special teams – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Anfernee Orji leads the NFL in special teams tackles going into Week 3

Three New Orleans Saints players rank inside the top five in special teams tackles this season, and nobody has more than second-year linebacker Anfernee Orji:

The New Orleans Saints special teams unit has been an intriguing one to watch this season. With the new dynamic kickoff rules in effect they are one of the few teams avoiding touchbacks, and rather choose to kick to the returners and make the play to try and avoid letting them start possessions at the 30-yard line.

That’s created opportunities to make a play in kickoff coverage. Three Saints players rank inside the top five in special teams tackles around the league, and nobody has more than second-year linebacker Anfernee Orji.

And that’s despite not facing a single punt return (all three punts have been downed or fair caught). With that said, they have seen the most kick returns of any team against them, which is why the tackle numbers are so high. The three standouts are:

1st – Anfernee Orji: 5 special teams tackles (4 solo, 1 assist)
T-2nd – J.T. Gray: 4 special teams tackles (2 solo, 2 assists)
T-2nd – Isaiah Foskey: 4 special teams tackles (1 solo, 3 assists)

Gray and Foskey are tied for second place with two other players, Jamien Sherwood and Jaylon Jones, meaning those four make up the top five alongside Orji who is first. The method the Saints have taken to force returns as often as possible has worked as well, with only 4 touchbacks and an average of 25.2 yards per kick return, as opposed to the automatic 30 for touchbacks. Additionally, it has given these three players the chance to stand out and get the energy pumping for the defense before they get on the field.

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Chiefs Dave Toub discusses LB Leo Chenal’s value on special teams

Kansas City #Chiefs Dave Toub discusses LB Leo Chenal’s value on special teams | @EdEastonJr

The versatility of multiple players on the Kansas City Chiefs roster is already paying off after one week into the new season.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke to reporters on Thursday and discussed linebacker Leo Chenal’s value in his group.

“Yeah, Leo (Chenal), out of all our players on special teams, besides Justin Reid, he has our best get off the ball, like moving the ball, and then somebody taking on, he has incredible get off,” said Toub. “That’s why I read something the other day. Somebody wrote that he might be a good defensive (player) because of his get-off. He’s so quick; not everybody can do what he does. He’s so powerful, too, and he’s got, you know, leverage with the way he’s built; he could do a lot of things and everywhere we put him. I mean, he continues to excel.”

Chenal was notably down and injured momentarily during the Baltimore Ravens’ final drive, giving them an extra timeout. He played well throughout the Week 1 victory, filling in at multiple spots defensively and on special teams.

Why the Broncos worked out a left-footed player this week

The Broncos worked out left-footed punter Michael Palardy on Wednesday before facing Pittsburgh’s Corliss Waitman on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos brought in a punter for a tryout on Wednesday, but Riley Dixon‘s job is not in jeopardy.

The Broncos hosted Michael Palardy, according to the NFL’s transaction wire (via KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis). Palardy, 32, is left-footed, and that’s no coincidence.

After losing Cameron Johnston to a season-ending injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Denver punter Corliss Waitman, who is now set to play against the Broncos on Sunday.

Waitman is left-footed and, believe it or not, catching a punt from a lefty has a different spin than catching a punt from a right-footed punter. Dixon, Denver’s current punter, is right-footed, so he can’t simulate the kind of punts Waitman will deliver on Sunday afternoon.

So, presumably to give Marvin Mims and Tremon Smith practice reps fielding a left-footed punt, the Broncos gave Palardy a tryout on Wednesday. Assuming it went well, Palardy could also be considered as a fallback option down the road if Dixon is ever unavailable.

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Sean Payton pleased with Broncos’ special teams unit

The Broncos recovered a muffed punt and downed a punt at the 1-yard line to help force a safety. “There were a lot of positives.”

The Denver Broncos‘ special teams units were special in Week 1.

Highlights included Broncos safety JL Skinner recovering a muffed punt, setting Denver up with good field position. Skinner also teamed up with cornerback Tremon Smith to pin the Seattle Seahawks at their own one-yard line, which led to a safety.

Overall, it was a strong showing from special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica’s unit.

“We felt like we won the keys to victory in the kicking game, just field position battle, return yardage battle, obviously we had a takeaway,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Monday. “We felt like we had a couple of returns that were close. Overall there were a lot of positives to draw when we watched the special teams tape.

“Talking with [assistant head coach] Mike [Westhoff] and Ben and [assistant Chris] Banjo this morning, those guys were encouraged. There were a handful of guys that stood out. That’s encouraging. We’re meeting right now in the kicking game, and then we’ll flip it over to offense and defense.”

Improving special teams was one of Payton’s priorities when he arrived last year, and his staff has helped him accomplish that goal. Now, time to fix the offense …

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Steelers signing ex-Broncos punter ahead of Week 2

The Steelers are signing former Broncos punter Corliss Waitman ahead of their Week 2 showdown.

Russell Wilson won’t be the only ex-Bronco returning to Denver this week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to sign former Broncos punter Corliss Waitman, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Pittsburgh needed to bring in a replacement punter after losing Cameron Johnston to a season-ending knee injury on Sunday.

Waitman, 29, punted in Denver in 2022, averaging 46.6 yards per punt with a net average of 41.4 yards per boot. His long with the Broncos was 59 yards.

This will mark Waitman’s third stint with the Steelers. He originally joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of South Alabama in 2020. After serving on their practice squad as a rookie, Waitman was waived in the spring of 2021 and joined the Las Vegas Raiders.

After the Raiders cut Waitman that summer, he had a brief stint on the practice squad of the New England Patriots before returning to Pittsburgh. He punted for two games for the Steelers at the end of the 2021 campaign.

After one season in Denver, Waitman returned to the Patriots practice squad for a little more than a month in 2023. He went to training camp with the Chicago Bears this summer but did not make their active roster.

Waitman now gets a third opportunity with the Steelers and he’s poised to handle punting duties when the Broncos host Pittsburgh on Sunday.

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Chiefs Dave Toub shares assessment of punter Matt Araiza: ‘He’s a great person’

Kansas City #Chiefs Dave Toub shares assessment of punter Matt Araiza: ‘He’s a great person’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs made several adjustments in the offseason, with a significant change regarding the punter position on special teams and the departure of former Pro Bowler Tommy Townsend.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke to reporters on Monday after practice, providing his early assessment of new punter Matt Araiza ahead of Thursday’s season opener.

“He’s a great person, great guy to be around. Fit right in right away. I feel like we really haven’t missed a beat as far as operation goes, with the field goal, as that goes, and Matt (Araiza) has done a good job.” Said Toub. “He’s got to remember, he’s a rookie, and it’s going to take some time. There’s going to be some growing pains, a little bit as we go. We’re not going to ask him to be at Tommy Townsend’s level coming in the way he went out. He’s going to continue to get better as we go. We anticipate that, but I’m excited about his prospects.”

Araiza is a lefty punter who differs from Townsend’s style. As the Chiefs move forward with him heading into the start of the new season, he is seeking a fresh start in Kansas City, leaving his off-the-field issues in the past and focusing on being an efficient punter.

Linebacker signed with Broncos after dominating them in preseason

Kristian Welch totaled 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 PBU and 1 INT against the Broncos in preseason. Denver signed him shortly thereafter.

When the Denver Broncos faced the Green Bay Packers in their second preseason game last month, Packers linebacker Kristian Welch totaled six tackles (including one behind the line of scrimmage), one pass breakup and one interception. He also played well in a joint practice against Denver.

After Welch failed to make Green Bay’s 53-man roster last week, the Broncos signed him. Welch’s performance against Denver wasn’t the only factor that led to his signing, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

“We still felt like inside linebacker was an area of need for us,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Monday. “We went into kind of the final 53 cut down looking at that position. He was someone that stood out on film. Obviously, we had practice tape together with him, but more importantly, just the body of work for that player.”

I hate seeing Levelle Bailey go. Hopefully the Broncos can get him to the practice squad.

I don’t know much about Kristian Welch, but the Broncos got to see him in the joint practice and preseason game.

Plays like this could earn him a role…

pic.twitter.com/9aXHhbvxRi

— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) August 29, 2024

Welch (6-3, 240 pounds) spent three years with the Baltimore Ravens before joining the Packers in 2023. The 26-year-old linebacker has been used primarily on special teams to this point in his career. After adding Welch, Denver’s 53-man roster for Week 1 is set.

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WATCH: The special teams sequence that saved the Badgers against Western Michigan

On the turf, every inch, bounce, or miscue can bridge the gap between victory and defeat.

That notion applied to Wisconsin’s Week 1 triumph over Western Michigan on Friday night at Camp Randall Stadium.

After Western Michigan running back Jalen Buckley reached the end zone to push his group ahead 14-13 in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin failed to generate any offense on its ensuing possession.

With Badger faithful’s hopes dwindling, Wisconsin punter Atticus Bertrams booted a punt deep into Broncos territory. The ball bounced back towards Wisconsin’s side of the turf and grazed cornerback DaShon Bussell before UW safety Austin Brown dove on the pigskin to flip possession back to the home squad.

The play instantly reignited Camp Randall’s student section and provided the Badgers with a much-needed break. If the special teams snafu did not transpire, the Broncos’ would have continued to inch toward a program-defining upset.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1829725227812561157

Western Michigan never realized this hypothetical, however, because UW running back Tawee Walker scored his first career touchdown with the Badgers just four plays later.

While the special teams highlight is impressive, the manner in which Wisconsin dispatched of the MAC representative was not. Western Michigan held a one-tally edge in the fourth quarter despite entering as a heavy underdog.

UW can bounce back with a dominant, all-around performance on Sept. 7 against the University of South Dakota at home.

Sean Payton says Broncos’ punter competition wasn’t very close

Trenton Gill averaged 48.6 net yards per punt in preseason, best in the NFL. Yet Riley Dixon won the job and it wasn’t really close.

The raw stats suggest Trenton Gill had a better preseason than Denver Broncos incumbent punter Riley Dixon this summer.

Gill and Dixon both got five punts in preseason. Gill averaged 53.6 yards per punt with a net average of 48.6 yards per punt (best in the NFL this summer). Dixon averaged 46.6 yards with a net average of 41.6.

Yet it was Dixon who made the 53-man roster.

“I don’t think [Gill] had the better numbers overall in the preseason,” Payton said when asked about the team’s decision. “I think Riley won that position. We’ve had a lot of battles. I don’t know that that one was that close.”

Hill showed off his powerful leg in preseason with a 73-yard long that improved his average, but he also had a 34-yard shank. Dixon was more consistent, and he presumably looked better in practice, right?

“All of it,” Payton said when asked what separated Dixon. “All of it.”

Perhaps its telling that waiver claims have processed and teams are filling up their practice squads and Gill is still available. Whether it was his hang time, the inconsistency, or something else, Gill’s overall summer was not as good as Dixon’s, even if the game numbers suggest otherwise.

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