Why Do Teams Ever Punt?

[jessepinkman]

I'm not against this innovative strategy but if everyone started onside kicking all the time, teams would quickly improve at covering them.

[kypride]

1968= "What do you mean they don't block one of the defensive guys and read him instead? I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason."

[StateChamp97]

1968= "What do you mean they don't block one of the defensive guys and read him instead? I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason."

Yep. Still apples to oranges.

[kypride]

1930="What do you mean they put a guy behind the center and take a direct snap?I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason."

1959= "What do you mean the qb is lining up in this shotgun thing and not under center? I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason.

[StateChamp97]

1930="What do you mean they put a guy behind the center and take a direct snap?I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason."

1959= "What do you mean the qb is lining up in this shotgun thing and not under center? I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason.

 

Keep trying, not quite getting there.

[Clyde]

Two NFL teams brought this coach in to talk about his strategy. One was the Falcons. The other told him to not tell.

[kypride]

1990= "What do you mean they are dropping linemen into coverage and playing zone when linebackers are blitzing? I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason."

[thehotsnakes]

Keep trying, not quite getting there.

 

They're all valid. Football has been notorious for being slow to accept change. Every big innovation was met with extreme skepticism. What happens if this punt and kick philosophy becomes the norm a decade from now?

[kypride]

Innovation hardly ever comes from the best coaches or places that have the best talent. Necessity drives innovation.

[mexitucky]

This, to me, is making statistics say what you want them to say. A successful coach on a good team may be the exception not the rule. I don't see now we have a truly right or wrong approach until more than a few teams try to go for it every time and then forgo kicking off to onside kick it. I know that in '97 we played Bourbon Co. Hilton onside kicked every time and went for 2 every time. I don't know if he was ahead of the curve, or didn't have a consistent kicker. Either way, it cost them the game. Then again, it may have won them the state title, so who knows.

[StateChamp97]

I

1990= "What do you mean they are dropping linemen into coverage and playing zone when linebackers are blitzing? I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason."

Ok. You win. Obviously the game of football has been revolutionized and all teams are going to adopt this style. Statistics don't lie and the probability of winning games without kicking onsides everytime and without going for it on fourth down...will be impossible. All deep ball kickers and punters need not apply. All coaches will now gamble away possessions and field position because statistics say it's in their favor. Cause yeah you are completely right, it's just like the advent of the forward pass, the spread offense, zone blocking, direct snaps and whatever else you said.

 

Edit: should we start talking about all the gimmicks that haven't become so mainstream?

[truebluefan89]

Three good reasons to punt

Field position

Field position

Field position

[kypride]

I win because as I said the quote, "I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason.", is irrelevant to the success or failure of this strategy, or to the future adoption or not of this strategy.

[Bisons66]

I would argue that if he has won a couple of state titles,, it is due to what is happening after the kickoff. You do not win titles without talent. I would hazard to say that if he was utilizing the same philosophy and did not win,, not only would we not be talking about him,, but he would be unemployed. I think the true test to his strategy would be to see what his won/loss record was before he adopted this approach to the game. All that being said,, it is working for him,, so there is really no compelling reason for him to change.

[StateChamp97]

I win because as I said the quote, "I'm just saying, the best football minds are not employing this strategy for a reason.", is irrelevant to the success or failure of this strategy, or to the future adoption or not of this strategy.

 

Yeah you win. The coaches I listed probably have not heard of this scheme yet. Once they do, I expect full implementation.