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Week Sixteen is complete and just one week remains in the NFL regular season.  With a few teams still fighting for the remaining playoff spots, at least one snapper took on a larger role than usual.

In a key game between the Raiders and Chiefs, it was revealed that Raiders snapper Jon Condo played a critical role in two blocked field goals in a game the Raiders ultimately won in overtime.  Condo, along with special teams coach John Fassel, saw something during film study that led them to design a formation in which their two biggest defenders pushed through the protection with their hands up on the left side of the line.  The tactic worked and the Raiders blocked two field goal attempts, in part because the Chiefs kicker, Ryan Succop, kicks low.

Six different snappers recorded tackles in punt coverage, led by Zak DeOssie (Giants) with two solo tackles.  Nick Sundberg (Redskins), Danny Aiken (Patriots) and L.P. LaDouceur (Cowboys) each had solo stops, while Justin Snow (Colts) and Jeremy Cain (Jaguars) had assisted tackles.  DeOssie still leads all snappers with ten total tackles, including eight solo.  The entire NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Sixteen is below.

Earlier this week, the Falcons auditioned some rookie snappers, including Corey Adams, Scott Albritton, Patrick Scales and Andrew Schulze.

High school snapper Scott Daly from Downers Grove, Illinois, who will be attending Notre Dame, won the first annual Herbalife 24 Chris Rubio Long Snapper of the Year.  Daly was chosen from two other finalists by a committee that includes current and former NFL snappers.

Week Sixteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

Week Fifteen is complete and featured a rare bad extra point snap from Lonie Paxton of the Broncos.  Ten different snappers recorded tackles, led by Garrison Sanborn (Bills) who had a solo and assisted tackle.  Jeremy Cain (Jaguars) has an assisted tackle, while Brett Goode (Packers), Jake McQuaide (Rams), Zak DeOssie (Giants), Matt Katula (Vikings), Don Muhlbach (Lions), Jon Condo (Raiders), Jon Dorenbos (Eagles) and Mike Leach (Cardinals) all had solo tackles in punt coverage.

Vikings snapper Cullen Loeffler, who is on injured reserve, was recently named to the All-Fundamentals Team by USA Football for his “consistency and technique.”

The recent edition of ESPN The Magazine reported some interesting facts about kickers this season.  Through Week Thirteen, punters are averaging 45.1 per kick and kickers were on pace for the second most field goals in a season.  The story also noted that the average time from snap to kick for kickers is 1.24 seconds, down from 1.32 a few years ago.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Fifteen is below.

Week Fifteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

Week Fourteen brought some calm back to the snapper position with no changes, performance issues or injuries.  There does appear to be a new trend on field goals and extra points involving the defender leaping over the snapper to try and block the kick.  That technique was critical to the Giant’s Jason Pierre-Paul’s ability to block a late field goal attempt against the Cowboys.  Pierre-Paul initially attacked the guard on the first attempt that was negated when the Giants called time out prior to the kick.  Pierre-Paul adjusted his strategy on the next attempt by attacking the snapper’s spot and that approach helped him tip the ball and prevent the field goal.

Chris Massey recorded three solo tackles this week for the Bears, while Clark Harris of the Bengals added an assisted tackle.

The NFL Long Snappers Chart through Week Fourteen is below.

Week Fourteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

There are some weeks in the long snapping world in which there is very little to report beyond a compilation of tackles in punt coverage.  The last few weeks, however, have provided substantial material for the weekly update.

This week, new snappers debuted for Cleveland (rookie Christian Yount) and Minnesota (veteran Matt Katula).  Yount replaced veteran Ryan Pontbriand, who could not overcome his snapping issues this season.  Yount worked out for the Bengals, along with fellow rookie Jake Laptad, just prior to signing with the Browns.  Katula won a snapping competition in Minnesota that included Kevin Houser, Jake Ingram and John Stokes.

Pontbriand’s release included substantial media attention, including a story by Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer, who described the difficult emotions involved in Pontrbiand’s departure.  The article also mentions this blog and included comments from me.  The Plan Dealer also did a short piece explaining “the loney job” of an NFL snapper.  The story included a nice graphic entitled “The science behind the long snap.”

Pontbriand’s troubles also brought sympathy from special teams coach Darrin Simmons of the Bengals, who went through similar issues in 2009 with Brad St. Louis, who had six bad snaps in five games.  Simmons noted such snapper issues are “not physical, it’s all mental” and that losing a job for a few errors is “part of the inherent risk in the position.”

With respect to Cullen Loeffler of the Vikings, who had his season ended last week due to a back injury following a blindside block by Kerry Meier of the Falcons, Meier was fined $20,000 for the hit.

Patrick Mannelly of the Bears will have surgery on his ruptured left ACL shortly and plans to return next year.  Prior to this injury, Mannelly missed just three games in his career due to knee and ankle issues.

In game action this week, Jeremy Cain of the Jaguars had a poor field goal snap last night in the loss to the Chargers.  Eight different snappers recorded tackles, with Jon Dorenbos (Eagles), Thomas Gafford (Chiefs), Clark Harris (Bengals), Garrison Sanborn (Bills), Jon Condo (Raiders) and Jake McQuaide (Rams) tallying solo tackles, while Justin Snow (Colts) and Zak DeOssie (Giants) had assisted tackles in punt coverage.

The NFL Long Snapper Chart through Week Thirteen is below.

Week Thirteen NFL Long Snappers Chart

Week Twelve kept long snappers in the news, as the normally reliable Ryan Pontbriand had another rough week for the Browns.  Pontbriand had another poor field goal snap late in the game against the Bengals.  Reports indicate that the Browns are discussing what to do about Pontbriand’s recent snapping struggles.

Cullen Loeffler of the Vikings may have has his season end Sunday due to an apparent back injury suffered against the Falcons.  Loeffler was replaced by Jared Allen, who handled his eight snaps well and even recorded a solo tackle in punt coverage.

The Bears reversed course Friday by signing veteran Chris Massey to replace the injured Patrick Mannelly.  Rookie Jake Laptad was the original choice, but had a bad practice Wednesday and Massey won the job after snapping against James Dearth and rookie Christian Yount.

In addition to Allen’s tackle for the Vikings, Jon Dorenbos of the Eagles also added a solo stop.  The NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Twelve is below.

Week Twelve NFL Long Snappers Chart

After weeks of stability at the snapping position, some uncertainty and change arose leading up to and during Week Eleven.  Cullen Loeffler of the Vikings was bothered by a rotator cuff injury during the week, but was able to snap against the Raiders.  Defensive lineman and sack specialist Jared Allen, who snapped in college, was prepared to snap if necessary.

The Bears also lost veteran Patrick Mannelly to an season-ending ACL injury in Sunday’s game against the Chargers.  Mannelly suffered the injury after a PAT snap and was replaced by fullback Tyler Clutts.  The Bears are expected to sign Jake Laptad, a rookie from Kansas, to replace Mannelly.  Laptad did some snapping for the Bears in pre-season and was a defensive end in college.

Earlier in the week, television station WGRZ in Buffalo released a video feature on former Bills long snapper Adam Lingner.  Lingner appeared in four Super Bowls and was with the Bills from 1987 to 1995.  Lingner recently learned one of the arteries in his heart was almost completely blocked and the WGRZ piece describes his diagnosis and treatment.

Garrison Sanborn, the current Bills snapper, recorded two solo tackles in punt coverage this week, while Danny Aiken of the Patriots added an assisted tackle.  The NFL Long Snappers Chart through Week Eleven is below.

Week Eleven NFL Long Snappers Chart

Week Ten of the NFL season is complete and included one of the first significant snapping issues of the season.  Two-time Pro Bowl snapper Ryan Pontbriand of the Browns had his short snap on a late-game field goal attempt hit the right leg of his guard Alex Mack and skip back to the holder, Brad Maynard.  Maynard was able to field the ball and attempted to make a good hold, but the kick was missed.

On the tackle front, snappers Jeremy Cain (Jaguars), Thomas Gafford (Chiefs), Danny Aiken (Patriots), Tanner Purdum (Jets) and Nick Sundberg (Redskins) each had tackles, with Cain and Gafford recording solo tackles.  The NFL Long Snappers Chart through Week Ten is below.

Week Ten NFL Long Snappers Chart

Week Nine of the NFL regular season has concluded and just one snapper, Zak DeOssie of the Giants, had a tackle in punt coverage.  DeOssie recorded a solo tackle, his sixth total tackle of the season.

As expected, the Bucs have activated snapper Andrew Economos, who is now recovered from an off-season injury and will resume the snapping duties this week.

Below is the NFL Long Snappers Chart after Week Nine.

Week Nine NFL Long Snappers Chart

Week Eight is complete and this coming week will bring the first change to the snapping position.  The Bucs are expected to active veteran snapper Andrew Economos from the physically unable to perform list this week.  In anticipation of that move, the Bucs waived rookie snapper Christian Yount last week, who handled all the snaps to date.

Five different snappers recorded tackles this week, with Justin Snow (Colts), Ken Amato (Titans), John Denney (Dolphins), Ryan Pontbriand (Browns), LP LaDouceur (Cowboys) each having one tackle.  Amato was an assisted tackle, while the other snappers had solo stops.

The NFL Long Snapper Chart through Week Eight is below.

Week Eight NFL Long Snappers Chart