TRANSCRIPTS: Fisher, Cignetti, Fassel, Foles - Post Practice 9/23

[RamFan503]

Have any of you guys ever fielded a punt? It's not as simple as it looks, especially a high, short one. Those tend to angle back to the kicker. So, as a return man, you are sprinting towards the pursuit, chasing a ball that is actually fading AWAY from you, and will most likely be surrounded by defenders when you try to make the catch hoping one of your own guys, who are not used to you being at that spot on the field, doesn't run into you at the exact wrong moment. It is probably the MOST risky play in football. I guarantee you the stats show that many more short punts are NOT fielded than returned. And it is for good reason. And, sure, there are occasional big plays created by taking that risk and catching that short punt on the run but I'd venture to say the ones that are were not the high variety but the more of a line drive kick. Tavon bugs me too sometimes with letting a few go that I thought he could of taken a chance on and I hate his "dead leg" routine that works in high school and some in college but never in the pros. But you know he is not known for putting it on the ground too often.

Yes I have and I couldn't agree more. Even fair catches on a towering punt are difficult standing underneath and even more so with the lightest wind. I haven't run up to catch many high punts but it was expressly because of the clutter of 21 other players on the field who generally had only a rough idea where the ball was coming down. You could get away with it on line drives or shanks. Granted it was only HS ball and I'm no TA but muffing one of those was a sure ticket to the bench for not using your head.