Everything that could go wrong did go wrong with the Green Bay Packers Special Teams in 2021. The humbling playoff exit at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers provided the coup-de-tat what with the blocked field goal at the end of the first half and the blocked punt that resulted in the Niners’ only touchdown in the 10-3 loss. The Pack won 13 regular season games in spite of the pratfalls. Mason Crosby made just 25 of 34 field goal tries with two more blocked kicks. Corey Bojorquez supplanted J.K. Scott as the punter and while he did hit some boomers, the net average slid all year. Green Bay allowed 12.8 yards on punt returns which included a touchdown. The Packer return game never helped out, averaging just 17.7 yards on kickoff returns with a long of 41 coming from Kylin Hill who missed the second half of the season with a knee injury. The Packers also lost five fumbles on special teams and were plagued with penalties throughout. It spelled the end for coordinator Maurice Drayton.
Enter Rich Bisaccia. The longtime NFL Special Teams Coordinator signed one of the most lucrative contracts ever given to an assistant coach to turn the unit around. Bisaccia has over 20 years experience and served as the interim Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders last yaer. He is all about ownership of the team’s third phase, there’s offense, there’s defense but Rich said I’ll be in charge of the “We-Fense”.
So what does he have to work with?
Crosby has endured rough games and rough seasons a lot during his 16 year career. He’s going to have competition from free agent Dominik Eberle, a first year pro and unless something goes dramatically wrong this summer, Crosby should return and continue his climb up the NFL’s All-Time Scoring ladder. With 124 points last year, Crosby passed two former Packers, Ryan Longwell and Jan Stenerud into 18th place with 1,706 points. Even an average season could have Crosby move up to as high as 12th all-time.
When Bisaccia was with the Raiders, he wooed long time Chicago Bears punter Pat O’Donnell as a free agent but he decided to stay in Chicago. Free again this off-season, Bisaccia convinced the 9 year veteran to come to Green Bay. The rangy O’Donnell doesn’t have as powerful a leg anymore but he’s been a reliable pro and a very good holder which was another issue that has to get resolved.
There will be a pair of long snappers vying for the job this summer in returnee Steven Wirtel and rookie free agent Jack Coco. The Packers were blessed with a pair of good ones for years in Rob Davis and Brett Goode but they’ve struggled to find a comparable one since. Several who tried and failed got things figured out elsewhere and there’s no less than five former Packer wanna-be long snappers who have maintained jobs around the league in the past five years. Wirtel may have a slight edge going into camp.
What Bisaccia wants most of all is players willing to take ownership of the various protection, cover and return units. He’s made no secret to the fact that some front line players may be called on to help this year.
Two of the top 3 tacklers on Special Teams last year are no longer on the team. Safety Henry Black led with 14 total tackles, followed by Oren Burks with 10 and Equanimeous St. Brown with 7. Only Burks returns. Bisaccia also brought with him defensive back Keiseasn Nixon from the Raiders who was a key member of the Las Vegas units last year. The Packers drafted a big, fast safety in Tariq Carpenter and rangy linebacker Kingsley Enagbare to add some juice. Other holdovers like Ty Summers, Vernon Scott, Isaiah McDuffie and Randy Ramsey will be asked to take on bigger roles.
As for the return game, Amari Rodgers learned some painful lessons fielding punts as a rookie. Veteran Randall Cobb may still get opportunities as will rookie receivers Romeo Doubs and Samari Toure. Free agent safety Shawn Davis also has some experience. Kylin Hill may have first dibs on kickoff returns once recovered from knee surgery.
According to veteran NFL writer Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings of Special Teams, the Packers finished dead last in 2021. It’s been a long time since Green Bay even finished in the top half of the league overall.
There’s no where to go but up for Rich Bisaccia’s “We-Fense.”
