The Green Bay Packers are near the bottom of the Dallas Morning News’ annual special teams rankings for the third year in a row.
They finished 29th, up two spots from last season. The 2008 team finished 26th and special teams coach Mike Stock was forced into retirement after that performance.
The rankings are compiled by ranking each team in 22 special teams categories and assigning points according to their standing – one for the best, 32 for the worst.
The Packers finished with 441 points. New England was first with 269 points. The [intlink id=”298″ type=”category”]New York Giants[/intlink] (445.5), [intlink id=”196″ type=”category”]Indianapolis Colts[/intlink] (458.5) and San Diego Chargers (480.5) were the teams that were worse than the Packers on special teams.
At 29th, the Packers finish is the lowest for a Super Bowl champion, tying the 2009 [intlink id=”234″ type=”category”]New Orleans Saints[/intlink].
One of the reasons for the Packers slight improvement in this year’s rankings is punter [intlink id=”791″ type=”category”]Tim Masthay[/intlink]. With [intlink id=”516″ type=”category”]Jeremy Kapinos[/intlink] kicking the ball in 2009, the Packers finished dead last in punts inside the 20.
The 2009 team also finished dead last in penalties.
Special teams were clearly the Packers Achilles’ heal in 2010 and while the offense and defense were able to overcome that throughout the team’s playoff run, the unit still cost the Packers during the season.
Again, we’re looking at just how bad the unit is statistically. In two seasons under special teams coach Shawn Slocum, the Packers have somehow managed to perform worse than they did under his predecessor.
Of course, the Packers won the Super Bowl, so [intlink id=”67″ type=”category”]Mike McCarthy[/intlink] & Co. might as well just sweep that under the rug.
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I had to vote for YES, but I doubt it will happen. For one thing, our special teams improved down the stretch. They actually outperformed the Eagles and Bears in the playoffs, two very strong special teams units.
Slocum also has the injury excuse. Bishop, Peprah, and Quarless were all supposed to be on the special teams unit, and they all ended up starting instead. Yeah, I know Peprah and Quarless were still on the unit most the year, but starting could very well have affected their play there.
We need a return specialist. I am sick of seeing our star CB returning punts!
Slocum isn’t going anywhere,we won the SB.
But a pure RET guy will instantly change the SPTs play for the Packers.
I would love a guy with agile feet to make the first guy miss and enough juice to get us a short field consistantly than a guy who MAY take it house.We are not Chicago,we have an offense.
Jerrel Jernigan fits but he is to kigh a pick,so I will pose Devon Wylie of Fresno St for the pick.
Great fricking point! Imagine our offense if we could just start around the 35 for once instead of our own 19?