| Wednesday’s noteworthy pro football news
definitely had a special bend to it. In New England, the NFL’s newest
kingpins wasted no time re-signing P Ken Walter, making him one of the league’s seven
highest-paid punters. Walter, signed by the Patriots two days after they released the
ineffective Lee Johnson in mid-October, emerged with a host of unheralded Patriots free
agents as a key factor in the Pats’ storybook Super Bowl run.
The Patriots also announced that they have begun talks on a new contract for PK Adam
Vinatieri, who was rock-solid during the regular season and flat-out brilliant in the
postseason, right up to the final second.
The Patriots’ instant offseason emphasis on keeping their special teams intact
provides a strong indication of just how essential an ingredient they considered the unit
in their amazing success. They know that, if not for the heroics of players such as
Viantieri and WR/return-specialist supreme Troy Brown in their AFC championship victory in
Pittsburgh, they probably would have been sitting at home on Super Sunday.
The Steelers certainly recognized the magnitude of New England’s special-team edge
in the AFC championship game, which is why they wasted no time making special-team coach
Jay Hayes their designated scapegoat shortly after the loss to the Patriots.
Hayes was the only assistant let go by the Steelers following that defeat, whacked with
a year left on his contract after his special teams allowed touchdowns in the final four
games — two on punt returns and two on failed field-goal attempts. Of the four
touchdowns Pittsburgh allowed in the postseason, three were on special teams.
On Wednesday, the Steelers replaced Hayes with Kevin Spencer, the Colts’
special-teams coach since 1998. Spencer is credited with turning Colts PK Mike Vanderjagt
into one of the league’s most reliable field-goal kickers. Spencer will have his work
cut out for him with Steelers PK Kris Brown, who missed a league-high 14 field-goal
attempts and three extra points, plus two more field goals in the playoffs.
He also has Heinz Stadium’s unpredictable wind currents to contend with — a
factor that gave every kicker in the league considerable problems.
Hayes, meanwhile, landed on his feet in Minnesota, becoming the final hire in new
Vikings head coach Mike Tice’s revamped staff. Hayes replaces longtime Vikings
special-teams coach Gary Zauner, who has moved on to Baltimore, where he hopes to patch up
coverage units that suffered ill-timed breakdowns down the stretch.
Finally, down in Carolina, new Panthers head coach John Fox rewarded highly regarded
special-teams coach Scott O’Brien with a promotion to assistant head coach.
Carolina’s special teams provided the only bright note in a dismal season, with
rookie Steve Smith providing an electrifying presence as a return specialist and P Todd
Sauerbrun putting up gargantuan numbers all season. O’Brien has drawn rave reviews
wherever he’s worked around the league and is very popular with the Panthers players,
particularly Sauerbrun, who credits O’Brien with turning him into a Pro Bowl punter.
On the surface, Wednesday’s moves might not seem very significant. But make no
mistake. Strong special teams remain the most underrated aspect of any successful program.
And yesterday, four teams made moves that could go a long way toward making or breaking
their futures and separating themselves from the also-rans currently cluttering the NFL
landscape.
And, just maybe, becoming something special. |
