Camping Out: Specialists

[BigRedBuster]

I hope Westy has improved tremendously as a return man, he looked unsure out there as a freshman and underperformed. I'll give him a pass as that 2013 punt return team was overall atrocious, but I hope there is someone who has a better feel for it and is a natural back there.

I think we all would've looked unsure with our ole blocking sheme at the line of scrimmage. The punt team beat the ball to Westy more times than not iirc.

Yeah you're right, especially after seeing a screenshot of penn state game where there are 7 defenders converging on the lone return man. However, he was unsure whether to catch a ball or let it go, and a couple of times he caught a ball inside the 10 - he fumbled one of them - and times he let a ball go and roll 10-15 more yards. Those aren't just bad schemes, but bad decisions.
Hopefully he is more confident back there now that he's older and also a better coached PR unit.

Wait....If he lets a ball go (which all punt returners do from time to time) he is supposed to stop it from rolling another 10-15 yards?

If he has most of the other team beating the ball to him, that is going to change the decision making on some punts. The scheme sucked. There was absolutely no conceivable logic to it. I'm not going to judge a return man based on what he did in that scheme.

 

[ScottyIce]

Anyone catch Sharpe and Benning burning Read's comments this morning? Pretty funny stuff.

 

[GSG]

Anyone catch Sharpe and Benning burning Read's comments this morning? Pretty funny stuff.

WHAT DID THEY SAY?

 

[RedRex]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

 

[Mierin]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Maybe because Westerkamp is the best returner.

 

[zoogs]

DPE was going to be a starting receiver, too. Oftentimes the best special teams players are also the best players. We would not expect any other position coach to take some random guy and have them do an important job at a high level. If a walk-on who doesn't regularly see playing time can become an ace punt returner, that's great, but...

 

[Ed Helms]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

 

[RedRex]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

His reputation as a spiritual leader is solid but I don't have the scouting report on his prowess fielding punts.

I would just think it would be worth the effort to try and work up a walk-on DB or RB when you consider the depth issues at WR.

 

[Mierin]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

His reputation as a spiritual leader is solid but I don't have the scouting report on his prowess fielding punts.

I would just think it would be worth the effort to try and work up a walk-on DB or RB when you consider the depth issues at WR.

Why are you assuming they're just shoving Westerkamp out there and not trying anyone else?

 

[RedRex]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

His reputation as a spiritual leader is solid but I don't have the scouting report on his prowess fielding punts.

I would just think it would be worth the effort to try and work up a walk-on DB or RB when you consider the depth issues at WR.

Why are you assuming they're just shoving Westerkamp out there and not trying anyone else?

Has there been any mention of anyone else being worked with on PR? Not being snide, I just haven't heard about it if they have mentioned anyone other than Westy.

 

[Mierin]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

His reputation as a spiritual leader is solid but I don't have the scouting report on his prowess fielding punts.

I would just think it would be worth the effort to try and work up a walk-on DB or RB when you consider the depth issues at WR.

Why are you assuming they're just shoving Westerkamp out there and not trying anyone else?

Has there been any mention of anyone else being worked with on PR? Not being snide, I just haven't heard about it if they have mentioned anyone other than Westy.

Yes, there has. A couple of the new running backs and maybe some of the new DBs. I don't recall off hand.

 

[HuskerExpat]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

His reputation as a spiritual leader is solid but I don't have the scouting report on his prowess fielding punts.
I would just think it would be worth the effort to try and work up a walk-on DB or RB when you consider the depth issues at WR.

I agree. I'd much rather one of the younger RB get a shot if they are all competent. Too big of an injury threat to risk another WR going down, I'd say.

 

[Stumpy1]

I thought Read was supposed to be the Special Teams Uber-Coach? Why can't he take J.Nelson or Nabbity and focus them strictly on PR for the few weeks we have left? Why add the risk of injury and wear on Westy when he is now the #1 receiver, TA's preferred target? DPE goes down so we'll just go back and do like we did 2 years ago where a fair catch is all we're looking for? Sounds like Read has been presented with his first coaching challenge and ... he's punting.

Jesus.......

His reputation as a spiritual leader is solid but I don't have the scouting report on his prowess fielding punts.

I would just think it would be worth the effort to try and work up a walk-on DB or RB when you consider the depth issues at WR.

Why are you assuming they're just shoving Westerkamp out there and not trying anyone else?

Has there been any mention of anyone else being worked with on PR? Not being snide, I just haven't heard about it if they have mentioned anyone other than Westy.

Read post #19. That should answer your question.

 

[The Dude]

Even if Westerkamp is returning punts, he'll still won't be taking as much of a beating as, say, any starting running back across the country. It's not really a concern.

That being said, if someone else is better than Westerkamp, they'll step up and take it.

 

[Savage Husker]

I hope Westy has improved tremendously as a return man, he looked unsure out there as a freshman and underperformed. I'll give him a pass as that 2013 punt return team was overall atrocious, but I hope there is someone who has a better feel for it and is a natural back there.

I think we all would've looked unsure with our ole blocking sheme at the line of scrimmage. The punt team beat the ball to Westy more times than not iirc.

Yeah you're right, especially after seeing a screenshot of penn state game where there are 7 defenders converging on the lone return man. However, he was unsure whether to catch a ball or let it go, and a couple of times he caught a ball inside the 10 - he fumbled one of them - and times he let a ball go and roll 10-15 more yards. Those aren't just bad schemes, but bad decisions.
Hopefully he is more confident back there now that he's older and also a better coached PR unit.

Wait....If he lets a ball go (which all punt returners do from time to time) he is supposed to stop it from rolling another 10-15 yards?
If he has most of the other team beating the ball to him, that is going to change the decision making on some punts. The scheme sucked. There was absolutely no conceivable logic to it. I'm not going to judge a return man based on what he did in that scheme.

So, he can't run up and catch a ball? Hey man, I can separate '13 and this upcoming season, and I never judged him going forward and obviously hope he's a good backup til DPE returns. Also, I did say he could benefit from a better coached scheme. But, it is my opinion, scheme or not, in '13 he didn't look natural back there and made multiple bad decisions, once or twice turnovers were a result.