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Green Bay Packers: Week 5 special teams recap

By Kenn Korb

Oct 26, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby (2) reacts after making a field goal against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 26, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby (2) reacts after making a field goal against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery (88) rushes for a touchdown after catching a pass during the first quarter against the St. Louis Rams at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery (88) rushes for a touchdown after catching a pass during the first quarter against the St. Louis Rams at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

The Return Units

Punts:

  1. Downed (GB 15); *GB Penalty* (GB 8)
  2. Downed (GB 17); *NYG Penalty* (GB 32)
  3. Fair Catch (GB 14)
  4. Out of Bounds (GB 26); *GB Penalty* (GB 16)
  5. 3 yard return (GB 20)
  6. Fair Catch (GB 20)

Kickoffs:

  1. Touchback
  2. 18 yard return (GB 20)
  3. Touchback
  4. Touchback
  5. 24 yard return (GB 35)

The return game rarely does much for Green Bay. Most weeks this tends to be mainly because the way half of that game — the kicking aspect — has become more and more phased out due to rule changes in recent years. Still, Green Bay is very low on the list in terms of production compared to the rest of the league.

They are tied for the second-lowest number of kick return attempts (5), have the 3rd-lowest return yardage (101), and are tied for 5th-lowest in longest return attempt (24 yards).

Picking up the 25 yards from touchbacks (up from 20 under the new rule) is mostly good strategy of course, and plays like the one Ty Montgomery made against the Lions in Week 3 (taking advantage of a little-known rule to turn a kick into a Detroit penalty by being the first to touch it while it was in the field of play and Montgomery was out of bounds on the sideline) don’t show up on the average stat sheet but are major contributions.

The punt return game doesn’t have the same rulebook-enforced limitations however, and has been even less helpful somehow.

Green Bay plays it abnormally safe here, sitting tied at 7th in the league in terms of fair catches (8) while having a measly 3 attempted returns (tied for last in the NFL) and a pitiful 6 yards on those returns (last in NFL).

Most weeks, this safe gameplan works out relatively well; they don’t add much, but they also take nothing away, and many of the fair catches end up preventing the opposition from potentially trapping Green Bay even closer to the goal line.

As long as they aren’t getting flagged for penalties, they end up being a slight positive at worst.

They screwed up multiple times in that aspect this time around as part of gaffes experienced in their decision-making and execution.

On two of the 6 punts by the Giants, we saw the return unit flagged. The first knocked Green Bay back from what was already a bad starting point to having their offense begin within their own 10 yard line.

The second took the Packers from beyond touchback territory to starting within their own 20 again.

The good news here is that unlike with other areas on the team with problems, this one at least has a simple solution: clean up the penalties.

Even if this aspect of the team doesn’t start piling up more yardage, just avoiding penalties is enough to allow them to be an okay (if uninspiring) unit.

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