Week Nine in Review

Posted on November 5, 2012 by longsnap

Week Nine is complete and was without any major snapping incidents or injuries.  However, despite a strong year to date for kickers, there were numerous missed kicks this week.

In addition, there was a significant amount of news off the field involving snappers.   Hurricane Sandy devastated many people and Clark Harris of the Bengals may have been one of those directly impacted.  Harris has an off-season home in Manahawkin, New Jersey, one of the many areas that suffered substantial damage.  According to recent reports, Harris was unsure about the extent of the damage to his home.

Brian Burke, the creator of the website Advanced NFL Stats, suggested in a recent column in The Washington Post that the extra point should be eliminated from the pro game.  Burke noted the success rate of 99% makes the play virtually automatic and its elimination could reduce injuries and speed up the game.

Finally, Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated wrote a detailed piece on the 63 yard field goal, entitled “The Last Days of 63.”  Since Tom Dempsey of the Saints kicked a 63 yard field goal in 1970, the record kick has been tied on a number of occasions, but not surpassed.  This year, kickers have been very accurate, especially from long range, with this week being a rare exception.  Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff noted that the kicking operation, from snap to hold to kick, is better and “more efficient than ever”.

Five snappers had solo tackles this week, including Aaron Brewer (Broncos), Brett Goode (Packers), Jonathan Weeks (Texans), Zak DeOssie (Giants) and Jon Condo (Raiders).  Weeks and DeOssie’s tackles were assisted ones.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart through Week Nine is below.

Week Nine NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in NFL, Snapping in the Media, Tackles | Leave a comment

Ohio State Snapper Helps Team to Victory

Posted on November 3, 2012 by longsnap

One of the big college football games last week may have turned on the role of the snapper.  Ohio State’s young snapper Bryce Haynes played a key, but subtle, role in drawing a rare defensive holding call on a punt in the second quarter against Penn State last Saturday.

In college, a snapper must be given one second to get his head up after a snap and before he can be contacted.  In this case, Haynes was hit immediately by a Penn State player after a punt snap and it resulted in the Buckeyes keeping the ball and scoring a touchdown before the half to tie the game.

Posted in College | Leave a comment

The “Rubio” Project Seeks Funding

Posted on October 30, 2012 by longsnap

Many of the top high school, college and pro snappers, or frequent readers of this blog, are very familiar with the accomplishments of Chris Rubio.  A former college long snapper at UCLA, Rubio has become a key figure in the long snapping world through his training and development of snappers that have gone on to success at all levels of football including, most recently, the NFL.

One of his students, Tanner Gibas, who snapped at Kansas, is looking to further document Rubio’s contributions in a documentary, now being called The “Rubio” Project.  Gibas plans to film Rubio on the road and create a full length movie showcasing Rubio’s role in the development of long snappers.

For those who want more information, or to support the Project, Gibas has established a dedicated page on kickstarter.com.

Posted in College, High School, NFL, Snapping in the Media | Leave a comment

Week Eight in Review

Posted on October 29, 2012 by longsnap

Week Eight is almost complete and the snapping position remains stable for at least another week.  Because Hurricane Sandy may take my power away soon, this Week in Review is being published prior to tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Cardinals and Niners.

On the contract front, the Packers signed client Brett Goode to a contract extension recently that will keep him under contract until the end of the 2015 season.  Goode was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Snappers were also active on the field in punt coverage in Week Eight as Jon Condo (Raiders) recovered a fumble and recorded a tackle, while Zak DeOssie (Giants) forced a fumble on a tackle.  Andrew Economos (Bucs), Christian Yount (Browns) and Aaron Brewer (Broncos) also had solo stops.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Eight is below.

Week Eight NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in NFL, Tackles, Transactions | Leave a comment

Week Seven in Review

Posted on October 23, 2012 by longsnap

Week Seven is complete and there were no major snapping issues.  Nick Sundberg, who was hurt during Week One, is returning to practice for the Redskins this week.  Sundberg made headlines for being able to finish the game despite a broken arm.  It is unclear whether the Redskins will activate Sundberg for the November 18th game, which is the earliest date he can be activated under the NFL’s new injured reserve rules.  Veteran snapper Justin Snow has been the snapper in Washington since Week Two.

Just two snappers, Mike Leach (Cardinals) and Matt Overton (Colts), recorded tackles this week, with Leach adding a solo tackle and Overton recording an assist.

The NFL Long Snapper Chart after Week Seven is below.

Week Seven NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in NFL, Tackles | Leave a comment

Week Six in Review

Posted on October 16, 2012 by longsnap

The sixth week of the NFL season is complete and was relatively quiet on the snapping front, at least on the field.  Just two snappers, Beau Brinkley (Titans) and John Denney (Dolphins), recorded tackles in punt coverage.  Brinkley had a solo tackle and two assists, while Denney had a solo tackle and a forced fumble.

Off the field, there were a number of interesting snapping-related stories.  With respect to tackles, The Wall Street Journal recently did a story on the NFL’s so-called “Make-Believe Stat”, namely, the tackle.  Tackles are not considered an “official” NFL stat and the home team stat crew determines who is awarded a tackle.  Assisted tackles and who is awarded one is also subject to much debate.  As noted here in the past, teams conduct their own game film review and the team tackle figures can often differ substantially from those recorded in the official NFL Game Books published immediately after each game.

Judy Battista of The New York Times wrote a story yesterday about the trend this season of blocked punts.  Already this season there have been 10 blocked punts, one more than all of the blocked punts from last season.  Jets Special Teams Coach Mike Westhoff notes that special teams units may be suffering due to the amount of rookies on each team.  Because of the salary cap and veteran minimum salary amounts, some teams can keep fewer veteran players, causing younger and inexperienced players on special teams.

Finally, long snapping in the NFL is really on the map now as the satirical publication, The Onion, ran a (fake) story announcing the launch of the “NFL Long Snap” channel.  The channel would allow fans to watch “every long snap every Sunday.”  I only wish this story was true, as it would save a great deal of time flipping around every week trying to watch all the snaps in the NFL.

Below is the NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Six.

Week Six NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in NFL, Snapping in the Media, Tackles, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Week Five in Review

Posted on October 9, 2012 by longsnap

Week Five is complete and there were no major snapping issues.  In the lone snapping transaction, the Eagles released Kyle Nelson from the practice squad after Jon Dorenbos was able to snap following an ankle injury.

The Senior Bowl recently updated its Watch List for its all-star game and added Notre Dame snapper Jordan Cowart to join Carson Tinker (Alabama) and Patrick Greene (Utah).

Matt Overton (Colts), Garrison Sanborn (Bills), Mike Windt (Chargers) each had solo tackles this week, while Tanner Purdum of the Jets added an assisted tackle.  The Week Five NFL Long Snappers Chart is below.

Week Five NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in College, NFL, NFL Draft, Tackles, Transactions | Leave a comment

Zauner Programs Help Produce NFL Snappers

Posted on October 3, 2012 by longsnap

In a popular post earlier this year, I discussed some of the options available to a long snapper who is trying to play at the professional level.  One such option that appears to be increasing in its value are the programs run by former NFL special teams coach, Gary Zauner.  Zauner organizes combines for specialists eligible for the NFL Draft and for free agents.  He also offers other developmental programs for snappers and kickers.

Zauner recently blogged about the snappers he has helped get to the NFL, including current snappers Nick Sundberg (Redskins), Jonathan Weeks (Texans), Matt Overton (Colts), Morgan Cox (Ravens), Justin Drescher (Saints), Christian Yount (Browns), Beau Brinkley (Titans) and Jeremy Cain (Jaguars).   Zauner has always understood the importance of a good snapper and calls them “the vital man” in the kicking game.

Posted in Coaching, NFL | Leave a comment

Week Four in Review

Posted on October 2, 2012 by longsnap

The NFL season has completed the first quarter and special teams have played a key role in many games.  For example, the Lions became the first team since 1940 to allow a kick return and punt return in consecutive games, putting the spotlight on special teams coach Danny Crossman.  The Lions have stated that his job is safe.

Jon Dorenbos of the Eagles was able to overcome a high ankle sprain and snapped effectively against the Giants and even recorded a tackle in punt coverage.  In the event Dorenbos could not snap, the Eagles signed Kyle Nelson, who was in camp with the Niners, to the practice squad earlier in the week.

Other snappers to record solo tackles this week in addition to Dorenbos were Mike Windt (Chargers), Cullen Loeffler (Vikings), Clark Harris (Bengals), John Denney (Dolphins), Jon Condo (Raiders).  Tanner Purdum of the Jets added an assisted tackle.  Through the first four games, Harris leads all NFL snappers with three solo tackles in punt coverage.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart through Week Four is below.

Week Four NFL Long Snappers Chart

Posted in NFL, Tackles, Transactions | Leave a comment

The United Football League Returns

Posted on September 28, 2012 by longsnap

After some delays, the United Football League is back for its fourth season.  Although the UFL has had a troubled history, it remains one of the few options for snappers seeking professional experience.  Current NFL snappers Nick Sundberg (Redskins) and Matt Overton (Colts) have each spent time in the UFL.

This season, the UFL features four teams based in Las Vegas (snapper Jake Ingram; special teams coach Larry MacDuff), Omaha (snapper Scott Albritton; special teams coach Russ Purnell), Sacramento (snapper Kyle Stetler; special teams coach Rick Courtright) and Virginia (snapper Clint Mower; special teams coach Mike Stock).

Posted in UFL | Leave a comment