A Punting Explosion … Saturday Cup O’Chiefs

When the Chiefs and Raiders face off on Sunday at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum two of the best players on the field will be the punters – Dustin Colquitt (left) and Shane Lechler (right).

That doesn’t just say something about the lack of talent on both of these rosters as evidenced by their combined record of 3-13.

It says something about the punting renaissance that the pro football has experienced over the last three years. At no time in the history of the game have there been as many good punters in the league at the same time. From Lechler and the 49ers’ Andy Lee in the Bay Area, to Colquitt and Donnie Jones over in St. Louis, with San Diego’s Mike Scifres, Buffalo’s Brian Moorman and the old crafty veteran, Jeff Feagles with the New York Giants.

What has led to this glut of talent and top performances?

“They are getting bigger and stronger,” said Chiefs special teams coach and kicking guru Steve Hoffman. “It’s the one part of the game that you really can’t change. How are you going to change the punting game? How are you going to change the game for kickers? Are you going to shrink the distance between the uprights? At some point they’ll have just one pole and the kicker will have to hit it.

“But you can’t do that with punters.”

There are two statistical scales to evaluate punters. There’s the gross average, which is how many yards the punts traveled divided by the number of punts. And, there’s the net average where from that gross yardage total is subtracted return yardage and yards for touchbacks. That net yardage total is then divided by the number of punts.

On both standards, the effort of recent punters dominates the charts. Half of the best gross punting seasons in the game’s history came from 2006 through 2008. The league has kept net punting totals only since 1976. But even with those early punters kept out of the equation, 13 of the top 20 net punting averages for a season have came between the 2006 and 2008 seasons.

If the current numbers were to hold up for the rest of the 2009 season, Lechler would have the best gross and net averages in the history of the game. Another three punters would push into the top 20 best seasons for gross average and eight punters would jump into the top 20 seasons for net average.

Lechler’s gross average right now is 52.3 yards and his net average is 44.9 yards. That gives him a chance to break the 69-year old record held by the great Sammy Baugh (51.4-yard average in 1940).

“I looked it up when I first got in the league and I’m still chasing him,” Lechler told the Bay Area media this week. “It’s funny, you look at those records and you see the numbers and you’re like, ‘Were their calculations right then? You guys serious? How close were you guys watching this because these numbers are amazing’. ”

There is no single factor to this explosion, but one thing has definitely changed with the position, and that’s specialization. Forty or fifty years ago the punter usually played another position. The greatest punter in NFL history is Baugh, but he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of his exploits as a quarterback and defensive back, long before anybody got to his punting.

In fact, there is not a pure punter in the Hall of Fame. There is but one true kicker in the building, and that’s Jan Stenerud. It’s not that there weren’t great punters in the history of the game; it’s just that they frequently were also quarterbacks and defensive backs. Yale Lary is another example; he had 50 career interceptions for the Lions that punched his ticket to Canton.

The early days of the game, it was a matter of roster spots that required a punter to play another position. The NFL did not have rosters of more than 40 players until the 1974 season, when they jumped from 40 to 47 largely because of the start that year of the World Football League.

With roster spots dedicated to a punter, that required more coaching and training for the position. Players actually go to college on scholarship to be punters. That wasn’t the case even 25 to 30 years ago.

“I think we’ve seen with the punters what we’ve seen at other positions, where the guys involved really concentrated on the skills and training for that spot,” said Broncos special teams coach Mike Priefer, who spent three seasons coaching the kicking game for the Chiefs.

There’s no question that punting and kicking camps have exploded as interest in the positions has increased. And like all other positions, the punters and kickers are getting bigger and stronger. The top 20 rated punters this week in the NFL average 6-feet, 2.1 inches and 217 pounds. That group doesn’t include Eagles punter Sav Rocca (6-5,265) or Matt Turk of Houston (6-5, 245) who rank out of the top 20 at this point. That group does not have a single kicker who isn’t at least 6-feet tall, and only two that weigh less than 200 pounds.

“When I was trying out for NFL teams as punter in the early 1980s, I was 6-1, 190 pounds and everybody else at the tryouts was my size,” said Hoffman, who kicked during the 1983 USFL season with the Washington Federals. “They are big and strong today, especially these guys from Australia.”

The Aussies have made a place for themselves in the NFL as punters. There’s Rocca in Philadelphia, Ben Graham (6-5, 235) in Arizona and Mat McBriar (6-1, 222) with the Cowboys.

It was only three years ago that the holy grail of punting was to finish a season with a net average of 40 yards or better. Since the league starting keeping net punting average as an official statistic with the 1976 season, the best performance came from New York Giants punter Mike Horan, who in 1993 finished with a net average of 39.9 yards.

With several weeks to go in the 2006 season, Colquitt was chasing the mark. He finished with a 39.3-yard net average, coming up just short due to some bad weather games. But in 2007, the Bay Area tandem of Lechler and Lee both topped the standard. Lechler’s net average was 41.1 yards, with Lee finishing with a 41.0-yard net.

Then last season, Lechler, Jones, Scifres and Feagles all topped the 40-yard mark. Over in St. Louis, Jones finished the ‘08 season with a gross average of 50 yards and a net average of 41.1 yards, possibly the best punting season in recent NFL history.

Right now, there are nine punters in the NFL at mid-season that with net averages of 40 yards or more. Lechler tops the list at 44.9 yards.

Punters like Lechler, Jones, Scifres and Lee have one advantage over guys like Colquitt, Moorman and Feagles: they kick in warm weather or their team plays in a domed stadium.

“You have to go out and get your yards early in the season if you kick in the Northeast or the Midwest,” said Colquitt. “You are just naturally going to see better numbers in September for punters in those places than you will in December.”

Punting is one of the toughest jobs in football. The punter doesn’t put points on the board, although a bad kick and coverage can give up points. Sometimes his role in the game is forgotten. But there are few positions than can affect field position like the punter can. He can kick his defense out of trouble, which in turn should help his offense.

Colquitt and Lechler have been busy punters this year, largely because of poor offenses. Nobody in the league has more punts than Colquitt’s 53. Lechler has the sixth most punts with 46.

There’s a very good chance they could be two of the busiest players on the field come Sunday in Oakland.

TOP 20 PUNTERS IN GROSS AVERAGE & NET AVERAGE IN NFL HISTORY

Gross punting averages since 1939; net punting averages since 1976

SIGNINGS, INJURIES & MOVEMENT AROUND THE LEAGUE

• BENGALS – placed S Roy Williams on the injured-reserve list; promoted WR Maurice Purify from the practice squad.
• BILLS – out of Sunday’s game against the Titans are LB Keith Ellison, CB Terrence McGee and DT Kyle Williams.
• BRONCOS – OT Ryan Harris will not play in Sunday’s game against the Redskins.
• CHARGERS – not playing in Sunday’s game against the Eagles are C Nick Hardwick and LB Jyles Tucker.
• COLTS – WR Anthony Gonzalez, CB Kelvin Hayden and K Adam Vinatieri will not play in Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
• COWBOYS – out of Sunday’s game against the Packers is CB Allen Rossum.
• DOLPHINS – released LB J .D. Folsom.
• EAGLES – out of Sunday’s game against the Chargers are LB Akeem Jordan and WR Kevin Curtis.
• JAGUARS – TE Ernest Wilford will not play against the Jets on Sunday.
• LIONS – out of Sunday’s game against the Vikings is LB Ernie Sims.
• PACKERS – not playing in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys are TE Jermichael Finley, LB Aaron Kampman, LB Brady Poppinga and OT Mark Tauscher.
• PATRIOTS – WR Brandon Tate and RB Fred Taylor will not play in Sunday’s game against the Colts.
• RAMS – out of Sunday’s game against the Saints is G Richie Incognito.
• REDSKINS – TE Chris Cooley, RB Clinton Portis and OT Mike Williams will not play in Sunday’s game against the Broncos.
• SAINTS – not playing in Sunday’s game against the Rams are DE Sedrick Ellis, CB Jabari Greer and WR Lance Moore.
• STEELERS – out of Sunday’s game against the Bengals are DE Travis Krischke and RB Carey Davis.
• TITANS – WR Justin Gage will not play in Sunday’s game against the Bills.
• VIKINGS – CB Antoine Winfield will not play against the Lions on Sunday.

 FROM THE PAGES OF CHIEFS HISTORY
On November 14, 1965, the Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers 31-7 at Municipal Stadium. A crowd of 21,968 were in the stands and saw QB Len Dawson throw three TD passes and watched the defense keep the explosive chargers under wraps. Dawson found WR Chris Burford for a 20-yard score, RB Curtis McClinton for seven yards and RB Mack Lee Hill for eight yards. The KC defense grabbed six interceptions on the afternoon, as both FS Johnny Robinson and CB Fred Williamson had two each. CB Willie Mitchell and LB Bobby Bell added the others. The Chiefs also got a one-yard TD run from McClinton. San Diego WR Lance Alworth (left) had a big game, catching six passes for 181 yards and a touchdown.

On November 14, 1971, the Chiefs beat the Cleveland Browns 13-7 at Municipal Stadium. On a warm, sunny afternoon, the Chiefs had a pair of Jan Stenerud field goals and a 26-yard TD pass from QB Len Dawson to RB Wendell Hayes on the scoreboard. The Kansas City defense held the Browns in check, allowing only a late fourth quarter TD pass from QB Bill Nelsen to TE Milt Morin. CB Emmitt Thomas had a pair of interceptions for the Chiefs defense.

On November 14, 1976, the Chiefs lost to the Raiders 21-10 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Raiders dented the Kansas City defense for 211 rushing yards, led by Mark Van Eeghen, who had 95 yards on 10 carries. Raiders QB Ken Stabler (right) threw a pair of TD passes to WR Fred Biletnikoff and TE Dave Casper, while RB Pete Banaszak scored on a one-yard run. The Chiefs points came o n a 41-yard FG by Jan Stenerud and a one-yard pass from QB Mike Livingston to RB MacArthur Lane. The Kansas City defense did pick off four of Stabler’s passes, as S Gary Barbaro, CB Tim Gray, LB Willie Lanier and S Kerry Reardon had interceptions.

On November 14, 1993, the Chiefs beat the Raiders 31-20 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. As 66,553 fans watched on a sunny day in southern California, the Raiders jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Playing in his first game back at the Coliseum after leaving the Raiders, RB Marcus Allen got the Chiefs on the board in the second quarter with a four-yard TD run. Later QB Dave Krieg and WR Willie Davis hooked up on a 66-yard scoring pass. Krieg also threw TD passes to FB Kimble Anders for 15 yards and TE Keith Cash for four yards. Defensively, Chiefs LB Lonnie Marts picked off a pass by Raiders QB Jeff Hostetler and Neil Smith had a sack. Allen finished with 85 yards on 17 carries, while Davis caught five passes for 115 yards.

On November 14, 1999, the Chiefs lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-10 at Raymond James Stadium. Even though the Bucs had six turnovers in the game, the Chiefs were not able to take advantage of those gifts and gain the victory. It was the second of a three-game losing streak. The Chiefs only touchdown was a 50-yard scoring pass from QB Elvis Grbac to WR Joe Horn. Pete Stoyanovich added a 20-yard FG. Bucs QB Trent Dilfer threw a pair of TD passes and they got a FG from Martin Grammatica. Chiefs CB James Hasty had an interception.

SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY …
Born on November 14, 1945 in Dallas was QB Mike Livingston (left). He was selected in the second round of the 1968 AFL-NFL Draft out of SMU. Livingston played 12 seasons with the Chiefs (1968-79), appearing in 95 games. He started 74 times and the Chiefs had a 30-43-1 record in those starts. Only Len Dawson, Trent Green and Bill Kenney started more games at quarterback for the Chiefs than Livingston. He completed 912 of 1,751 passes for 11,295 yards, 56 TDs and 83 interceptions. He added seven touchdown runs over his career.

Born on November 14, 1974 in Galveston was TE Mikhael Ricks. He joined the Chiefs during the 2000 season after he was released by the Chargers. Ricks came into the NFL as San Diego’s second-round choice in the 1998 NFL Draft out of Stephen F. Austin. He played in two seasons for the Chiefs (2000-01), appearing in 17 games. Ricks caught 18 passes for 252 yards and one TD. He finished his career playing in Detroit.

Born on November 14, 1979 in Tafune, Pago Pago, American Samoa was DT Junior Siavii. He was selected in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Oregon. Siavii played two seasons with the Chiefs (2004-05), appearing in 26 games. He had one sack. Siavii was out of the NFL for three seasons, but is now playing for the Dallas Cowboys.