FanNation - The Republic of Sport

CavaBearDians: What Happened? said 10/22, 08:24 PM
I don't think there's any question:Punter.

Besides scoring, what's the point of an offense? To move the ball down the field, establish good field position, give the defense some space, and set up future drives for points.

Besides the offense making drives and the defense making stops, who else establishes field position? The punter.

A deadly punter who can drill the ball 50+ yards and bury a team deep inside the 20 may be the most useful player besides certain key players (QB, HB, WR, some defense, etc.).

If a team is stuck inside even the 30, it's faced with two major obstacles:
~Driving the ball all the way up the field.
~A lot of times it has little room behind them to run their compete offense.

A punter who can consistently give a team the field-position advantage helps out the defense and will give the offense a shorter field to work with. Ask any NFL player what they prefer--starting a drive at its own 30 or at its own 40.

The punter can give a team that 10 yard edge, usually better.

In a game of inches, the Punter gives a team the feet and yards it needs to get the edge. In football, there is no position more underrated than the punter (except, perhaps, O-line).

CavaBearDians: What Happened? said 10/24, 05:52 PM
Your argument focuses far too much on who's more valuable. Of course a TE plays a more important role in an NFL system. I will never deny that. However, there's no way the TE is underrated. You said that the three TEs you mentioned had zero Pro Bowls.

So what? SOME OTHER TIGHT END got the nod. Not a relevant fact here. I never said that having a great punter will get you to the Super Bowl. I'm saying the the role of a Punter is vastly underrated given the potential impact they have on the game.

All that you said about no HOF punters is a perfect example. Everyone overlooks the guy who comes in after a three-and-out and boots the ball. Talking is not the issue.

But you'll find that someone rarely says "Man, that punter is doing a great job. If it wasn't for him, that team might not be winning."

Everyone LOVES to talk about winning the battle for field position. They talk about how you need a good running game, ad good offense, stingy defense, good return coverage, good returning--but no one will talk about the punter. A punter who buries the opposition inside its own 20 gives a HUGE swing in favor of his team.

But still, he gets no respect.

CavaBearDians: What Happened? said 10/28, 06:34 PM
Hype and value--exactly

No one is excited about Pro-Bowl punters.

No one gives credit to the punter after a close game.

Not many people can tell you about great punters in the NFL.

All of that stuff is the opposite for TEs. Guys like Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez get more than enough credit for what they do. Brad Maynard, Todd Sauerbrun? Who knows them besides avid Madden players?

It's pretty clear that Punters are not nearly as hyped than Tight Ends.

Value-wise, we've already established how valuable the Punter is, though not moreso than the TE. Still, (using your formula) the Punter gives you significantly more value for the hype.

Steelercooz said 10/29, 10:46 AM
Ya know what the punter is? He's the easy answer to this question. Nothing more.

He is not recognized any less than he should be. When he makes a good punt, people mention it. When he doesn't, and gets the long camera shot of him walking off the field in disgrace. What more should he get?

The best Ps go to the Pro Bowl. ONLY the best receiving TEs go to the Pro Bowl.

Again, Gates and Gonzalez are not great blocking TEs. A mandatory key to a great team is a TE who can block and catch. They're valued on their teams because they can stay in as an extra tackle, or they can catch a big third down pass or TD.

They are the ones who take safeties away from the line of scrimmage. They keep defenses guessing, because a team can't key on where they are to determine run or pass. That holds the LBs in check.

NONE of these things show up in a stat book, and they're far less noticeable than a punt inside the 20.

The dual-use TE impacts the game directly, and doesn't receive any more recognition than the P does.

You are only showing how the P is the least talked about player. That doesn't make him the most underrated player, that makes him....the least talked about player