How Much Do You Value Special Teams?

[Hunter2_1]

 

Always wondered how everyone felt about this 

[Xmad]

There's few things worse than losing a close game because your kicker couldn't make a FG or multiple FGs. 

[cddolphin]

I voted options 3 & 4; it's the 3rd most important aspect, but it can still win/lose you games.

[Hunter2_1]

I vote "just as important". Our ST accounted for 17 points, directly, against Denver, for example. Would have been enough to win the game on it's own. That's obviously an outlier type of performance, but I think things like field position and taking over on downs when you're due to go on defense (so, blocking a punt for example) is HUGE in today's NFL. Missing kicks as well - how often does a missed XP change the course of your attack? If it's close, you're constantly trying to make up for it. 

[Danger]

It's been great having great special teams for years under Dave Fipp for the Eagles.

[DistantRam]

It's just as important as the other two. As @OleXmad said, one missed field goal can make all the difference. And a great punter, such as our own Johnny Hekker, can pin the opposition back near their own goal line to start pretty much every drive.

[Carmen Cygni]

Equally important. Just ask the HC who has dominated the league for the past 17 years, his love affair with special teams, and that will settle the argument quite soundly.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/02/bill-belichick-press-conferences-special-teams-quotes

[lancerman]

Equally important. We've all seen games where field positioning just gutted a team for a half  or so and they could never get a real footing on the game. Let alone the one's with blunders like missed kicks etc. I

[tom cody]

I went with Option 3. A field goal made or an extra point converted or vice versa can sometimes be the difference in a game.

[Hunter2_1]

11 hours ago, Carmen Cygni said:

Equally important. Just ask the HC who has dominated the league for the past 17 years, his love affair with special teams, and that will settle the argument quite soundly.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/02/bill-belichick-press-conferences-special-teams-quotes

He is ST crazy. He mentions them EVERY time in game assessments. You can tell he puts a lot of thought into special teams, because our ST is made up of specialists. Think Slater, Ebner, Bolden, King, Bademosi, Jones etc - all special team specialists, and you can tell. Our opposition have the worst starting field position in the league, and we've had a blocked FG, a blocked punt, a ST safety and a return kick TD. It's fascinating.

[Jlowe22]

Extremely important, and this is yet another side of the ball Saints have been garbage in, and it showed in our record.

[Non-Issue]

Having Greg the Leg and Hekkfire on our team is instrumental in our success so far this season.

[Hunter2_1]

5 hours ago, Non-Issue said:

Having Greg the Leg and Hekkfire on our team is instrumental in our success so far this season.

Just as important, then?

[LieutenantGains]

Look at how much the GOAT values it. That should answer your question

[Non-Issue]

12 hours ago, Hunter2_1 said:

Just as important, then?

Naw. Not in my opinion. Special teams take the field for a handful of plays a game. For that reason alone I cant consider them as important as offense and defense.

They decide where the drives start and, occasionally, where they end. So it's important. But not AS important, imo.