nfl special teams rankings 2022

The special teams spot -- particularly with Avery Williams as one of the league's best punt returners (17.4 yards per return) and Cordarrelle Patterson as the team's kick returner (33.5 yards per return, one touchdown) -- seems specifically low. Since 2019, the veteran punter has never had a net punt average (the net distance on the field from where the ball is punted to where the returner is tackled) under 39.5 yards. It's so bad that the team used a two-quarterback system against the Cowboys to generate a spark. Graham Ganohas evolved into a great deep kicker during his two seasons with the Giants. Call it poor playcalling. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Pressley Harvin will also return as the teams punter, but he was very average during his rookie season with the Steelers. Joseph set career highs in extra points (90.0%) and field goal (86.8%) accuracy in his first season. Thank the running game with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, who have combined for 1,610 yards. The offense has often used a makeshift line. Randy Bullockhad an uneven first season with the Titans, hitting just 93% of his extra points and 83.9% of his field goals. If either player struggles, expect rookies Trestan Ebner or Velus Jones to step into either role given their explosive speed and college experience. NFL Season Long FTN's Dan Fornek ranks all 32 NFL special teams units heading into the 2022 football season. -- Jeff Legwold, The main reason for the Texans' poor offensive output is their quarterback play, which is one of the worst in the league. In the return game new signing Jabrill Peppers is likely to compete with Ty Montgomery. In its past five contests, the defense has allowed an average of 30.4 points per game and 460.6 yards, the worst in the league. Special teams: 28, What happened to the defense? No guarantees are made for any specific outcome. Denver will need talented kicker Brandon McManus to find his rhythm early to supplement what looks to be a potentially potent offense. So, again, no surprise. 2022 NFL Special Teams Rankings | StatMuse 2022 NFL special teams rankings Explore Who is the all-time NFL rushing leader? Cooke has a career net punt average of 43.2. The top special teamers for the Chargers Kemon Hall, Troy Reeder and Nick Niemann will look to continue their standout play. Check out our complete fantasy football rankings. Thanks in large part thanks to the emergence of kicker Daniel Carlson late last season, the Raiders special teams have the potential to be one of the leagues best next season. NFL Team Rushing Leaders Rushing Attempts: Chicago Bears - 536 attempts Rushing Touchdowns: Philadelphia Eagles - 31 TDs Rushing Yards: Bears - 2897 yards Yards Per Attempt: Bears - 5.4 yards per attempt We generally look at an offense and assume points scored is the best measure of an offense. Hardman has been a weapon as a punt returner throughout his career (12.1 yards per return in 2021). Araiza averaged 51.2 yards per punt his last season at San Diego State and had 18 punts travel at least 60 yards. Today, we look to the third part of the game special teams. McManus has converted 97.3% of his extra points and 81.9% of his field goals during his tenure with the Broncos. Punter Cameron Johnston will, however, likely maintain the high level of play the team has come to expect of him. 1 in the NCAA in team punt returns last season thanks to a 22.6 yards per return average by Phillips. Dickers longest career field goal was 57 yards. Koo has been especially effective as a distance kicker in his last two years, making 26-of-29 kicks from beyond 40 yards. The special teams unit has been the most consistent group for Buffalo this year, with kicker Tyler Bass making a career-high 89.7% of field goals, which is especially significant after punter/holder Sam Martin joined just before the season. -- Brooke Pryor, Offense: 11 The second-year receiver had just six returns in his first season, but averaged an impressive 12.5 per return. Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports. -- Josh Weinfuss, Offense: 31 Additionally, he has just two career seasons with fewer than 82.0% of his field goals made. The Baltimore Ravens special teams unit enters the 2022 season with sky-high expectations. JK Scott played in just one game last season with Jacksonville, but throughout his career, hes been a hangtime specialist that forces fair catches with a weaker leg. Former UDFA Jonathan Garibay was considered the favorite to win the job but struggled mightily in camp and was recently cut. The third-year player was used sparingly (14 combined kick and punt returns), but still found a way to take one of the punts to the house. His only miss was also his only attempt past 50 yards. Sanders uncharacteristically suffered on attempts above 50 yards, hitting just 2-of-6 attempts. Gillan has struggled to drive the ball down the field or generate hang time during his career. Experts pick potential landing spots, First look at the divisional round: Previewing all four matchups, every team's reason for optimism, Dak Prescott rebounds with 'statement game' in Cowboys' wild-card win, 2023 NFL draft order: Top 23 picks set with Bears, Texans, Cardinals at the top, 'He's not afraid' to shake things up: How new president/CEO Kevin Warren could impact the Bears, GM Nick Caserio knows 'clock is ticking' to turn Houston Texans around, Bengals coach Zac Taylor gives game ball to local bar, Notable bets: How a $1.4 million bet to win $11,200 sparked debate, Football Power Index (FPI) efficiency rankings, Travis Kelce's unique place in NFL history: Why he's one of the most valuable players of his generation, NFL Week 14 takeaways: Patriots' defense takes over; Chargers take down Dolphins; Purdy fuels 49ers' rout. Judging the biggest overreactions from Sunday's games: Brock Purdy better for 49ers than Jimmy G. During four games, McPherson converted a record 14 consecutive field goals without a miss. Linebacker Jonas Griffith and safety PJ Locke provide value in kick coverage while punter Sam Martin and returner Kendall Hinton will look to keep the Broncos in good field position. Player stats for both teams, including performance splits over recent time periods, only against good teams, and other ways to slice and dice. In two years with the Broncos, Martin is averaging 42.4 net yards per punt and 26.5 punts inside the 20. Whatever the reason, 12 of the Raiders' 13 outings have been one-score games, and they are just 5-8. Carter struggled as a punt returner last season but has three career punt return touchdowns, so at this point, it is safe to call last years struggles an exception. Buffalo also brings back coverage specialist Siran Neal one of the NFLs truly elite special teams players. The Patriots will continue to place extra emphasis on special teams rostering three players mainly for their prowess in kick coverage. Dickson set career highs in punts inside the 20 (43) and punts fair caught (22), despite recording the lowest average hangtime of his career (4.20 seconds). Tutu Atwell and superstar receiver Cooper Kupp will likely handle most of the kick and punt returns, while safety Nick Scott leads the coverage unit. Jaelon Darden served as the teams kick and punt returner in his rookie season. David Mayoone of Washingtons best players in kick coveragerounds out what could end up being a solid unit should Slye find success. The Ravens and Seahawks aren't too shabby on the other side of the ball either, coming in sixth and 11th in fantasy DST . Defense: 27 The rookie finished his first season with a 22.4 kick return average and an 8.1 punt return average. Dan Fornek @fornekdf Aug 13, 2022, 8:50 AM EDT Light Mode Our 2022 NFL position group rankings series rolls along. Another asset to the unit will be tight end, Noah Gray. Rodrigo Blankenship had a strong rookie season in 2020 before injuries robbed him of most of his 2021. The Chargers hope to get above-average production out of their kicking and punting this season. Find NFL defense rushing stats by team. Offensively, coach Kevin O'Connell has boosted wide receiver Justin Jefferson to the top of the league's production charts. The former Super Bowl-winning head coach will also be looking to returner Jamal Agnew to be a difference maker when healthy. Ryan Succop has been a solid kicker since joining the Buccaneers before the 2020 season. Clark: Updated NHL rookie rankings View defense & special teams stats for the 2022 NFL season. Welcome to Week 15 of the NFL regular season. Last season, Smith averaged 25.6 yards per return and scored a touchdown. -- Jamison Hensley, Offense: 19 He will need to become more consistent fielding the ball on punts in his second season (two muffed punts on 31 attempts). But special teams is surprising. Return man Rondale Moore will look to take a step forward in his second season with the club. Freddie Swain averaged 8.6 yards per punt return and muffed just one punt in 44 attempts. Kicker Harrison Butker will be looking to maintain his success. Full schedule | Standings Wild Card weekend . Kicker: Lirim Hajrullahu, Punter: Bryan Anger, KR: Tony Pollard, PR: CeeDee Lamb. Igwebuike had the sixth-most return yards (697) in the NFL despite returning the ball fewer than 30 times. The Packers will turn to veteran Mason Crosby as their kicker and former third-round pick Amari Rodgers as the kick returner. Kicker Zane Gonzalez returns to the Panthers this year after playing 12 games for the club last season. Meyers hit 93.6% of his extra points but made only 73.9% of his field goals during the 2021 season. While we are at the point of the season where the rankings stay largely consistent week to week, we do have teams that made the biggest jump up and down the list. Kicker: Mason Crosby, Punter: Pat O'Donnell, KR/PR: Amari Rodgers. Special teams: 23, The Saints simply haven't been good in all three phases of the game, and their offense has struggled badly at times to put up points. Kicker: Matt Prater, Punter: Andy Lee, KR/PR: Rondale Moore. He leads a coverage unit along with Akeem Davis-Gaither and Clay Johnston that could be one of the stronger groups in the league this season. Cleveland tookCade Yorkout of LSU in the fourth round of the NFL draft. More NFL coverage , The Patriots are last in the NFL in offensive red zone efficiency, converting touchdowns just 38.9% of the time. Football Power Index rankings During those nine years, he coached the offensive line, tight ends, wide receivers, and running backs. The Bills took a flyer on punter Matt Araiza in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. View consensus Defense & Special Teams best ball rankings for 2022 fantasy football contests. Since joining the Giants, Gano has improved his accuracy past 50 yards, converting on 12-of-16 attempts. NFL Football Player Stats & Stats Leaders - Special Teams Total Tackles Who's your favorite NFL team? King has been used as a teams primary punt returner in three of his five professional seasons. Playoff Machine Defense: 14 Rex Ryan is highly disappointed in the Buccaneers and says Tom Brady is not the only one who deserves blame. Mann improved his yards per punt (45.7) and net punt average (41.6) in his sophomore season. ESPN's weekly defense/special teams (D/ST) fantasy football rankings are an aggregate of our four rankers, listed alphabetically. They are not a completely hapless team devoid of talent. Split: Rate: Season: * All Games qualifier is any player * Home Games qualifier is any player * Away/Neutral Games qualifier is any player Gould remains one of the better deep kickers in the NFL, hitting 10 of 13 attempts beyond 40 yards in 2021. -The emergence of coverage aces. He enters his third season in the league as a reliable option for a Bills team looking to contend. Not having top cornerback Adoree' Jackson has been crushing. Michael Dickson has been one of the best punters in the NFL for the last four seasons. It's easy to point to a significant number of injuries, despite the Bolts saying weekly that it's not an excuse. That is one of several key categories on offense in which they have struggled, and it has contributed to them being unable to complement the defense and special teams -- both of which have made more game-changing plays. Carlson converted on 23 consecutive field goals during the last eight weeks of the 2021 season and kicked the Raiders into the playoffs with a clutch 47-yarder against the Los Angeles Chargers in week 18. If teams have a reliable deep snapper, they hold on to him. (Want to see the rest of our position group rankings series? Conversely,Brett Kerncontinued the strong play that has defined his career with the Titans. Kicker Robbie Gould will return for another season as the 49ers look to maintain their status as one of the leagues premier teams. Rookie Kyle Phillips will get the first shot at returning punts for the Titans this season. Siposs pinned 17 of his 55 punts inside the 20-yard line and finished with a net average of 38.8 punt yards per season. General manager Brian Gutekunst bet that linebacker De'Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas could repeat their 2021 performances and paid them big, while also not fortifying the edge positions behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. Offensive Line | Quarterback | Backfield | Pass-Catcher | Defensive Line | Secondary | Linebackers), (* Denotes a rookie. Harvin had a net punt average of 38.0 and an average hangtime of 4.28, both of which are underwhelming. He also had a career-low in hangtime last season (4.16 seconds). By PFF.com. A squad that had scored 30 points in four straight games has now failed to crack 20 in its past two. Denver will also haveSam Martinas their punter for the third straight season. From Weeks 12 to 18, Patterson made all 16 of his extra-point attempts while converting 13-of-14 field goals. McPherson was perfect up to 40 yards (13-of-13) and also showed an exceptional ability to convert from deep (9-of-11 from 50-plus). These rankings debuted in Junebut have been updated to reflect current situations. The more surprising stat is their defense, which has fallen from a yearly top-five unit to middle of the road, mostly due to a once-stout run defense not being as good as it was when Dennis Allen was the D-coordinator instead of the head coach. But that isn't nearly enough to overcome an inept offense that has a league-worst minus-14 turnover margin and ranks 31st in scoring (16.1 PPG). Unfortunately, he had fewer balls inside the 20 (15) and a blocked punt last year. We've covered every group on offense and every group on defense. Dicker averaged 43.6 yards per punt in his senior season (the only one as the teams punter) while finishing his career with a 73.4% field goal success rate. The Bengals are fourth in the NFL in red zone efficiency, which is why the offense is ranked fifth in points per drive. Here's a look at how each NFL team ranks at each position. The offense has struggled to get started at times, especially in the passing game. When it comes to the defense/special teams . Kicker Jason Myers is having a Pro Bowl-worthy season, hitting 24 of 25 field goal attempts and going 36-of-37 on PATs. You can even blame injuries, as Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow have missed most of the season. The Ravens will once again rely on Devin Duvernay to serve as their kick and punt returner. For the first time, the NFL Players Association has released its own All-Pro team recognizing the best players from the regular season.. Players across the league were asked to vote for the best . Powell was the only returner in the NFL who averaged over 20 yards in both kick returns (26.0) and punt returns (22.2) last season. Ranking in the top three on offense is a bit misleading given some of the issues the unit has had in the past month, but the Bills are third in scoring, averaging 26.3 points per game. Experienced returner Desmond King II and a coverage unit led by MJ Stewart will look to keep a rebuilding Texans team out of poor field position. Defense: 24 The Browns decided to overhaul their entire special teams unit heading into the 2022 season, investing cap space and draft capital into all three phases. Dallas, 301 7. In addition to our updated rankings, we checked in with NFL Nation reporters across the league and asked them to evaluate every team's offense, defense and special teams by their Football Power Index (FPI) efficiency rankings, powered by ESPN Analytics. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles in camp, which places Demetric Felton as the teams primary returner this season. Araiza may already have the strongest leg in the NFL without having taken a single snap. The same defense that once carried the team has allowed 27 or more points in four of the past six contests. C.J. Seattle, 276 4. On defense, Atlanta's lack of a pass rush (17 sacks) has hindered production. Offensively, the numbers have taken a hit because of Atlanta's recent inability to score or move the ball (fewer than 20 points scored in four of the past five games and fewer than 200 yards passing in all five). Matt Prater continues to deliver consistent production as a placekicker nine years into his career. CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND Defense: 29 Punters Riley Dixon and Cameron Dicker will compete for the starting job and look to keep the Rams in an advantageous field position all season. Jack Fox will retain his role as the teams punter again this year. Nwangwu had the most kick return touchdowns in the NFL (2) and finished 13th in return yards (579) despite having six fewer returns than anybody ahead of him on the list. The special teams has 15 field goals -- tied for the third least in the league -- and its coverage units have struggled, particularly against the Eagles, with rookie Britain Covey returning six punts for 105 yards in Week 13. Call it growing pains. Who has the best and worst units in every aspect of football? Santos is 57-for-82 on kicks past 40 yards in his career. Discover NFL team overall stats and rankings throughout the season. Berry has never had fewer than 25 punts land inside the 20 in his career. The Jets finished first in the NFL special-teams rankings compiled annually by Rick Gosselin for the last 39 years. -- Paul Gutierrez, Offense: 18 This creates something of an unknown in a Cowboys unit that can be incredibly dangerous in the right situation. The Rams also added a rookie kicker, Cameron Dicker, from the University of Texas. Tyler Bass, meanwhile, has the kicker position all but locked down. QB Deshaun Watson, after an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL personal conduct policy, has led the Browns to just one offensive TD in two games. Scott averages 4.51 seconds of hang time in his career (last years top punter had a 4.54) but has never had a net punt average above 40.0. Finally, talents like Daniel Thomas and Chris Claybrooks will all contribute positively to kick coverage. Depth corners CJ Goodwin and Kelvin Joseph, meanwhile, are likely to lead a steady coverage unit. Bailey will need to be better for the Patriots to climb the list. 1 here were it not for a poor performance against the Chiefs, but it does still lead the league in many traditional categories. One other player that figures to contribute in a key role is specialist/safety Michael Thomas. Perhaps most encouraging is a special teams unit that had some struggles early in the season but is rounding into form with returner Ray-Ray McCloud III -- who now ranks in the top eight in kick and punt return average for the season -- leading the way. Rookie Montrell Washington is expected to take over returning duties after a solid training camp. Kicker: Chris Boswell, Punter: Pressley Harvin, KR/PR: Gunner Olszewski. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Today Im ranking every special teams unit around the league, 1-32. -- Jake Trotter, The Panthers have been much more efficient since interim coach Steve Wilks took over and committed to the running game. The Ravens have finished in the Top 5 in these rankings in eight of the last nine seasons, also winning in 2015. Special teams: 22, These rankings are not surprising considering Atlanta's roster situation -- awash in dead money and a young squad still lacking depth at certain positions. Tampa Bay will rely on Giovani Bernard in the return game and hope that standout coverage specialist Ross Cockrell can bring stability to a unit that will need to improve if the Bucs are going to make another deep playoff run. Abdullah has a career kick return average of 25.4 yards and finished last season with 29 returns for 646 yards while playing for both the Vikings and Panthers. Patterson has eight career kickoff return touchdowns and only two seasons below 28.3 yards per return in his nine-year career. (1:02). Thomas Morstead has been one of the more effective punters in the NFL during his nine-year NFL career, and that was true during his tenure with the Falcons and Jets last season. Plus, shifty return man Deonte Harty and reliable coverage specialist Zack Baun should help support a unit that boasts one of the premier special teamers in football, JT Gray. Buffalo pairs dynamic wideout Isaiah McKenzie with reliable safety Micah Hyde in the return game. Since joining the team, Folk is 84-of-92 on extra points, 76-of-84 on field goals. Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel and Cody Davis all figure to be major contributors to a unit that is regularly one of the leagues best. McKenzie, on the other hand, poses a threat to pick up huge yardage any time he returns a kick. Dan parlayed a career as a mediocre tight end as a high schooler in the Chicago suburbs into a walk-on spot at the FCS level with the University of Dayton. Gill finished his collegiate career with 45.8 yards per punt (173 attempts). Expect Dontrell Hilliard to serve as the teams kick returner. He had just a 4.17-second average hangtime and had three punts blocked last season. Their FPI rankings on defense and special teams are in the top half of the league, and that feels like an accurate reflection of what we've seen on the field. Two factors could explain it: upheaval at quarterback (three different starters) and offensive tackle (six different starters). Buffalo Bills (10-3). Townsend improved his net punt average (47.2) but saw his hangtime drop by over one-tenth of a second (4.34) after his first year. The Lions' D is allowing 403.2 total yards per game and 26.7 points per game, which are both the second-highest marks in the league. He has one career punt return touchdown. Brandon McManuswill return to Denver for his ninth season in 2022. The Seahawks are projected to use DeeJay Dallas as their kick returner and Freddie Swain as their punt returner once again in 2022. Agnew also averages 11.0 yards per punt return and has four career punt return touchdowns. Duvernay averaged 24.1 yards per kick return and 13.8 yards per punt return last season for Baltimore. If Matt Rhule can find a way to successfully balance the explosive DJ Moore and the sure-handed Andre Roberts in the return game, this unit could provide a spark for Carolina. Defensive back Zech McPhearson and linebacker TJ Edwards are standouts in kick coverage who should help make this unit one of the leagues best. Crosby hit just 73.5% of his field goals and posted below career average conversion rates at distances between 30-39 (69.2%) and 40-49 (50.0%). -- Alaina Getzenberg, The Cowboys are one of three teams to rank inside the top 10 in all three categories, so that means they're pretty good. The 2022 NFL regular season is over. Blankenship hasnt shown the ability to convert 50-yard field goals during his career (1-for-4), but he can be trusted at shorter distances. Baltimore Ravens . Joey Slyebounced around the NFL in 2021 before finding a home with the Commanders the last nine weeks of the season. Much of that determination comes down to whether or not star wideout CeeDee Lamb is back to return punts. Kicker: Cairo Santos, Punter: Trenton Gill*, KR: Khalil Herbert, PR: Dazz Newsome. Of the players with a minimum of 10 punt returns, Lamb finished eighth in yards per return (9.9). The latest NFL Standings by Division, Conference and League The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Its possible that in an unforgiving NFC East environment age will become a factor for Gano this year. Despite that, Chicago still ranks 11th in pass defense (allowing 204.2 yards per game). The offense is 25th in red zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns on less than half its trips there. Younghoe Koo put together a second straight excellent season after struggling during his first two years in the NFL. But the fact that the offense is seventh after Dak Prescott missed five games with a fractured thumb is telling. Gonzales can sometimes run hot and cold. Tyler Bassshowed significant improvement in his second season as the Bills kicker. Zach Wilson's regression, and eventual benching, is a big reason for the quarterback instability. Our 2022 NFL position group rankings series rolls along. Houston quarterbacks have a passer rating of 75.7, the lowest in the NFL, and have thrown 16 interceptions, the most in the NFL. The Rams let Johnny Hekker walk in the offseason and signed Riley Dixon in free agency to serve as their punter. The rookie will compete with veteran Matt Haack for the starting job this season. The Jets also saw improvement out of Braden Mann in his second year with the team. Most concerning, the punter lost 0.3 seconds off his hangtime (4.24), which gave teams a better chance to return the ball. The strongest component of the Jets special teams is returner Braxton Berrios. Ka'imi Fairbairn will reprise his role as the teams kicker after another solid season with the Texans. Sunday's game against the Chiefs was the eighth they've lost by seven or fewer points. DISCLAIMER: This side and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only, and there is no gambling offered on the site. From week 5 to week 13 Gonzalez did not miss a single field goal or extra point. The Browns planned on letting prolific returner Jakeem Grant serve as their primary returner in 2022. The Bears have been at the top of the league on kickoff returns, but they rank in the bottom 10 on punt returns, having only one of 20-plus yards. At kick returner, rookie sensation Isiah Pacheco is slated to serve as the teams kick returner after being taken as a seventh-round pick in 2022 out of Rutgers. The most notable improvement came on his attempts past 50 yards; Elliot had three straight seasons making 50% or less of his deep kicks before converting all three of those kicks in 2021. Kicker: Ryan Santoso, Punter: Logan Cooke, KR/PR: Jamal Agnew. Using Justin Fields' dynamic rushing ability to its advantage has kept Chicago battling down the stretch of games despite sitting on a six-game losing streak. The defensive-minded head coach traditionally values consistency at the kicking position over a big leg. Way put together a fourth straight season with a net punting average above 41.0, hangtime above 4.30, and at least 20 punts inside the 20. The five-year veteran made all 44 of his extra-point attempts and missed just three field goals in 33 attempts. Osborn has secured the WR3 role in the offense. A training camp battle between kickers Riley Patterson and Austin Seibert will be the main story for a Lions special teams unit that could take a step forward in its second year under head coach Dan Campbell. Bullock continued the trend that has taken root during his nine-year career: hes extremely accurate from inside 40 yards and struggles with consistency anywhere deeper than that. -- Todd Archer, The 49ers' defense would probably be No. Kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship, Punter: Rigoberto Sanchez, KR: Isaiah Rodgers, PR: Nyheim Hines. The Chargers are hoping the Dustin Hopkins they got when Washington cut him after Week 6 is the player theyll have at kicker this season. Butker only has two career misses inside of 40 yards (88-of-90). But the defense was supposed to keep this team competitive. During his tenure, Huber has never had a net punt average above 43.0. Berry continued to find success pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line.

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nfl special teams rankings 2022