shelby
02-08-2009, 03:52 PM
A bright spot from a disappointing season...
The Buffalo Bills are the only AFC team without a playoff appearance this decade.
Don't blame their special teams.
The 7-9 Bills finished 25th in the NFL in offense and 14th in defense this season but first in special teams, according to rankings compiled annually by The Dallas Morning News.
It was the third time in the last five years the Bills have fielded the NFL's best special teams. They wrested the honor from the Chicago Bears, who finished No. 1 in 2006 and 2007.
The Bears slid to eighth in large part because of the diminished impact of Devin Hester. He went to the Pro Bowl after each of his first two years, scoring a combined 11 touchdowns on kick returns those seasons.
But the Bears used Hester more as a wide receiver in 2008. He started eight games and caught 51 passes, and the increased workload made him a pedestrian kick returner. He averaged 21.9 yards on kickoffs and 6.2 yards on punts and did not score a touchdown on special teams for the first season in his three-year career.
The league's 32 teams are ranked in 22 categories and assigned points according to their standing - 1 for best, 32 for worst. The Bills won with a composite score of 254 - 14.5 points better than runner-up Tennessee.
The teams with the two top seeds in the playoffs, the Titans in the AFC and the New York Giants in the NFC, finished in the top four in special teams. Fellow division winners Carolina and San Diego also finished in the top 15, as did NFC wild cards Atlanta and Philadelphia.
But Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh finished 20th and NFC champion Arizona 28th. The Cardinals had the lowest-ranked special teams ever in a Super Bowl, and the Steelers had the second-worst special teams for a champion after the 2006 Indianapolis Colts.
The Cowboys checked in at 27th - their worst finish of the Jerry Jones era.
The Bills led the NFL in only two special teams categories, punt returns and kickoff starting point. But Buffalo finished in the top five in five other categories and in the top 10 in yet another seven.
Under the supervision of special teams coach Bobby April, the Bills scored touchdowns on a 98-yard kickoff return, a 63-yard punt return and a fake field goal attempt.
Other notable statistics from the 2008 season: Oakland led the league with five special teams touchdowns, Chicago blocked four kicks, and Detroit forced five turnovers. Also, Atlanta allowed only 2.5 yards per punt return, the best figure of the decade.
more.... (http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=SPORTS&ID=565523038533451872)
The Buffalo Bills are the only AFC team without a playoff appearance this decade.
Don't blame their special teams.
The 7-9 Bills finished 25th in the NFL in offense and 14th in defense this season but first in special teams, according to rankings compiled annually by The Dallas Morning News.
It was the third time in the last five years the Bills have fielded the NFL's best special teams. They wrested the honor from the Chicago Bears, who finished No. 1 in 2006 and 2007.
The Bears slid to eighth in large part because of the diminished impact of Devin Hester. He went to the Pro Bowl after each of his first two years, scoring a combined 11 touchdowns on kick returns those seasons.
But the Bears used Hester more as a wide receiver in 2008. He started eight games and caught 51 passes, and the increased workload made him a pedestrian kick returner. He averaged 21.9 yards on kickoffs and 6.2 yards on punts and did not score a touchdown on special teams for the first season in his three-year career.
The league's 32 teams are ranked in 22 categories and assigned points according to their standing - 1 for best, 32 for worst. The Bills won with a composite score of 254 - 14.5 points better than runner-up Tennessee.
The teams with the two top seeds in the playoffs, the Titans in the AFC and the New York Giants in the NFC, finished in the top four in special teams. Fellow division winners Carolina and San Diego also finished in the top 15, as did NFC wild cards Atlanta and Philadelphia.
But Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh finished 20th and NFC champion Arizona 28th. The Cardinals had the lowest-ranked special teams ever in a Super Bowl, and the Steelers had the second-worst special teams for a champion after the 2006 Indianapolis Colts.
The Cowboys checked in at 27th - their worst finish of the Jerry Jones era.
The Bills led the NFL in only two special teams categories, punt returns and kickoff starting point. But Buffalo finished in the top five in five other categories and in the top 10 in yet another seven.
Under the supervision of special teams coach Bobby April, the Bills scored touchdowns on a 98-yard kickoff return, a 63-yard punt return and a fake field goal attempt.
Other notable statistics from the 2008 season: Oakland led the league with five special teams touchdowns, Chicago blocked four kicks, and Detroit forced five turnovers. Also, Atlanta allowed only 2.5 yards per punt return, the best figure of the decade.
more.... (http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=SPORTS&ID=565523038533451872)