"Special" Doesn't Mean Short Bus

Defense wins championships. Offense wins games. Superior special teams play wins both.

Special teams is the forgotten part of football. Kickoff, punt return, and the kicking corps are often looked at as the dregs of a football team. Special teams is usually made up of the guys who barely made the 53 man roster and the only way to do so was to shine in an area no one particularly cares about. How humbling an experience that must be.

The only time special teams gets a rousing ovation from the crowd is when a kickoff is returned 50+ yards for a touchdown or a kicker wins the game by sending the ball through the goal posts off the end of his toe. Other than that, special teams is about as special as riding the short bus to school.

During Monday Night Football, however, the New England Patriots showed America just how clutch a special teams unit can be. The Patriots not only defeated the Dolphins in their house, they down right embarassed them. Much of the win can be attributed to their stunning special teams play.

The Patriots special teams played with an animalistic ferver, making hard hits left and right. Second year safety Patrick Chung out of Oregon proved himself to be a man beast on special teams by blocking not one, but two kicks. Chung again starred on defense as he took a pick to the house. In one of those blocked punts, the Patriots returned the ball for a TD. Special teams for the Patriots took away several points from the Dolphins and took the wind out of their sails as they were at it.

Special teams can be difference makers, whether we recognize it or not. A blocked punt here, a returned kick for a touchdown there can make or break a game. Even a solid kick return can set up a team in great field position for their next drive. If their kick returner only got 10 yards, they might not be able to get in the position they need to score off that drive. More and more coaches are starting to put pressure and more energy into developing their special teams for these specific reasons.

The Dolphins responded by firing their own special teams coach the morning after the Patriots loss. Now, isn't that special?

Copyright Marisa A. Ross
@TheDivineMsRoss