white suit guys and then asking later, "Who the heck is Sam Rogers?"
I'm actually thinking of installing a TV in my carport just so I can yell during our games. LMAO
It scares my Niece when I do this every Saturday. I just can't control myself sometimes...
We need someone returning kicks who "runs angry"....straight forward and looking to inflict damage on the defenders...
SR
joel caleb.
Logan Thomas
Had to laugh at this. Nicely done, Jsketch
TreyEdmundsForLBandKR
i did like that hit after 1 of the INTs
I agree with your points.
In KJ's case, I think he is trying to house it every single time. He needs to take what is there and be happy.
In Knowles case, I think he's playing scared. He either doesn't trust his blocking, or has Dyrell Roberts' Syndrome.
Both cases can be solved with replacement and/or coaching.
I think he tries to return too many punts and gets drilled for it.
Joel Caleb should get some reps back there. Wasn't he like the #10 rated athlete coming out of HS?
Agree he's my top pick to return punts. The coaches always say how much of a playmaker he is and he needs to be on the field. Ok then let him return puts and lets see what he can do. Having him on the field for a play and them not giving him the ball does nothing to how his playmaking ability.
I agree that he should get more reps. But remember, he got suspended for something at the beginning of the season. So it's very likely that he's still in the doghouse. If he was a senior I'd say screw it and play him anyway. But since he'll be someone that'll be here for at least 2 more years he needs to learn a lesson.
Why is big Beamer still the special teams coach? Notice the next time the other team punts: big spilts and a 3-man wall in front of the punter. VT? Everybody bungched together. Evolve.
The "swinging-gate" punt protection formation (3 man wall) favors protecting the punt block but at that same time puts 3 potential tacklers further away from the punt returner. The punt protect formation Beamer has been using brings the maximum the amount of tacklers the closest to the returner to minimize return yardage. Considering that Beamer uses the field position battle as a sticking point for his scheme and has said as such, I highly doubt that formation will change anytime soon. Football is a game of inches, so every bit helps, or hurts.
Besides, VT hasn't had that many, if any, more punts blocked than those that use the swinging gate, so why mess with something that doesn't need to be fixed? There's plenty of other things in our special teams that needs attention...
Having returned both kicks and punts in high school (I know, different level) I can attest to their difficulty. Knowles looks like he has no idea what he is doing. Ideally, you catch the ball moving forward, cover as much ground before the coverage team gets there, then make a move. It seems to me that these guys are looking for a touchdown every time. That would be great, but not realistic. Give me Caleb, Mangus, and one other person a chance. Surprise me.
Not to risk injury, but in a dream world, Ke. Fuller would fit that bill.
The blocking I think has contributed the most to KJ not breaking anything. He had a taste of the endzone last year and now he is thinking about it every time instead of just getting the easy yards. I think the teams know he is itching to take one to the house so they punt it a little shorter than normal and dare him to not fair catch it. Too many times, guys are right on him and he isn't aware. Kendall would be a good one to try out there, but I'm fine with KJ back there on punt return...
...Not so much with Knowles. Teams kick right at Demetri because he runs so timidly. JC is always back there with him and nobody kicks it his way. I have to imagine just about anyone on the roster could do a better job than Knowles right now.
I wonder what would happen if we lined up someone who is both fast and strong out there with Knowles on kickoffs. I'm thinking of Trey. If opponents will always kick at Knowles because they're not afraid of him, that means Trey immediately becomes a blocker. Based on the physicality he has shown thus far, I wonder if he could be a good blocker.
Maybe that is exactly what they need. Even another fullback or linebacker if you don't want to risk Trey. Until Knowles makes a big play, I just don't see teams kicking it at any besides him, so getting him an extra blocker would definitely help.
You want somebody fast, strong and fearless?
Exum.
Mentality-wise/skill-wise and if he hadn't torn his ACL, yes. Players can get hit especially hard on kickoffs (hence why some would do away with them altogether), so I wouldn't put him at risk.
Knowles looked a lot better on kickoffs this past week. He was getting up the field fast and also managed to break a defenders ankles on one of his returns. KJ needs work though.
I keep yelling at my TV during punts, "Just go north-south!". I'm much happier with a 6-7 yard return that ends in a tackle than a three yard return that covers 28 yards of side-to-side, run-around and find out you have no blocking punt returns. And sometimes, if you hit that apparent 6-7 yard return hard and fast, a hole breaks open and you get a long one.
One thing that I think goes into KJ going East-West is that I think that we intentionally leave one man unblocked on the punting team. It is KJ's responsibility to make him miss, then get up field (which I don't think he is really doing well enough), but I think this is why he goes E-W and then tries to find a wall of blockers that is supposed to be set up.
On kickoffs, it is obvious that every team that we play kicks it to Knowles, and it must be for a reason. He hasn't been that productive, and I agree that I would love to see a Mangus-Coleman combo back there, or at the very least, switch the sides of Demitri and JC every now and then so that they don't just walk out there and kick it to their left side every time.
Jarrett looks like an investment in our special teams future, with some maturity I think he could do it. I remember early on when Eddie Royal couldn't return shit for the first yr then he got nasty after that. Knowles on the other hand to me is just straight line speed and no athleticism. In a hundred meter dash I would bet on him all day, but with the jukes and change in direction necessary to return kicks, I believe he's the wrong guy.
Magnus and/or Caleb. Caleb is my top pick if its just one. They don't get in the field too much but Magnus has proven that he can break big plays and everyone raves about Caleb but they don't do anything with him.
I'd like to see Joel "I'm A Playmaker" Caleb and Trey "Be The Hammer, Not The Nail" Edmunds on KR and Caleb on PR. Save Mangus for the backfield
Makes me miss Eddie Royal. That dude could find a seam before there was a seam. I remember one kick he brought for a td that he went north south while cutting across to both sides of the sideline