Sunday Morning CRS Coach's Corner: Game 7

[Chechem]

   E-cred to 57.   

[bama57]

The almost-annual outside heat placed on tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Bobby Williams is unfair, says a few former Alabama players who spent considerable time in football's third phase. They explained the nuances and intricate details that go into the various return and coverage teams that are rarely noticed until something goes haywire.

Click here for link

[Jamos]

I hope everyone on this forum reads this article, maybe then those on the Bobby Williams lynching party might understand the real problem with special team failures, it's called player execution. These are former players that have been there and done it explaining how the special teams are handled at Bama.

This is front page material for all the folks that aren't CRS members to read as well.

[Jamos]

The almost-annual outside heat placed on tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Bobby Williams is unfair, says a few former Alabama players who spent considerable time in football's third phase. They explained the nuances and intricate details that go into the various return and coverage teams that are rarely noticed until something goes haywire.

Click here for link

You are my hero for finding and posting this article 57, ecred worthy.

[bama57]

Thank you Jamos! I just hope MD reads this and checks the link out!

[Chechem]

Thank you Jamos! I just hope MD reads this and checks the link out!

   Nice try!   

[bama57]

I thought MD was usually here on Friday nights!

[Jamos]

I thought MD was usually here on Friday nights!

   

[Catch Prothro]

National ranking   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011
Kickoff return   97   72   23   23   19
Kickoff coverage   53   77   50   69   61
Punt return   66   40   7   46   14
Punt coverage   25   54   20   36   12
P/K blocked   5   41   23   29   48


Bama is averaging 18.9 yards on kick returns... so bringing it out of the end zone is like a 6 yard loss. 

Special teams considers so many aspects, kicking and receiving, punts and coverage, FGs, etc.   All these are lumped together under "special teams," but the rationale is different and the coach's role is different.  Blaming the players for failure to execute is correct if they miss a FG or if punting yardage is lower, but not completely accurate with returns or coverage.  Somewhere coaching comes in.

I don't think placing all blame on Williams is fair.  It starts with Saban.  What he wants to emphasize, whether he wants to use a scholarship on a kicker, recruiting a kicker, how complex the schemes are, how much time is devoted in practice to special teams, which players are selected to play on special teams...   And it's probably a tradeoff -- more time on special teams means less time elsewhere. 

Do I think it could be done better?  Absolutely.  Special teams could be a bigger point of emphasis with a more dedicated coach and players instead of an afterthought with a part-time coach and starting players who have a lot on their plates already.  But Bama's special teams isn't terrible, it just doesn't seem to meet "The Standard" we fans have come to expect from a Saban coached team.

[Marshal Dillon]

Did all you guys doing high 5's because you think this article discredited me actually read the article. First of all, only 4 types of stats are used. How about these comments from the article:

Statistically, none of the four coverage/return teams are among the national leaders.

Conversely, the kickoff return team is No. 97, managing just 18.9 yards an attempt. It also lost two crucial fumbles in the 43-37 Ole Miss loss in September.

"Are there some questions here and there? Absolutely," said Baron Huber, a fullback and special teams member from 2006-09. "Anybody that feels good about our field goal team lining up and kicking a field goal right now is probably overzealous.

"Everyone always talks about how difficult (Saban's) defense is to learn," Reamer said. "And the scheme for special teams wasn't difficult, but it was hard to execute. Some people just didn't understand how to make it work."

Funny, I thought it was the coach's job to teach players how to execute.

Kickoff coverage was an issue a few times last year as opponents had a few long returns. After the touchdown in Week 1, Ole Miss returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to set up a field goal in a 23-17 Alabama loss. Texas A&M also had a 75-yard return as the Tide ranked 77th nationally.

"The kickoff coverage has probably been puzzling to me as a fan over the last couple of years," Huber said.

It's improved this fall to rank 53rd with an average yield of 20.3 yards. There are 20 teams allowing between 20.0 and 20.9 a try and none of Alabama's foes have returned one longer than 33 yards.

There's a lot more to special teams than 4 stats. How about our players fielding punts inside the 10 yard line, a big no-no or fielding a kick-off inside the 15 near the sideline before it goes out-of-bounds and then falling out-of-bounds with the ball inside the 15. I go by what I see with my own eyes, no some article & certainly not 4 stats trying to justify what we all know is the truth, our special teams have been bad during the entire tenure of Williams. Also, who does Saban go straight to after a ST snafu, Bobby Williams, and it doesn't look like he's congratulating Williams. Plus, does anyone really expect a former player come out & criticize a current coach? Of course not, they come out in support.

I will ask again, do you really think that Shula, Anthony Grant, Ears Whitworth, & many, many others were good coaches, it's the players fault for failing to execute. No one wanted to answer this question last time I posted it, will one of you Bobby Williams supporters please address this question, now. Thanks.

I hope chechem, Jamos, 57, & 2Stater answer the above question. A couple might.


 

[ricky023]

Did all you guys doing high 5's because you think this article discredited me actually read the article. First of all, only 4 types of stats are used. How about these comments from the article:

Statistically, none of the four coverage/return teams are among the national leaders.

Conversely, the kickoff return team is No. 97, managing just 18.9 yards an attempt. It also lost two crucial fumbles in the 43-37 Ole Miss loss in September.

"Are there some questions here and there? Absolutely," said Baron Huber, a fullback and special teams member from 2006-09. "Anybody that feels good about our field goal team lining up and kicking a field goal right now is probably overzealous.

"Everyone always talks about how difficult (Saban's) defense is to learn," Reamer said. "And the scheme for special teams wasn't difficult, but it was hard to execute. Some people just didn't understand how to make it work."

Funny, I thought it was the coach's job to teach players how to execute.

Kickoff coverage was an issue a few times last year as opponents had a few long returns. After the touchdown in Week 1, Ole Miss returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to set up a field goal in a 23-17 Alabama loss. Texas A&M also had a 75-yard return as the Tide ranked 77th nationally.

"The kickoff coverage has probably been puzzling to me as a fan over the last couple of years," Huber said.

It's improved this fall to rank 53rd with an average yield of 20.3 yards. There are 20 teams allowing between 20.0 and 20.9 a try and none of Alabama's foes have returned one longer than 33 yards.

There's a lot more to special teams than 4 stats. How about our players fielding punts inside the 10 yard line, a big no-no or fielding a kick-off inside the 15 near the sideline before it goes out-of-bounds and then falling out-of-bounds with the ball inside the 15. I go by what I see with my own eyes, no some article & certainly not 4 stats trying to justify what we all know is the truth, our special teams have been bad during the entire tenure of Williams. Also, who does Saban go straight to after a ST snafu, Bobby Williams, and it doesn't look like he's congratulating Williams.

I will ask again, do you really think that Shula, Grant, Ears Whitworth, & many, many others were good coaches, it's the players fault for failing to execute. No one wanted to answer this question last time I posted it, will one of you Bobby Williams supporters please address this question, now. Thanks.



 

  for you MD. Well researched and reported. RTR!

[Marshal Dillon]

National ranking   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011
Kickoff return   97   72   23   23   19
Kickoff coverage   53   77   50   69   61
Punt return   66   40   7   46   14
Punt coverage   25   54   20   36   12
P/K blocked   5   41   23   29   48


Bama is averaging 18.9 yards on kick returns... so bringing it out of the end zone is like a 6 yard loss. 

Special teams considers so many aspects, kicking and receiving, punts and coverage, FGs, etc.   All these are lumped together under "special teams," but the rationale is different and the coach's role is different.  Blaming the players for failure to execute is correct if they miss a FG or if punting yardage is lower, but not completely accurate with returns or coverage.  Somewhere coaching comes in.

I don't think placing all blame on Williams is fair.  It starts with Saban.  What he wants to emphasize, whether he wants to use a scholarship on a kicker, recruiting a kicker, how complex the schemes are, how much time is devoted in practice to special teams, which players are selected to play on special teams...   And it's probably a tradeoff -- more time on special teams means less time elsewhere. 

Do I think it could be done better?  Absolutely.  Special teams could be a bigger point of emphasis with a more dedicated coach and players instead of an afterthought with a part-time coach and starting players who have a lot on their plates already.  But Bama's special teams isn't terrible, it just doesn't seem to meet "The Standard" we fans have come to expect from a Saban coached team.

Agree with some of the stuff you say, it starts at the top with Saban. However, Williams bears a huge brunt because he is the ST coach, just like Kirby is the DC & Kiffin is the OC. No way the same guy would be the OC if we had the same type of results on offense for 7 or more years. Good post with balance & observations.

[bama57]

 

[Chechem]

[pmull]

Coaching, recruiting and execution all play a part in special teams. We ranked pretty high in punt and kick off returns when we had Arenas and Maze. We have not had a dynamic returner in a few years. Lee Tiffin made a ST coach look pretty good with his strong accurate leg.

IMO defending punts and kicks is about coaching and execution. You coach them well and players do their job the results are normally good. One player gets out of his lane and you give up a big return.

This is college football. Things go well and the players get the credit. Things go bad and it is coaching. Some things never change.

I think Coach Williams is a solid coach.

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