It’s become known as the “dirty ball” and for the Cowboys, one of the jobs on special teams this Sunday in Week 6 against the Panthers, the job will be to clean it up.
The author of this dirty ball is rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who has developed a niche on kickoffs–his ability to knock unpredictable, low line drives that come up just short of the goal line and force players in the return game into uncomfortable situations. Opponents gain just 19.3 yards on Panthers kickoff returns, second-best in the NFL behind the Rams.
It was something that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel warned against when New England faced the Panthers. Said Vrabel: “It starts with the kicker, kicks a good kick, dirty kick. So, he’s had the returners sometimes confused. He’s kicking them when he kicks them deep. They’re right at the goal line, forcing you to return them.”
Cowboys Can’t Replicate ‘Dirty’ Kick in Practice
And now it is the Cowboys’ turn to decipher Fitzgerald’s kicks. Special teams coach Nick Sorensen said part of the problem is that it’s very difficult to replicate the kicks in practice.
“It’s tough, because you can’t get the JUGS (machines) to kick them, as much as we tried,” Sorensen said. “And then Brandon (Aubrey), Brandon will kick them too. He’ll try and work on them. Those aren’t 100%. Some guys are better than others, but he tries to give us different looks at it, too.”
It’s a problem for the Cowboys because under new rules, if Fitzgerald lands the ball in the the so-called “landing zone,” and it trickles into the end zone for a touchback, the ensuing drive starts on the 20-yard line.
Panthers Cover Kicks Well, Too
Panthers coach Dave Canales credited not only the foot of Fitzgerald’s for Carolina’s special-teams success, but also the enthusiasm with which his coverage teams backs up the dirty kicks. With the uncertainty of the the landing angle, the possibility of a big play is there for the coverage group.
As Canales said: .”We watched all the kickoff coverages as a team. Just to show the spirit of our play-style, I truly believe that kickoff coverage kind of exemplifies who we want to be and that’s why I love special teams, but especially on kickoff, especially when you can start the game with a kick to be able to show the effort, the enthusiasm after great places of them celebrating the toughness, playing smart off of each other and then finishing each play.”
Cowboys Unsure on Return Men
It won’t help that usual kick returner KaVontae Turpin is likely to be out in Week 6. He’s day-to-day with a foot injury but indicated in practice he is more likely to return for Week 7. And, generally speaking, the good news for the Cowboys is that the Panthers are no juggernaut–they’re 24th in the NFL in points, at 20.4.
The Cowboys hope there are a limited number of kickoffs, then. And they’ll hope they’re ready when they come.
“So we tried to work those a little but yesterday, today with our guys. But they’re tough,” Sorensen said. “No two are exactly the same. And you know with the football, the weird shape that thing is, you can’t duplicate where that thing comes down. That’s what this guy (Fitzgerald) has done really good.”
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