When it comes to winning games in the NFL, most of the focus is placed on the performance of the offensive and defensive units. That’s certainly understandable, but when you look for that area of the game that game be the difference maker, look no further than special teams.
Few teams have done a better job of utilizing that “third phase” than the Steelers upcoming opponent, the Baltimore Ravens.
With one of the best punters in the league in Sam Koch, an All-Pro kicker in Justin Tucker and the always dangerous return specialist in Jacoby Jones, the Ravens have made a habit of dominating opponents when it comes to special teams.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was quick to point out the quality of the Ravens unit as a whole when he met with the media yesterday afternoon.
“Largely when you look at their special teams, their specialists are really good, and we have to be really good in an effort to combat it…talking about Koch their punter, he’s over 41 yards in net punting, Tucker is highly accurate, and has a long leg, he’s attempted plus 60 yard kicks already this year and is third in the league in touchbacks…Obviously Jacoby Jones is a field flipper, and we need to minimize him in the return game.”
Tomlin knows that field position will be a key in this game, and unlike Sunday’s shootout against the Indianapolis Colts, points could be at a premium, making field position all the more critical.
“We can’t allow to them to win the field position battle from the start, based on how they return kicks and punts, relative to how we return kicks and punts,” Tomlin continued.
Limiting Jones will be a key to winning the field position battle. Jones, who was recognized as an All-Pro for his prowess in the return game in 2012, has eight total return touchdowns over his eight-year career, and is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball.
The Steelers certainly have the ability to match the Ravens in the punt return game with Antonio Brown, but will the Steelers have to consider making a move in the kick return game? Ranked 31st in the league, the combination of Dri Archer and LaGarrette Blount has not provided enough juice in kickoff returns, and that might mean making a change this week. Could that mean using Brown or Darrius Heyward-Bey to return kicks?
Another area that has to concern the Steelers is the punting matchup between Koch and Brad Wing. Koch has been one of the most reliable and consistent punters in the game, and he has been a thorn in the side of the Steelers over the years, often helping the Ravens win the field position battle in tight games.
Wing on the other hand has improved in recent weeks, but still ranks 27th in punting average (44.1), and is 17th in net average (39.5). Having a savvy vet like Koch going against an inexperienced punter like Wing could be a big advantage for the Ravens.
The kicking matchup between Tucker and Shaun Suisham should be close. However, Tucker is coming off an All-Pro season and is 18 for 21 in attempts, with all three of his misses coming from over 50 yards. Make no mistake though, Tucker has one of the strongest legs in the league, and if he is asked to make a kick for distance, he’s more than capable of it, as he has three kicks over 50 yards already this season.
Suisham has proven to be one of the more reliable kickers in the NFL, but lacks the range of Tucker. Suisham is 14 of 14 from inside 50 yards, with his only miss from over 50. As long as Suisham is asked to kick within his range, the Steelers should be fine here.
The lopsided 26-6 loss to the Ravens in Week 2 was an outlier to one of the great rivalries in all of sports. Normally you can expect tight contests that will come down to a possession, a key turnover, a big return. In fact, since 2011, the Steelers and Ravens have played five games that were decided by three points or less, and this game probably is destined for a similar type of path.
That means the special teams battle will be critical for both teams Sunday night. If the Steelers can up their play in the third phase, they should be in position to get a big home win against the Ravens, and that could go a long way towards winning the AFC North.
