Not to be outdone by their place-kicking counterparts, the NFL’s punters also got into the record-shattering act in 2011. As a whole, the league’s average per punt soared to new heights this past season, topping out at an even 45 yards per boot.
Amazingly, that average was nearly a full yard better than the standard of 44.1 established two years earlier in 2009. Those two marks are the only single-season averages to eclipse 44 yards in 72 years of tracking NFL punting stats.
Of the top-18 individual single-season gross punting averages compiled in NFL history, nearly half (five) of them occurred in 2011.
49ers All-Pro Andy Lee led the way with his 50.9-yard average – which goes down as the third-best all-time seasonal mark – and he was followed closely by the Raiders’ Shane Lechler (fourth all-time at 50.8), the Miami Dolphins’ Brandon Fields (tied for 10th at 48.8), the New Orleans Saints’ Thomas Morstead (14th at 48.3) and the Buffalo Bills’ Brian Moorman (15th at 48.2).
Interestingly, Hall-of-Famer Sammy Baugh’s all-time single-season standard of 51.4, established way back in 1940, somehow withstood the onslaught.
Any way you configure the numbers, NFL place-kickers and punters are succeeding at their quirky crafts like never before, and these pronounced statistical trends show no sign of abating.
The bell curves are most definitely trending upward, but all the while, though, the reasons behind this boom aren’t entirely apparent. Do the modern-day kickers and punters possess superior strength and conditioning? Are they receiving better coaching? Or is it just a natural evolution of the pro game?
While pondering these questions, why not just applaud the special-teams show – even if it continues to play out in the shadows.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
NFL quarterbacks, tight ends had nothing on kickers (II)
The 2011 season obliterated records for 50-yard field goals attempted (140) and made (90).
Entering the season, the standard for 50-yard attempts in a season was 120, set in 1993. Meanwhile, the record for 50-yarders made stood at 66, established in 2008.
The ’11 totals were a full 16.7 percent (attempts) and 36.4 percent (makes) higher, respectively.
In fact, the 90 successful 50-yarders were more than all but 12 seasons of total 50-yard field goal attempts in league history.
By comparison, only a decade ago, the 2001 NFL campaign featured 38 successful 50-yard field goals in 73 attempts. Those totals had dipped from the 1991 totals of 42 and 93, respectively, but they easily topped the numbers from 1981 (20-of-51), 1971 (12-of-51) and 1961 (an NFL-AFL-combined 5-of-19).
Entering the season, the standard for 50-yard attempts in a season was 120, set in 1993. Meanwhile, the record for 50-yarders made stood at 66, established in 2008.
The ’11 totals were a full 16.7 percent (attempts) and 36.4 percent (makes) higher, respectively.
In fact, the 90 successful 50-yarders were more than all but 12 seasons of total 50-yard field goal attempts in league history.
By comparison, only a decade ago, the 2001 NFL campaign featured 38 successful 50-yard field goals in 73 attempts. Those totals had dipped from the 1991 totals of 42 and 93, respectively, but they easily topped the numbers from 1981 (20-of-51), 1971 (12-of-51) and 1961 (an NFL-AFL-combined 5-of-19).
This 50-yard field-goal frenzy wasn’t just about quantity, however. In terms of historical accuracy, 2011 was tops as well, with 64.3 percent of all 50-yard attempts netting success.
The only other season since 1960 that featured a better-than-60-percent conversion rate from 50-or-more yards came in 2008, when kickers connected on 66-of-104 tries for a success rate of 63.5 percent.
Overall, the league’s field-goal conversion rate was 82.9 percent – second only to 2008’s 84.5 success rate in the 74 years the stat has been tracked.
Overall, the league’s field-goal conversion rate was 82.9 percent – second only to 2008’s 84.5 success rate in the 74 years the stat has been tracked.
This number is even more impressive considering an all-time high for attempts (1,011) was established this past fall, and a markedly higher percentage of these kicks, as aforementioned, are coming from greater distances.
Friday, June 8, 2012
NFL quarterbacks, tight ends had nothing on kickers (I)
In the 2011 NFL season, we saw laser-armed quarterbacks tossing aside records and NBA-sized tight ends towering over their predecessors like never before.
But Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham had nothing on a small and quirky contingent of specialists who didn’t even need their hands to do their best work. Twitter-worthy or not, the league’s outcasts and misfits – the kickers and punters – have risen. And in 2011, they had a leg up on virtually every other position when it came to history-making seasons.
While the matinee-idol QBs and towering tight ends were grabbing MVP votes and dominating late-night highlight shows, these lightly-padded 180-pounders were kicking butt and winning games.
In short, the ’11 season truly was a kick (and a booming punt).
Here’s the ample evidence:
But Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham had nothing on a small and quirky contingent of specialists who didn’t even need their hands to do their best work. Twitter-worthy or not, the league’s outcasts and misfits – the kickers and punters – have risen. And in 2011, they had a leg up on virtually every other position when it came to history-making seasons.
While the matinee-idol QBs and towering tight ends were grabbing MVP votes and dominating late-night highlight shows, these lightly-padded 180-pounders were kicking butt and winning games.
In short, the ’11 season truly was a kick (and a booming punt).
Here’s the ample evidence:
You had a kicker, the San Francisco 49ers’ David Akers, who set the league’s single-season record for field goals in a season at 44.
That was four more than the previous standard of 40 set by the Arizona Cardinals’ Neil Rackers in 2005.
Aside from Akers, eight other kickers wound up with 29 or more field goals, led by the Cincinnati Bengals’ Mike Nugent (33), Dallas Cowboys rookie Dan Bailey (32) and Rackers (32), now with the Houston Texans.
You also had another kicker, the Oakland Raiders’ Sebastian Janikowski, match the longest successful field goal in NFL history at 63 yards.
Janikowski accomplished the feat of foot in the Raiders’ season opener in Denver to join Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey in the record book.
Elam also boomed his 63-yarder in the Mile High City while playing for the Denver Broncos in 1998, 28 years after Dempsey established the memorable standard with the New Orleans Saints in 1970.
Aside from Akers, eight other kickers wound up with 29 or more field goals, led by the Cincinnati Bengals’ Mike Nugent (33), Dallas Cowboys rookie Dan Bailey (32) and Rackers (32), now with the Houston Texans.
You also had another kicker, the Oakland Raiders’ Sebastian Janikowski, match the longest successful field goal in NFL history at 63 yards.
Janikowski accomplished the feat of foot in the Raiders’ season opener in Denver to join Jason Elam and Tom Dempsey in the record book.
Elam also boomed his 63-yarder in the Mile High City while playing for the Denver Broncos in 1998, 28 years after Dempsey established the memorable standard with the New Orleans Saints in 1970.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Simply overdue
Like a horse-racing Triple Crown winner or that BluRay rom-com that you and your sweetie picked up from the Red Box down at the gas station last month, there are more than a few NFL franchises that can be classified as overdue.
In most cases, make that way past due for some success, so here’s hoping your favorite squad doesn’t appear on too many of the following it’s-been-too-damn-long-without-some-honor rolls. That established, here are the NFL teams entering 2012 which have gone the longest without a …
In most cases, make that way past due for some success, so here’s hoping your favorite squad doesn’t appear on too many of the following it’s-been-too-damn-long-without-some-honor rolls. That established, here are the NFL teams entering 2012 which have gone the longest without a …
Winning season: Raiders (10 years), Rams (9), Bills (8), Redskins (7), Broncos (6), Browns, Jaguars and Seahawks (5)
Playoff appearance: Bills (13 years), Browns & Raiders (10), Rams (8), Jags, Redskins & Buccaneers (5), Dolphins, Titans & Panthers (4)
Division title: Browns (23 years), Lions (19), Bills (17), Jags & Redskins (13), Jets & Raiders (10), Rams (9)
Playoff win: Bengals (22 years), Lions (21), Bills & Chiefs (19), Browns (18), Dolphins (12), Raiders & Bucs (10)
Championship appearance (Super Bowl or, prior to 1966, NFL or AFL title game): Lions (55 years!), Browns (47), Jets (44), Chiefs (43), Vikings (36), Dolphins (28), Bengals (24), Redskins (21)
Championship (again a Super Bowl win or, prior to 1966, an NFL or AFL title): Cardinals (65 years!), Lions (55), Eagles (52), Titans & Vikings (51)*, Chargers (49), Browns (48), Bills (47), Falcons (46)*, Jets (44), Bengals* & Chiefs (43)
(* no, these franchises haven’t won a title, so the tally dates back to their expansion seasons)
As for those of you in Cleveland – where the tears may have short-circuited your keyboard at some point above – your beloved Browns are the only franchise which managed to make each of the 6 lists.
Not good.
And hey, by the way, if you’re a fan of the Giants, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Colts, Cowboys, Saints, Packers, Bears, 49ers or the semi-fledgling Texans (who are just now marking a decade in the league) you’re no doubt feeling a little left out with your teams appearing nowhere in this compendium.
Just be happy – very happy.
You could be a Browns backer.
(* no, these franchises haven’t won a title, so the tally dates back to their expansion seasons)
As for those of you in Cleveland – where the tears may have short-circuited your keyboard at some point above – your beloved Browns are the only franchise which managed to make each of the 6 lists.
Not good.
And hey, by the way, if you’re a fan of the Giants, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Colts, Cowboys, Saints, Packers, Bears, 49ers or the semi-fledgling Texans (who are just now marking a decade in the league) you’re no doubt feeling a little left out with your teams appearing nowhere in this compendium.
Just be happy – very happy.
You could be a Browns backer.
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