Special teams/Joe Marciano

[Rey]

Does it bother anyone that our special teams have looked less than Special this year?

I think our coverage has been good for the most part, but we have looked awfully pedestrian in the return game...

It's not like we haven't had our chances.

I wonder what the problem is...returners? unlucky breaks? guys not blocking as well? New rules on kickoffs disallowing the wedge?

Maybe my amnesia is kicking in, but I don't remember us being so bad in the return game in years past....

Then we had to take a timeout this past game because of guys not being on the field...They have just seemed a bit sloppy to me...

[J_R]

According to Kubiak, mostly bad blocking. Though that's taking him for his word. Could be "coach speak" and not wanting to call out Slaton.

Some fans would say it's the returner himself.

I'll say it's probably a mix of both.

[NitroGSXR]

Originally Posted by HoustonSportsFan09

According to Kubiak, mostly bad blocking. Though that's taking him for his word. Could be "coach speak" and not wanting to call out Slaton.

Some fans would say it's the returner himself.

I'll say it's probably a mix of both.

All I know is that the Chiefs kept kicking off into corners yesterday. I believe to continue to expose Slaton's subpar thinking skills. The laughable part is that Slaton almost bit once again. Sheesh!

Definitely both with all the block in the backs that we like to do.

[noxiousdog]

Even if it is coaching, he's had a lot more good years than bad years. I'd give him a pass.

[House of Pain]

I posted about this in another thread:

http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=33

[buddyboy]

Can someone explain why they were pooch kicking it to us when Slaton struggles to get to the 10???

[Mean Machine]

I am thinking the ST are suffering due to injuries and pretty big change over in personnel.
Bentley our ST captain has been out.
Andre Davis is lost for the year.
Those are two key guys right there.
We are thin at LB and have had a big turnover in the def backfield too.
Coach marciano will get it squared away.
The bye week is coming perfect time for us.

[eriadoc]

Originally Posted by HoustonSportsFan09

According to Kubiak, mostly bad blocking. Though that's taking him for his word. Could be "coach speak" and not wanting to call out Slaton.

Some fans would say it's the returner himself.

I'll say it's probably a mix of both.

I wish I could post video. Slaton has been awful as a kick returner. When he does get blocking, he doesn't have a concept about blocking lanes, and he just wants to try and get outside too soon. There's some blocking issues as well, which has a lot to do with the injuries sustained. A lot of the ST guys are injured and go unnoticed because they aren't in the starting eleven, but it impacts the team. Sharpton, Bentley, Molden come to mind, and probably at least one of our TEs.

[RagingBull]

[VTexan]

Originally Posted by Mean Machine

I am thinking the ST are suffering due to injuries and pretty big change over in personnel.
Bentley our ST captain has been out.
Andre Davis is lost for the year.
Those are two key guys right there.
We are thin at LB and have had a big turnover in the def backfield too.
Coach marciano will get it squared away.
The bye week is coming perfect time for us.

Also Holliday getting injured leaving us with a hole at KR.

[Rey]

Special tema have not done much of anything all year.

The return game has been awful...Both punt and Kick return...

Lota of people wanted Jacoby to return kicks, but he's looked as bad as Slaton did earlier in the year...

I'm thinking Trindon has a better shot to make this team next year now...

[Rey]

I will give Kudos for the two blocks this year...the punt black against the Chargers and the field goal against the Skins...

[TimeKiller]

It is starting to seem like returning it to the 20 has become a mini victory. Slaton's return skills were dookie but I think it's worth giving him a screen or two a game, that's what he was deadly on. I dunno, I mean if you're not going to play him at all...as a 3rd round pick...it's time to move on. It's to bad Jeremiah Johnson isn't around...

[TexanSam]

Originally Posted by Rey

I will give Kudos for the two blocks this year...the punt black against the Chargers and the field goal against the Skins...

Plus it looked like they tipped one yesterday on a PAT but it went through the uprights anyway.

[kiwitexansfan]

Fire Joe too..... fire them all, including the interns and janitors.

[Scooter]

am i the only one that thinks our blockers on kick returns are set up WAY too close to the returner? the jets kicked fairly short, but jacoby seemed to always be waiting on his blockers. by the time they got going, it was already too late to position for a solid block - letting several guys come free and our wedge hitting nobody (or just creating a pile directly infront of jacoby).

[CretorFrigg]

Originally Posted by kiwitexansfan

Fire Joe too..... fire them all, including the interns and janitors.

I'm surprised nobody has commented on our young punter, Matt Turk. He sure is doing a good job bootin' it 50+ yards.

By the way, am I the only one who's noticed Neil Racker frequently kicks a low line drive during kick-offs?

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by Rey

Special tema have not done much of anything all year.

The return game has been awful...Both punt and Kick return...

Lota of people wanted Jacoby to return kicks, but he's looked as bad as Slaton did earlier in the year...

I'm thinking Trindon has a better shot to make this team next year now...

Jacoby is doing this thing where he catches the ball and seems to pause for a second or two before taking off. I've noticed it the last couple of games and it's costing him in the return game. He's not getting past the first wave very often doing that. Personally I think he doesn't want to do it and this is his way of telling the coaches he's a full time receiver and this return crap is no longer his cup of tea.

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by CretorFrigg

I'm surprised nobody has commented on our young punter, Matt Turk. He sure is doing a good job bootin' it 50+ yards.

By the way, am I the only one who's noticed Neil Racker frequently kicks a low line drive during kick-offs?

yeah, what happened to our kickers? turk hasnt hit a solid ball in weeks and if rackers' kickoffs get much lower somebody in the front wedge is going to start fielding them.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by Scooter

am i the only one that thinks our blockers on kick returns are set up WAY too close to the returner? the jets kicked fairly short, but jacoby seemed to always be waiting on his blockers. by the time they got going, it was already too late to position for a solid block - letting several guys come free and our wedge hitting nobody (or just creating a pile directly infront of jacoby).

You may be on to something...

Kubiak said something was wrong with the blocking on kick returns today on the radio...