ESPN: Sam Koch Has Changed Punting

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Staff member
Koch punted six times in that initial game, a Week 9 matchup in 2014 with Pittsburgh Steelers returner Antonio Brown on the field. Brown made four fair catches, and the other two punts rolled out of bounds.


That success sparked further attempts to devise unpredictable punts. One year later, Koch has roughly 10 distinctly different kicks in what the Ravens refer to as his "golf bag."

Some are designed to hook toward the sideline with maximum hang time. Others use an intentionally low trajectory to aid coverage teams. He has a knuckler and one kick that drops, from the returner's perspective, roughly in the shape of the letter "S." Two weeks ago, he debuted a "boomerang" punt that does just what you would imagine it might. Most, but not all, of these punts are intended to discourage a clean catch and minimize the return.

It's not unusual for NFL punters to develop a "changeup" of sorts, but no one has ever had multiple options at the ready. The innovation has vaulted Koch to the top of the NFL's most credible punting statistics, including net yardage (44.41 this season) and Expected Points Added (0.42 per punt), but in a reflection of how few people understand punting, he has trailed in Pro Bowl fan balloting all season.

The NFL changes every day, but there are only a few moments in each generation when it transforms. This is one of them. In plain sight, Sam Koch and the Ravens have introduced a new way to punt. As contemporaries begin catching up, Koch provided ESPN.com with an inside look at how he thinks and in some cases executes his creations.
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ESPN

 
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I knew punters would "kick differently", but that read was very elightening and interesting. I never really knew there was that much strategy to punting. Good on Sam

 
MichiganDad3 said:
It is amazing how the Huskers keep getting great punters and place kickers.
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It has to do with the fact that very talented kickers come here to play because they must practice and kick in all degrees of weather difficulty. It greatly aids the process in the NFL.

 
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