Green Bay Packers: Wild Card round special teams recap
By Kenn Korb
The Return Units
Punts:
- Fair Catch (GB 6)
- Out of Bounds (GB 45)
- 7 yard return (GB 22)
- 7 yard return (NYG 38)
- 4 yard return (GB 20)
- Fair Catch (GB 10)
- 23 yard return (NYG 37)
- 15 yard return (GB 36); *GB Penalty* (GB 20)
Kickoffs:
- 20 yard return (GB 23)
- 33 yard return (GB 44)
- 24 yard return (GB 29)
- 37 yard return (GB 37)
The return unit had subtlety stepped up their games in the closing weeks of the regular season. That trend continued against the Giants.
The punt return unit didn’t make the eye-popping plays some groups can, but the low-key yardage additions to a handful of these plays ended up securing a sneakily underrated advantage for the Packers. 7,7, and 4 yards (the yardage gained on three of the punts) may not sound like much, but on two of those Green Bay was able to begin their offensive drive not trapped inside their own 20 yard line; on the other, they got to start things basically in field goal range.
To go with those, there was a sizable return on a different one as well, giving Green Bay a second drive which started in New York territory.
There would have been two 15+ yard returns actually, but a penalty got the final punt return attempt brought backwards.
The kickoffs weren’t as prolific, but still provided solid impact in half as many opportunities. Three of the four were brought out beyond touchback yardage; of those, two went to at least the Green Bay 37.
Big returns and advantageous starting field position doesn’t automatically translate into points every time, but the gains in yardage through returns definitely improves those odds.
Even when it doesn’t, there tends to be an indirect effect on the following drives as well.
Take the kickoffs for instance. The first kick return had Green Bay inside their own 25; that drive ended as a punt from deep in Green Bay territory, and the Giants turned the ensuing drive into a field goal.
The second return also didn’t become a Green Bay score, but the fortuitous starting spot helped allow Schum and the coverage team to pin the Giants at their own 8 on what became a punted possession from New York.
The fourth kickoff, though, was an example of the best outcome. It saw Green Bay starting from their own 37 on offense, and from the good field position they ended up in the end zone in just four plays for the first of three second-half touchdowns.
We can see similar sorts of examples of these things among the punt returns as well.
The two punts which saw Green Bay begin in Giants territory turned into point for the Packers; the first became the lead-changing score in the first half, the second adding on a field goal to their rising lead to make it a two-score contest.
Good job by all the return guys in this one. Micah Hyde continues to do well on the punts since taking over for Randall Cobb there a few weeks back, and the combination of Jeff Janis and Christine Michael on the kickoffs provided two different dynamic options who each showed up in a positive way.