Hogs Haven
Washington Post (paywall)
Led by ‘The Flagship,’ Washington is getting big returns on its investment in the often-overlooked phase of football.
Larry Izzo is a special teams lifer. From his experience as a player and coordinator, the difference between a poor and great special teams unit is simple: players buying in.
“I mean, everyone has the ability,” Izzo said. “The thing that separates guys a lot of times is the buy-in and the understanding of: ‘This is my role. I’m owning that role and then trying to master that role.’ That’s what we have here is guys that have done that.”
The Commanders are so bought in they have a nickname for special teams: “The Flagship,” as Coach Dan Quinn calls it. A flagship is the lead vessel in a naval fleet that carries the commander. For Quinn, it’s a metaphor that drives home the importance of the unit to the Commanders’ overall success.
Washington is allowing just 23.1 yards per kick return allowed (fifth), and opponents have had an average starting field position of the 29-yard line after kick returns (10th).
The punting and punt coverage has been even better: Way has landed 58.3 percent of his punts inside opponents’ 20-yard line (fourth) and 33.3 percent of his punts inside opponents’ 10-yard line (second). When teams field his punts, they have hardly been able to go anywhere; the Commanders are allowing just 4.4 yards per punt return (fourth).
That has often forced opponents to put together lengthy drives. Opponents’ average starting field position after Commanders punts is the 17-yard line (second).
And that helps an injury-ravaged defense, which is allowing 19 points per game (12th).
And on kickoffs, the Commanders have no equal. With Samuel and McCaffrey splitting duties, Washington is averaging a league-best 34.1 yards per kick return. Their average starting field position after a kick return is their own 36.4-yard line (first).
What makes the Commanders’ feats on kick returns even more impressive is that opposing teams have done a good job of pinning them deep on kickoffs without committing touchbacks. On average, the Commanders field a kickoff around their own 3-yard line.
“It’s want-to,” Reaves said when asked about the key to their return exploits. “Kickoff return or punt return is very little scheme. Everybody runs the same stuff: middle returns, sideline returns, bounce returns. It’s want-to and a sense of my guy is not going to make the play. When you’ve got 10 guys that think like that, like, ‘I’m not going to let my guy make the tackle,’ then you get lanes like you did.”
The Athletic (paywall)
The team ruled out four players, including quarterback Jayden Daniels and leading receiver Terry McLaurin, for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Marcus Mariota will get his second start in Daniels’ place, and his first in Atlanta...
