Grading the 2011 Tennessee Titans: Special Teams
by Jimmy on Jan 29, 2012 7:27 AM CST
in Tennessee Titans News
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PrintThis was a good year for the Titans' special teams. Rob Bironas, who should be playing in today's Pro Bowl, was 29 of 32 (90.6%) in field goal attempts and hit all 34 of his extra points. That 90.6% is the second best number of his career (last year he hit 92.3%).
Brett Kern also had a really nice year. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt and had 31 of his 86 punts downed inside the 20.
The one area of special teams that was disappointing this season was Marc Mariani, who was pretty much a non-factor this year after being so good last year. He had one punt return for a touchdown, but only averaged 10.7 yards per punt return. Mariani also drives me crazy because he lets too many catchable punts hit the ground. Those numbers don't show up anywhere in a box score, but they really hurt in the field position battle.
Mariani's weak year hurts the grade a little bit here, but overall special teams had a solid year.
Grade: B+
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I still do not understand the M.ega. M.an hate
the new kick off rules probably + no off-season to prepare for them probably had a huge impact on his play, but he was still consistent. We seem to forget how terrible our ST was only 2 years ago…
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by StPrattrick on Jan 29, 2012 8:48 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Yarp
No love for my home boy. Gonna have to start walking around MCM with a hater bashin’ bat.
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I'd like to see him more involved as a receiver.
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by titansfan4ever on Jan 29, 2012 9:00 AM CST up reply actions
He hasn't really gotten a fair shot at the position,
but regardless we are talking about ST.
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Not to mention that he does a pretty good job of decision-making.
I’m gonna disagree with Jimmy that he lets “too many catchable punts hit the ground”. I felt like for the most part this year, he did a great job on decision making as far as when to catch and run, when to fair catch, and when to to let it go. He’s not a speedster like Devin Hester or Patrick Peterson who may be able to create something out of nothing a lot, but how many of those type of return men are there really?
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by ronburgundy7427 on Jan 29, 2012 9:42 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I think you just named them.
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Seconded.
Though DeSean Jackson could be in that conversation if he wasn’t such a nutcase.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:46 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah and Vunce could be a Super Bowl winning QB too... pffft!
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As long as he is on the team, it will not happen.
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My issue is not with Mariani as a returner.
I think he’s an above average but not elite returner, and that’s great. However, his position as a KR is becoming less and less valuable- not by any fault of his own. He is also taking up a roster spot when he contributes very little in the pass game. So less importance combined with limited touches make him expendable. If we can find a WR or CB who can play their position and return kicks, I’d cut Mariani.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 29, 2012 12:05 PM CST up reply actions
I want to see what they do with him this season
last year there was no off season but there was clearly some attempts to use Mariani as more than just KR..he got some screens designed for him and he played in one formation where he ws the only receiver (mostly run plays with that formation)..so I am curious to see if they try more things with him next year…
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by Knoxvillage on Jan 29, 2012 12:30 PM CST up reply actions
Like I said above, he didn't really get a fair shot at WR...
also, the problem with having a starter playing KR is double the wear and tear they are putting their body. We have other roster spots we could be cutting as apposed to our one year out Pro-Bowl kick returner.
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by StPrattrick on Jan 29, 2012 12:38 PM CST up reply actions
Two things:
a) He isn’t a good receiver. They drafted him as a returner, why we have projected him as a good WR with no evidence to support the theory is beyond me. Could he break out? Sure. Likely? No.
b) With the new kick return rules, how many returns per game are there now? According to this site (I don’t know how accurate it is), we had 4.7 kickoffs against per game. Let’s say Mariani returns 2 out of every 5 kicks, and another 2 out of 5 punts a game (linked on the side of the first link). I have no idea what the return rate is, so I just went with 2/5, seems about right. We are using a roster spot for someone who has 4-6 returns a game. That indicates that not only is Mariani expendable, but that I wouldn’t be too concerned with wear and tear on the replacement returner. In reality most of their job now is catch the kick and kneel.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 29, 2012 12:46 PM CST up reply actions
This is the problem
no evidence
so you are mad at the rules more then you are Mariani.
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I'm confused. The no evidence refers to Mariani's work as a WR. I think there is no evidence to support him being good.
I am mad at the return rules, and while I will complain about them fervently, we must adapt our team to fit them. The importance of return men has been legislated out of the game.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 29, 2012 1:51 PM CST up reply actions
There is no evidence because he has gotten little chance to show what he can do...
how are we still arguing about this?
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Because we're all bored
so we have to argue about obvious things
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:45 PM CST up reply actions
I hate the off-season.
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/starts argument about that
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:55 PM CST up reply actions
COME AT ME BRO!
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I saw Mariani Make some ridiculous catches in college.
Maybe he just needs time to work with the offense and get some reps to build confidence.
AND he didn’t really take kicks out of the end zone until about 6 games in. Then they allowed him to run up and catch the ball. No reason to cut Mariani.
by -Erock on Jan 29, 2012 3:03 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions
Not saying he isn't effective,
just there is an extremely limited number of opportunities for him to be effective. A handful of touches each game.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 29, 2012 3:08 PM CST up reply actions
Also from that site I found that we average 2.5 touchbacks against per game.
So Mariani returns approximately 50% of the kickoffs.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 29, 2012 12:48 PM CST up reply actions
And if you half a halfbacks' carries, they're going to look like they suck too.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:55 PM CST up reply actions
That's not even close to the point I'm making.
I am not disputing Mariani’s success. I am disputing his value. Let me modify your ridiculous halfback analogy. If you decide to only use him on say, first down only, then he may have success on that down but his value as an all-down back has decreased.
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by WinnipegTitanFan13 on Jan 29, 2012 7:47 PM CST up reply actions
LOL @ you calling my analogy ridiculous
Then using it yourself and making no sense.
Halfing a HB’s carries = less production
A kick returner only returning half of kick returns (AKA halfing his carries)= less production
My analogy about that in reality = logical
My analogy about that in your head = ridiculous
A HB only carrying the ball on first down = less value
A kick returner only returning half of kick returns = less value
Your analogy about that = illogical
Your analogy about that in your head = makes perfect sense
This argument = over
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 8:37 PM CST up reply actions
This was basically my first thoughts when I read the Mariani section
Mariani’s ST strength was definitely kickoff returns, so a rule severely cutting down on kickoff returns resulting in our best kickoff returner not doing as well makes sense, doesn’t it?
And he still returned a punt for a touchdown this year, which gave us an early lead that game that we never gave up.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:38 PM CST up reply actions
I dont remember too many big f ups or tds given away
I remember Campbell giving up a bunch of penalties in one game. And maybe two good punt returns against us this year, thats why I went A we had two tds to none by my memory. I think Mariani is a great punt returner because he’s great at getting what there and making one or two guys miss, but he perhaps doesnt have the pure speed to be returning kickoff from inside our own goaline, which is always the case now, unless we draft a kick returner who’s beasty then I am more than happy with Mark.
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Campbell had mucho penalties against the colts.
by -Erock on Jan 29, 2012 3:04 PM CST via iPhone app up reply actions
I voted A.
I think the returner expectations are a little ridiculous around here.
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by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 29, 2012 9:01 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
Agreed.
I am so happy with consistency and a few times a year taking it to the house.
Ask the 49ers how their “flash-in-a-pan” return game did for them…
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Don't need to ask them. That was a Mouton-esque series of plays there.
I think specifically it was against the Jets that it happened.
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by BonzosMontreaux on Jan 29, 2012 9:22 AM CST up reply actions
Horrible...
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The guy back there wasn't their normal punt returner.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:57 PM CST up reply actions
I know, Ted Ginn is... but Williams looked pretty good prior to his huge turn overs
seemed like he either broke it off for 40+ yards or fumbled it right into the opposing teams hands. either way, I am glad we’ve got a sure-handed M.ega M.an
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Brett Kern is so underrated
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by MikeGriffFan27 on Jan 29, 2012 10:22 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Edit Ratings is your friend
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:56 PM CST up reply actions
not for online play, but that doesnt effect him much
lol, Jake started bouncing off lbs for me haha, just cover the ball and take what comes!
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by Ice0ne (CAJ) on Jan 29, 2012 8:34 PM CST up reply actions
I thought the return game and kicking game was fine. It deserves an A. The coverage game was weak though. It seemed we had a penalty at least twice a game that hurt us each time from our coverage team.
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by The Titans are greater than the Gods on Jan 29, 2012 12:33 PM CST reply actions
MegaMan's value as a KR might be diminished.
But they do still return Punts in the NFL.
I just have all these bad visions of what our returning game was like between Pacman and MM, and it helps me to appreciate MM.
He’s not flashy, he’s not Devin Hester, he’s rarely going to take one back, but he’s sure handed and he makes good decisions, and he’s usually good for a few yards.
I’ll take 7 days a week and twice on Sunday compared to the dumpster fire we had at returner before him.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 29, 2012 2:02 PM CST reply actions
Young teams do that.
We’re a young team.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:56 PM CST up reply actions
Where did I hate?
Just said he was a non-factor, which he was. No one is arguing that. The fact that he catches the ball is great, but does that make him anything other than a non-factor? No.
Also, he does let too many punts hit the ground. That is a fact.
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by Jimmy on Jan 29, 2012 4:38 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
define "too many"?
We are tied for third in number of punts returned and midle of the pack in terms of fair catches. So unless we made more stops than other teams (which I doubt), I dont think he lets too many punts hit the ground…
TOUCHDOWN...GUESS WHO...KENNY BRITT!
"That's a fact."
Well, no, it’s not really. It’s an opinion. A valid one, sure, but I was pretty happy with how he played.
I personally don’t think he let too many punts hit the ground. I liked his decision making from game to game.
"Do the Titans have a miracle left in them in what has been a magical season to this point? If they do, they need it now. Christie kicks it high and short. Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25; he dishes it back to Wycheck; he throws it across the field to Dyson. 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, endzone...touchdown, Titans! There are no flags on the field! It's a miracle! Tennessee has pulled a miracle! A miracle for the Titans!"
by TennesseeTyrants on Jan 29, 2012 5:02 PM CST up reply actions
Being a factor is very rare.
There were 6 teams in the league this year with more than 1 combined KR/PR TDs, us being one of them. The only players that were “factors” last year were Hester and Peterson, maybe Cobb and Cribbs as well. Mariani wasn’t an all star returner, but he was slightly above average in almost every statistical category, especially in the fact he only fumbled once all year.
You mentioned how he was a non-factor this year after being so good last year
You failed to mention a large part of that was because of the new kickoff rules, which makes it easy for the uninformed readers reading this to assume that it’s Mariani’s fault.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 29, 2012 5:42 PM CST up reply actions
Pretty much all of what was said above
and I am arguing that he was a “non-factor”
He was 4th in punt returns averaging 10.7 yards, 490 total yards – 46 more yards then Devin Hester, with only 18 fair catches… pretty average number for returners this year
and 13th in kick returns which he is one of the 14 other returners in the league who handles both kick and punt return duties.
So to say he is a waste of a roster spot is inaccurate, and to say he was a non-factor is to say kick/punt return duties is no longer a factor in the NFL – which is also wrong.
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by StPrattrick on Jan 29, 2012 6:24 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
only 10.7 yards per punt return??
i thought 10.7 average per punt return was good?!
Exactly.
Plus the fact that i still remember the dumpster fire that was the group doing our KR/PR in 2009, makes me appreciate how much he brings to the team.
He might not set the world aflame in the return game, but he is consistently way above average and very reliable. I will take that anytime.
If he develops into a good WR (like Mason eventually did in year 4), that is just gravey.
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by fanoftheunderdogs on Jan 30, 2012 8:06 PM CST up reply actions
Mega Man posted he'll be heading back to Nashville to get back to work.
Already! Anyone on the team with that mentality deserves a shot at staying on the team.
by -Erock on Jan 31, 2012 4:07 AM CST via iPhone app reply actions
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