Speed, balance key for better special teams

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Shade will receive help from fast, young draft picks

Saturday, September 5, 1998

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Bengals linebacker Brian Simmons will be looked upon to fill the special teams need after leading the Bengals' tacklers. (Ryan Miller photo) | ZOOM |

Last year, the top three tacklers on the Bengals' special teams combined to make 69 stops. The other 18 players who recorded special-teams tackles totaled 93.

This season, Cincinnati's coverage units should display more balance.

Special teams coach Al Roberts cited improved overall speed as the element that could prevent opponents from establishing solid field position against the Bengals on punts and kickoffs, which was a definite problem last year.

"We made plays five, seven, eight yards late because of (lack of) foot speed," Roberts said.

This year's draft brought the influx of speed the Bengals needed. The top four picks ­ linebackers Takeo Spikes, Brian Simmons and Steve Foley and cornerback Artrell Hawkins ­ will play prominent roles on special teams.

SPECIAL TEAMS 1997 RANKINGS

• Punt coverage: 12th (11.6 yards) • Kickoff coverage: Tied for fourth (21.0) • Opponents' average drive start: Tied for 13th (30.4-yard line) • Average punt return: 12th (7.7); league avg. 9.9 • Average kickoff return: 3rd (23.1); league avg. 22.0

Veteran free agents Thomas Randolph and Myron Bell, undrafted rookies Ric Mathias and Adrian Ross and holdovers Sam Shade and Tremain Mack also are expected to be key contributors.

By contrast, if Andre Collins (28 special teams tackles), Gerald Dixon (22) or Shade (19) didn't make the tackle last year, nobody might have. Roberts said he even asked punter Lee Johnson to direct his kicks where Collins and Dixon were headed.

The pair of veteran linebackers departed through unrestricted free agency. But with so many fresh legs on the roster, nobody's mourning their loss.

"Last year, we had older, veteran guys that were knowledgeable," said the diplomatic Roberts. "Now we're a faster team; we're a better team; we're a younger team."

Roberts quickly admitted that, at times, younger may not be better.

"This year, we can get there (to make a play), and we've messed up because we've sort of exploded at the critical moment. We sort of don't know what to do," he said. "We've had some rookies do that. But I'll take that, because I can coach them from that point on."

Here's a look at the Bengals' special teams units:

• Kickoff coverage. Barring a late acquisition, it will begin with Johnson, the 14-year veteran who hasn't handled kickoffs full-time since 1995.

"We're still looking for the deep kick," Roberts said. "We still want the deep kick to be consistent . . . We still would like for Lee's kickoffs to have a little more hang time. But we have the speed on the cover teams, so that shouldn't hurt us as bad."

• Punt coverage. The longest return a Bengals opponent could muster in the first three preseason games was 15 yards, reflecting tighter security.

Johnson, who retained his job by beating out rookie Brad Costello, is still adjusting to Roberts' wishes for "directional" kicks to a corner of the field or near a sideline. "I want him to buy into the complete system," Roberts said.

• Kickoff returns. With preseason runbacks of 60, 59 and 54 yards, the resurgent Mack, whose career nearly ended last year with a badly sprained left foot, seemed to recapture the special-teams magic he displayed at the University of Miami.

"He shows a lot of natural ability," Roberts said of Mack, who'll likely be joined on an alternating basis by Eric Bieniemy and David Dunn. Each has returned a kickoff for a touchdown: Bieniemy had a 102-yarder last year against the New York Giants and Dunn notched a 90-yarder against Pittsburgh in 1996.

Eric Bieniemy returned a kickoff 102 yards for a TD against the N.Y. Giants last season. (File photo) | ZOOM |

• Punt returns. The Bengals would like rookie Damon Gibson to handle these chores, which will fall to Greg Myers and Bieniemy if he can't.

Gibson electrified Bengals coaches with a 16-yard return on Aug. 22 against Detroit.

"He looked natural," Roberts said. "We would love to have a breakaway runner."

• Placekicking. Doug Pelfrey, the all-time NFL's second-most accurate field-goal kicker, has overcome left knee surgery in January to kick capably. After a 49-yard field-goal try was blocked in the Detroit exhibition, he rebounded to convert 37- and 41-yarders.

"He hasn't reached his full strength yet, but he is getting a lot stronger," Roberts said. "If you watch him in practice, he hits 55-60 yarders."