Quote:
Originally Posted by GirlySports
Remember when teams wouldn't have their punt returners field punts inside the 10 yard line?
Because more and more teams seem content with having their punt returners do just that. Dallas dude tonight fair caught one at the 5. And that is not an isolated incident, at least from my anecdotal watching of games through three weeks.
Has there been a shift in thinking that the five is better than the one (assuming Carolina could down it there)? Punt returners being stupid? Coaches have re-thought the don't-catch-it-inside-the-10 thing and didn't let the rest of us know?
Or just me seeing stuff that really isn't there.
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I have noticed a lot of fair catches between the 5 and the 10 too. The rules are just so stacked against the punting team to try and down the ball near the goal line that I'd let the ball go. I'd guess that 60% of the time the ball would roll into the end zone for a touch back, you'd never muff a punt and risk a turn over, and at most you'll lose like 7 yards, 3 and a half of whcih you'd end up taking a false start penalty with on the road on first down anyway. But I think a lot of these returners lose track of where they are on the field.
Carolina...they're now officially in trouble. Delhomme was not good, but their running game has got to be better than what it was tonight for them to have any chance.