In back-to-back weeks now, the Washington Redskins have both notched a win and had a player named as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Not a bad run to be on.
However, the Redskins special teams’ coach, Nate Kaczor, says that they haven’t reached their potential yet. So far this year in the kick return game, they’ve had a 91-yard return for a touchdown by Steven Sims Jr., as well as an 85-yard return that was called back by penalties. If you ask Kaczor, they still have another level that they can get to before all is said and done.
“It’s not like it just started happening, but penalties and consistency and ball handling are always elements that you’re striving to get better at,” Kaczor said, via The Athletic. “I don’t think those are the elements where you would ever say you’re good enough at.”
Kaczor went on to discuss just how hard it is for blockers to avoid penalties on kick returns because the play is always happening behind them, and they often don’t know which way the runner is cutting to get around their man. Still, avoiding a foul on such momentum-shifting plays is imperative for team success, and that’s definitely something that Washington can get better at.
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