Tag Archives: Punter of the Week

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TSR’s Punter of the Week:
Brandon Fields – Miami Dolphins

Who is he?
In his sixth full season, Fields leads the NFL in gross average (50.6 yards per punt). His net number (41.4) is tenth overall. Only 28 years old, Fields’ stats have always been good. If you watch punters much, I believe you’d rank Fields among the top five in the league no matter where he is statistically. An all-state punter in high school, Fields excelled at Michigan State as a punter and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL draft. At 6-5, 245, Fields is bigger than most guys at the position. Fields and his wife oversee a charitable organization that promotes children’s fitness programs including an annual summer camp in his hometown of Toledo, OH.

The Fields stat line vs. the Patriots 12-2-12:
Five punts (plus one “aborted“). 259 yards total. 51.8 yards per. 42.8 net.

The punts in detail:
1. It was a nightmarish start for Fields in this game. A disaster. After the Fish went three and out to open the contest, Fields came out for his first punt with the ball on Miami’s own 22. Fields wears small white sweatbands on both wrists. His snug, tucked-in jersey reveals a stocky frame. Fields has both a moustache and beard. As the play clock wound down under 15 seconds, Fields licked his right hand and started barking out false snap directives in an effort to pull the receiving team over the line prematurely. He also included theatrical moves to make it look like he was about to get the snap. The Pats didn’t bite. Long snapper John Denney finally fired the ball a tick before the play clock hit zero. The snap was low. Fields reached for it just above ankle height but it slipped through his hands. It had rained a few minutes earlier so perhaps the ball had a little moisture on it. There was also a pretty good wind off the water (out of the east) at 18 MPH. Still, the football hit firm and square on the palms of Fields’ hands and should have been caught. To compound the mistake, Fields panicked excessively in the immediate aftermath of the drop. The ball sat in easy reach but Fields appeared to dwell on a yet-to-develop punt rush when he should have grabbed it and quick-kicked it. But because he focused on what was in front of him rather than the ball, he dropped it a second time. By the time Fields gained control of the football, a swarm of Patriots defenders had honed in on him. He was gang-tackled at the 12 yard line. The journeyman Pats linebacker Mike Rivera got a pretty good shot in on Fields before he crumpled to the ground. As Fields walked back to the bench shaking his head in frustration, a piece of sod could be seen wedged in his facemask. The official NFL terminology for such a play is an “aborted punt.” As such, it isn’t noted for the record as a punt and the outcome of the play doesn’t impact any of Fields‘ punter stats. It goes in the books as a rushing attempt with no gain. Fields is also credited with a fumble. The ten-yard loss on the play isn’t linked directly to Fields. The bottom line is that the Patriots scored a touchdown six plays later. The Fields fumble set a bad tone for the game and responsibility for the error rests almost fully with the punter in this instance.

2. Another three and out brought Fields back on the field just three and a half minutes later. The CBS cameras had repeatedly showed Fields on the sidelines after the fumble. Lots of sports television producers fixate on the bogey-man of the moment and that‘s what CBS did with Fields after the early miscue. Denney went high with the snap this time around. It was almost too high. Fields pulled it down and blasted it with his right foot. The ball traveled 71 yards in the air. Pats returner Julian Edelman appeared to be a bit tentative after fielding the rock at his own 17. He went down easy after a ten-yard return. Ten days earlier, Edelman was concussed on a dirty helmet-to-helmet hit by LeRon Landry of the Jets. It was the most excessively violent play I’ve seen in the NFL this season and you wonder how Edelman can continue to play with his trademark lack of fear after getting so badly speared in the head. Not to mention what kind of long term issues Edelman will suffer from by facing more contact so soon after getting knocked silly. The Fields punt was 58 yards. 48 on the net.

3. Still in the first quarter and the Fish still had trouble moving the ball much, so Fields came out for a pooch from midfield. The snap was perfect. Fields hit it hard but with a low trajectory. Edelman wanted no part of it. It skidded forward after bouncing at the 13 and raced toward the goal line. Dolphins gunner Jimmy Wilson did a nice job catching up with the swift-moving ball and stopped it at the three with a slick between-the-legs swat. It was a 42-yard punt with no return. It was a nice pin job by Fields although unconventional for its straight-ahead line-drive direction.

4. The sun came out in South Florida as Fields let loose a boomer early in the second half. The 60-yarder was deep but short on hang so Edelman had lots of open field when he grabbed it at his own 16. Again, Edelman went down soft after a 15-yard return. 60 yards on the punt. 45 on the net. Fields’ shoes don’t match so I’m assuming the one on his right foot is a special punting shoe. Who knows?

5. The Dolphins kept a pretty good lid on Brady and were in this game late. Fields did a great job helping his team in the field position battle after blowing the snap to start the game. On his fourth punt of the game with seven minutes to go in the third quarter, Fields launched the perfect coffin corner special. Welker replaced Edelman on the return and pretended to set up for the return. Instead, he let it bounce inside the five. It squirted almost straight left (as Fields is facing it) and went out of bounds at the two. That’s what they call the C-C on Ice. The coffin corner has gone out of vogue but Fields nailed this one. 47-yard punt, no return and a tight spot for Brady to open a drive.

6. The final Fields punt of the game again came with the ball at midfield but this one went straight into the end zone. I’m not sure what Fields was doing with this one. It was a straight shot that rolled hard into the end zone after landing inside the five. After a beautiful corner job a few minutes earlier, Fields seemed to forget how to execute. It was a 52 yard punt with a touchback.

The Sound of a Punt:
I spaced off my assignment to record the Dolphins radio feed so the cut below is Gumbel and Dierdorf on the CBS call of the crucial fumble by Fields on what was supposed to be his first punt.

The Punt-osis:
The costly Fields fumble to start the game was the first of his professional career. His performance following the flub reveals a solid mental approach to the game. We already know he’s among the top five legs in the game and there’s no question Fields has staying power in the league. From the perspective of someone who enjoys the art of punting, Fields is fascinating given the way he alters his approach to similar situations. His routine is varied and his pooch technique changes as he goes. The four-year contract extension (potentially worth $13.3 million) Fields signed during camp this past summer includes three-mil guaranteed. At last tally, Fields led all AFC punters in the fan component of the Pro Bowl balloting. Fields will shake off this fumble and continue launching big ones for a team that needs all the field position help it can get.

Next week’s Punter of the Week:
Pat McAfee – Indianapolis Colts

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TSR’s Punter of the Week:
Chris Kluwe – Minnesota Vikings

Who is he?
I’m a full two weeks behind on Punter of the Week. It’s too bad this installment got off track because Kluwe is probably the most interesting subject this feature will see all season. The first Kluwe trait that jumps out at you is his marvelous writing talent. His Twitter page @chriswarcraft is filled with sharp-edged, left-of-center political and life observations. It sounds as if he wastes some of his time on video games but much of his perspective is based on the real, here and now. He’s very opinionated. Even the football fan not much interested in the punt knows about Kluwe by now. He’s been written about in newspapers all across the country because of his outspoken advocacy on behalf of efforts to legalize gay marriage. Based on polling and actual ballot outcomes in many parts of the country, we’ve known for a decade or so that the tide was turning on marriage equality. Young people overwhelmingly support the notion love and commitment trumps outdated, religious-based hostility aimed at same-sex couples. While Kluwe’s voice emerged at a time the numbers favor his position, he still risks great backlash given his main occupation. Football locker rooms don’t have a lot of room for punters popping off about gay marriage. But because Kluwe’s positions are backed by such thoughtful and well-constructed verbal and written expression grounded in empathy, he finds himself in a spot you wouldn’t imagine possible. He’s a punter with a big pulpit and he’s pulling it off with great dignity and grace. At a community gathering sponsored by a group concerned about bullying, Kluwe said last week he was a voracious book reader as a youngster. Speaking in River Falls, MN (covered by the local newspaper), Kluwe said he will continue speaking out on issues of the day – mainly via Twitter. “I want to live in a society where people celebrate their differences, not penalize them,” said Kluwe. Three weeks ago, Minnesota voters rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have codified marriage exclusively for heterosexuals. Kluwe was a prominent face in the movement opposed to that effort. While he was reluctant to accept credit for his role in the outcome, Kluwe applauded the result. “To say that we’re not going to have discrimination in the constitution…I think it’s great,” said Kluwe in a story on CBSsports.com. Kluwe plays bass in the rock and roll band Tripping Icarus. He went to UCLA. After going undrafted in 2005, the Seahawks brought him to camp. The veteran Leo Araguz ended up winning the Seahawks job that summer leaving Kluwe to latch on with the Vikes shortly thereafter. He’s been in Minny ever since.

The Kluwe stat line vs. the Lions 11-11-12:
Five punts. 243 yards total. 48.6 yards per. 35.0 net.

The punts in detail:

1. The Vikes jumped out to a quick ten-nil lead in this important divisional contest and so Kluwe’s first two visits to the playing surface in this game were to hold the football for kicker B. Walsh. Before the game, Kluwe participated in the coin toss as one of three team captains (Jared Allen and Adrian Peterson were the others). With three minutes to go in the first quarter, Kluwe came on to punt. The ball was snapped from the Minnesota 40 back to Kluwe who stood at his own 26 and a half. Before he caught the ball, Kluwe licked his left hand and flexed his hammies a bit. A couple of Minnesota safeties (Sendejo and Blanton) provide protection from the edge rushers. Kluwe’s approach to the ball after catching it appears to be a half-step shorter than typical but his powerful-looking lower torso more than makes up for whatever acceleration he‘s sacrificing in the name of brevity. There’s a real calmness to his demeanor. His right-footed drive carried to the Detroit 14. Stefan Logan waved two times for the fair catch and hauled it in. It was a 45-yard punt with no return. An offensive holding call on Detroit brought the ball back to the 8 with half-the-distance tacked on after the play.

2. If you like the boomer like I do, you get excited when the punter really airs one out. Tactically, the boomer isn’t always wise because of coverage concerns. But I can’t get enough of the boomer. Kluwe’s second puntski coming out of the two-minute warning before halftime was a boomer. It appeared effort-less. His hands were outstretched to receive the snap, and again with the short approach and solid strike. It didn’t hang as long as you’d like but it definitely qualified as a boomer. The football traveled all the way from the Vikes 20 to the Lions 10. That’s 70 yards in the air with a 57-yard credit given. Logan eluded a tackler and had a little daylight for a 15-yard return. So, the 42-yard net wasn’t ideal but that’s the risk you take when you unleash the boomer.

3. With just one minute of game clock elapsed since his last punt, Kluwe was back out there with 57 seconds left in the half. The Vikes were up ten with the ball at midfield. Minnesota wanted to go into the locker-room with their margin intact and so Kluwe’s job in this spot wasn’t difficult. He wasn’t performing surgery. A touchback isn’t a bad thing with Logan out there so that’s what Kluwe got. A 51-yard punt. 31 on the net.

4. After the Vikes offense stalled on its first possession of the second half, Kluwe came on and went into pooch mode. Standing at his 45, Kluwe barely stepped into it and kissed a nice dinker to the Lions five yard line. Logan smartly made an early decision to flee the scene. Gunner C. Robinson of the Vikes tried to keep the ball from going into the end zone but it bounced off his mitts and ricocheted dangerously into the hands of A. Smith of the Lions who took off with it and got tackled almost immediately. Nice punt from Kluwe. 36 yards. Two-yard return.

5. This was a fun one from a viewer’s perspective. Kluwe boomed one with his team up a TD early fourth quarter. The dangerous return man Logan fielded it at his 17 and surveyed the landscape in front of him. He found a seam up the left sideline and took off. Nearly loose as a goose, Kluwe caught Logan with a horse collar and took him down. No flag was thrown because Kluwe released a bit at just the right moment but it was enough to stop Logan. What was most impressive about the Kluwe tackle was his insistence and determination to make the stop. Most punters will sit back a bit and be the last resort of resistance but Kluwe darted into the scrum and sacrificed his body without hesitation. That says a lot about Kluwe as an all-around team guy. It was a 54-yard punt with a 31-yard return. A net-killer yeah, but Kluwe deserves props for going all out. He’s the first TSR punter of the week to make a tackle this season. Congrats.

The Sound of a Punt:

Paul Allen (not to be confused with the Microsoft co-founder) is the radio voice of the Vikes. Now in his eleventh season in that job, Allen has said he watches much of the game through a set of binoculars. His style is a bit unrefined but he landed the post without play-by-play experience. Allen has long hosted a popular sports talk radio show on KFAN-FM, the current flagship station on the Vikes radio network. Among the stations on the team’s network is a station in Des Moines, Iowa. Former Vikings punter Greg Coleman is the sideline reporter on the radio broadcasts. Coleman did an over-the-top tribute to military veterans just before kickoff of the Lions game. It bordered on the bizarre. The clip below is Allen’s call on the fourth quarter punt that ended with Kluwe’s horse collar tackle on Logan. As is his tendency, Allen got disgusted when Logan got loose. He also completely failed to mention the unique fact that Kluwe got the stop on the play.

The Punt-osis:
Kluwe is signed through the 2013 season. The extension he signed in 2007 is worth $8.7 mil in sum should he play next season. He likely has one more big deal left in him. Not being in the Twin Cities, it’s hard for me to say whether his outspokenness hurts his chances of staying there when he hits free agency. His involvement in the community runs deep. Yeah, he’s squarely on the left and that may rankle some but his brand of punditry is staked solidly to knowledge and compassion. What comes out of his mouth – and what he types on Twitter – stays true to a philosophy guided by strong support for freedom of expression. Kluwe is charitable with his time and money. Punting in a dome at home is nice but if you look at his career splits, Kluwe has great success launching ‘em on the road too. He’s the best punter in franchise history. When his playing days are done, Kluwe has a long list of unique career opportunities given his skill set. He has said he’s not interested in politics. But wherever he goes or whatever he does – expect Kluwe to make an impact on thoughtful discussion of progressive ideas.

Next week’s Punter of the Week:
Brandon Fields – Miami Dolphins