Well, Isn't That Special (Teams)?
by Christopher Gates on Nov 19, 2009 7:52 PM CST
in Vikings 2009 Season
35 comments
Last season, many jokes were made on this site. . .and just about everywhere else. . .about the Minnesota Vikings' special teams, and with good reason. In 25 years of watching football, I can never, ever recall a Vikings special teams unit performing as horribly as the 2008 version did. Particularly egregious was the punt coverage unit, but as a whole the special teams were terrible in 2008, easily the worst in the NFL and, according to the good folks at Football Outsiders, the second-worst special teams unit of the DVOA era. Then, in the opener this year against Cleveland, the Beloved Purple gave up another punt return TD to Joshua Cribbs, and it looked like we might be in for more of the same.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the rest of the season.
According to Football Outsiders, the Vikings now have the top-rated special teams unit in the National Football League. That would make them the first ever worst-to-first unit of any kind in the DVOA era, and they're on track to totally destroy the mark for biggest single-season special teams DVOA improvement set by the 1998 Seattle Seahawks.
When trying to figure out how the Vikings' special teams got so much better from last season to this one, the first and easiest answer is, "Percy Harvin, duh!" But when FO.com asked Kevin Seifert for a couple of other reasons, the ones he gave made a whole lot of sense.
New coordinator in Brian Murphy. He's put his own spin on the coverage and blocking schemes. They seem more sound.
They have several new special teams-only players, including Kenny Onatolu, who came from the CFL. He is always around the ball.
Two of their draftees, Jasper Brinkley and Jamarca Sanford, are very good special teams players.
Their special teams captain of two years ago, Heath Farwell, has come back after missing 2008 because of an ACL.
The Farwell return has been huge, as we all knew it would be. But the drafting and free agent signings are very telling for this team as well. In the 2009 Draft, after the first couple of picks went to necessities (wide receiver with Harvin and offensive tackle with Phil Loadholt), the Vikings appeared to be drafting and signing players explicitly for special teams, specifically for young, fast guys that know how to tackle. That's how we get guys like Brinkley and Sanford, who have both been very good for us. We also get guys like Karl Paymah (who, for all his shortcomings as a CB, has been a good corner) and Onatolu, and we add them to already solid special teamers like Eric Frampton and Husain Abdullah. Young, fast, and athletic on special teams is always helpful. This keeps Brad Childress from having to play too many starters on special teams and keep them more focused on doing their "real" jobs as well.
A huge pat on the back has to go to Brian Murphy, who had the unenviable task of turning around one of the biggest special teams disasters ever and has done an outstanding job so far. Here's hoping that the Vikings can keep it up for another seven games. Or eight. Or nine. Or, ideally, ten.
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That's good news, lets hope they can keep it up.
Good ST’s and defenses can carry a team a long way, look at the 06’ Bears. If the 06’ Bears would have had a solid QB, things could/would have turned out different. :)
Go Vikes…….Mission Miami.
Special teams is overrated
Look around the league and you will see successful ST have almost no correlation to wins/losses. There are a handful of good teams with aweful ST and a handful of bad teams with excellent ST. I mean, look at us last year. Worst ST in like forever and we finish 10-6 with a division championship and the #3 spot in the playoffs. No need to get too excited over something so minor. Being the best at anything is pretty awesome and worthy of bragging but I would trade an excellent ST unit for a decent offensive or defensive unit any day. We should be grateful to have all three.
I wouldn't look past special teams...
Green Bay’s ST’s unit won them a Superbowl ring one year with Desmond Howard. Don’t forget that.
Look at the post above,
If the bears didn’t have Devin Hester, no way the go all the way to the super bowl. Short Fields can help to hide the deficiencies in a mediocre offense. And a long field can make a good Defense look All World.
Will the Real Thor Please Stand Up ... ?
by the Real Thor on Nov 20, 2009 7:58 AM CST up reply actions
Do you remember last year's ST at all?
They accounted for at least 2 direct game losses in 2008. The Vikings tied the NFL record for TD’s allowed by STs. It was beyond horrible, it was devastatingly bad and Kluwe got seriously reamed over it by Childress.
I don’t think they’re overrated at all. I’m not suggesting that ST’s is more important than a solid offense or defense, but you need to at least have an ST good enough keep points from being put on the board by the opponent.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
So are you implying that with a decent ST unit last year we would have won 12 games instead of 10?
Really, in the long term even at their worst ST will only account for a handleful of TDs scored and given up each year. Think of how many TDs are scored by the offense every year and how many are given up by the defense.
12 easily.
possibly even a playoff win. special teams were horrible against philly last year. the average starting field position for philly in that game was the 36. ours was the 18. you’re telling me that had no effect on the game?
by iseepurplepeople on Nov 20, 2009 10:32 AM CST up reply actions
Lost by Special Teams in 2008
So are you implying that with a decent ST unit last year we would have won 12 games instead of 10?
Nope. I’m not implying, I’m stating it outright. Some research on NFL.com turns up the following fun-facts;
Sep 08 – 5 pt loss
Minnesota 19 @ Green Bay 24
Blackmon 76 yd. punt return TD
Time of Possession: Minn – 32:01, GB – 27:59
5 pt loss, 7 pts blown by Minn ST
Oct 19
Minnesota 41 @ Chicago 48
Wolfe 17 yd. return of blocked punt TD
Time of Possession: Minn – 35:07, Chi – 24:53
7 pt loss, 7 pts blown by Minn ST
Sep 14
Indianapolis 18 @ Minnesota 15
Longwell 48 yard field goal is No Good, Center-46-C.Loeffler, Holder-5-C.Kluwe
Manning TD, 2 pt conversion by Rhodes rushes right guard. Successful.
Time of Possession: Minn – 32:34, Ind – 27:26
3 pt loss, 5 pts blown by Minn ST
This doesn’t count scores based on good field position obtained by the opponents due to ST failing to make the stop within 20 yards of an opponents KR or PR catch, this could arguably account for at least 1 more game.
There were quite a few games which were MUCH closer than they should have been due to ST’s giving up so many TDs which, thankfully, our offense and defense were able to overcome. We came within 1 allowed-return-TD of setting an new all-time high NFL record for allowed TD returns in a season, as it was we just tied for the WORST IN NFL HISTORY.
Special teams are an important part of the team, and this year Harvin has won us games through his return skills. They cannot be ignored or neglected and a team still expect to be top-tier in today’s NFL.
IMO, the Vikings ST has a long way to go still. Until I start seeing some blocked punts and FGs every game, I don’t think they’re good enough.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
PS
Almost forgot; I included the Time of Possession on each game because it supports the argument that the Vikings should have owned those games, but for the errors on the Special Teams. Italics didn’t continue across all recap 3 paragraphs, no idea why.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Maybe not a 3rd
To Jayrome007. I don’t think ST should be considered 1/3 of a game but they do play a part in the outcome. I will agree with you that most of the league falls in the middle. That for every time that they give up a TD they probably get one back and the same goes for field position. I think a good ST unit compared to a bad ST unit is huge. Getting the ball at midfield or at the end of a close game or overtime on your own 20 is very big. They way our unit is playing this year is worth a few points a game.
So your saying that if Percy hadn't run that Kickoff back against the Steelers
we still had a chance to win? Not without using a buck-load of time to take off the clock with the possibility for the Steelers to win the game by just running out the clock! So a quick 15 second run-back “Is overrated?” And yes that is considered special teams! I don’t get it!
Why Do People Question The Vikings' Status?
by UnBannedVikingholic on Nov 20, 2009 10:17 AM CST up reply actions
Don't forget
his runback against the 49ers as well. I mean there were 12 seconds left on the clock when Lewis made the miracle catch. Those definitely wouldn’t have been there if Harvin hadn’t run that kickoff back.
I completely disagree. In fact, I think its the exact opposite. Special teams is UNDERrated. Most people don’t even think twice about ST and its impact on the game. A good ST unit makes the field longer for opponents and shorter for your team. They can be responsible for jump starting a fading team (a la Vikings/Packers last game). They can instantly change the complexion of a game and a team with one play. A good ST play energizes or deflates a crowd.
I agree 100%
You don’t realize how important they are until your ST sucks. Older Viking fans know this, in the 70’s we won a ton of games with ST. Blocking kicks and field goals were their specialty and those were back breakers. The kicker plays a huge role in ST and I’m not talking about field goals, no I’m talking about deep kick off or touchbacks. It is not easy to drive 80 yards on most defenses but if they only have to 65…
Saying ST is overrated is just silly.
Ok, time to whip out the ol’ stat gun. This coming from the expert analysists over at Football Outsiders (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/extra-points/2007/best-special-teams-decade).
In this little article they ranked the top rated ST units of the last 10 years (well, technically it goes from ‘97 to ’07). Of the top ten ST units, it just so turns out 5 of them made the playoffs that year (Chicago 06, Dallas 98, Miami 00, Baltimore 00, and Philly 01) and the other 5 did not. Remember, these were the best ST in a 10 year period, not just the best for the year. Compare that to the best rushing offense, passing offense, rushing defense, or passing defense of that decade and I think you’d find a much higher correlation of winning. I think that helps prove my point that ST, while nice to have, are fairly indeterminant when it comes to overall success.
Maybe, maybe not
But it sure as Hell helps and I would take this years over last years anytime.
"What is best in life?"
"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."
Stats make good liars.
The stat you cite is quite significant but not for the reason you state. It is meaningless to ask which Special Team was the best this year and did it exist on a winning team. This years leading rusher (Chris Johnson) isn’t on a winning team. This happens all the time. Your statistic is surprising but meaningless. Most teams are either more dominate on the offense or defense.. Special teams will never be the Dominate side. Starting Defense and Offensive units have the ball more often.
There is no question that a special team unit is an important part of the TEAM. They shorten the field for the offense, score added points, shift momentum, and lengthen the field for the defense. All extremely important. If the defensive special teams unit do their job correctly you never really notice. Wouldn’t you love for every kickoff to the opponent to be a touchback. Every punt to go out of bounds on the 20. If the Offensive unit simply adds 10 yards to each punt or kickoff it is successful. It is only when one of these units Fail that you notice.. I would suggest, that just like Baltimore’s ugly Superbowl offense, a special teams unit simply needs to be good enough to not fail a team. Anything beyond that is simply gravy.
This year we get mashed potatoes with our gravy. I love mashed potatoes and gravy.
by lifelongvike on Nov 21, 2009 6:38 AM CST up reply actions
Stats only take you so far
They never tell the whole story, they never describe WHY, only the end result, and they can never encompass the impact of and on, the human spirit. We use stats to back up our arguments and in specific they’re somewhat useful, but they’re not the final word. If the number crunching was always right, we could turn to Vegas to know in Sept who was going to win the Super Bowl in Feb. In the end, this is a very human sport with human variables which are nearly unpredictable once the kickoff occurs.
I’m not trying to say that STs are the the most critical part of the team, only that they can and do make a significant impact to the final score of the game, and that the 2008 Vikings would have won more games if their STs were at least decent.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
+10
I suspect that the teams of the ’70s and earlier had overall better ST units than the teams today have due to the smaller rosters and the need for more starters to play on the ST units. This may account for the Vikings pitiful recent record of blocked kicks and punts, compared to the fear that the Purple People Eaters put into opposing kickers and punters.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Acually the Vikings were so much better
at it than everyone else, that the league changed the rules. Matt Blair and one or two tall linebacker types would run up on the backs of down linemen and jump (their timing was incredible). No one could even come close to the Vikings at this, so a rule was implemented to make it illegal to jump on the backs of the lineman.
"What is best in life?"
"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."
That rule sucks.
Bring back the jumpers! That would be awesome.
by Princely Frank on Nov 21, 2009 1:11 PM CST up reply actions
Another Shula rulechange, perhaps?
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on Nov 21, 2009 10:58 PM CST up reply actions
Also Field Goals are a part of Special Teams
The Pats wouldn’t had won as many Superbowls this decade without FIELD GOALS!
Why Do People Question The Vikings' Status?
by UnBannedVikingholic on Nov 20, 2009 9:32 PM CST up reply actions
Difference Makers
I didn’t see any specific mention of Kluwe’s improvement this year, and I think it’s worth pointing out. He went from last year’s issues of low, inaccurate punts, to delivering very good hang-time and accuracy this year. Yes, the ST coach is important because clearly someone taught our resident Purple Guitar Hero how to boot the ball a lot better.
Also, Onatalu and Brinkley are both absolute monsters! Those guys are high-motor defenders that seem to get to the ball-carrier time after time, making as much difference as Farwell. Maybe they’re even good enough to let Farwell phase out of STs and get more play in as a regular member of the defensive unit (a specific request by him).
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
The front office made a conscious decision
To get guys with the idea that they were brought in for special teams. It makes a big difference. We’re not the cream of the crop yet, but we’re exponentially better than last year. Like Gonzo touched on, I think it has the most to do with the personnel we have.
by Eric J. Thompson on Nov 20, 2009 10:06 AM CST reply actions
+1
onatolu was specifically brought in as the best special teamer in the cfl last year.
by iseepurplepeople on Nov 20, 2009 10:34 AM CST up reply actions
SPECIAL TEAMS
are the biggest Momentum shifters in football!
Why Do People Question The Vikings' Status?
by UnBannedVikingholic on Nov 20, 2009 10:18 AM CST reply actions
As a fan of the kicking game
We’re lucky to have Kluwe. He’s been a great kicker since he got the nod (‘member Darren Bennett? Ya, me neither. He took over from Eddie Johnson, who took over from Kyle Richardson, who took over from Mitch Berger – now there’s a punter we can remember!). I haven’t seen a change in his kicks from last year. I have seen waaay better coverage tho.
by U don't have a Kluwe on Nov 20, 2009 11:20 AM CST reply actions
Here's a Kluwe for ya :)
This year Kluwe’s getting MUCH better hang-time on his punts, which has allowed the rest of the STs to hustle downfield and get to the returner before the returner has a chance to build up steam. Often they’re getting there fast enough to force a fair catch. It’s not because those guys are any faster than before… it’s because Kluwe is doing a better job of putting more air under his punts and giving the rest of the team a better chance to succeed. Also, Kluwe has been more accurate this year, than he was last year when Chilly was threatening to punt him off the team for failing to do as instructed, repeatedly. Kluwe is absolutely the key to the performance of our defending punt-return team, and this year he’s performing very well indeed.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Because of your Kluwe, I've deduced it wasn't the punter! It was...The Butler!
I’m not in a position to argue hangtime stats with ya, (so clearly you could be right) but it does seem like his kicks look about like they did last year. That game yer talkin’ about
“Chilly was threatening to punt him off the team for failing to do as instructed”
I can’t remember which one it was (was that last year or 07?), but we gave up 2 td’s on punt returns as I recall. I also remember watching Chilly at the press conference, saying “I told him to kick it out of bounds, I don’t know what he was thinking.” I also remember at the time Chilly was still coaching with his training wheels on – and lost that game. I’ve always wondered if he never told Kluwe anything except “get out there!” and then laid the loss at his feet (er, foot). I mean, who you gonna’ believe, me or that…punter!
Either way, it’s so great to see this aspect of the game change so quickly.
by U don't have a Kluwe on Nov 22, 2009 11:18 AM CST up reply actions
The first thing I thought of when I saw your post was Farwell coming back. Its hard to believe that ONE player could make THAT big of a difference though. The other things you mention all make sense but its crazy to see what a change your team has made in just one year. It gives us Packer fans a little hope that hopefully theirs can be cleaned up quickly too.
I remember watching the Vikings ST last year in complete awe of just how bad they were…I hadn’t seen a team that bad on ST in a long time…but this year what a difference a year can make!
December 3rd Rally
I hope everyone close to the Twin Cities is going, or we won’t have to worry about ST, Offense or Defense much longer. This is sounding pretty serious.
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