Being Out of Line Skews Rams’ Special Teams Play

Tyrone Hughes celebrated his two NFL kick return records by going dancing at a New Orleans nightclub Sunday night, leaving the Rams to ponder their special teams gaffes on a long charter flight home.

Hughes returned kickoffs 92 and 98 yards for touchdowns and broke a 44-year-old league record with 304 yards in seven kick returns in the Saints’ 37-34 victory at the Superdome.

“That’s the first time in my years in coaching that two kicks have been returned for touchdowns against us in one game,” said Ram Coach Chuck Knox, who is in his 22nd season as an NFL head coach. “But it happened.”

Hughes’ returns dropped the Rams to 27th in the NFL in kick coverage (25.5 yards per return) ahead of only Arizona (25.8 yards per return). The Rams are tied with Philadelphia at 26th in the league in punt coverage, giving up 12.8 yards per return.

So what happened to the Rams’ younger, faster, revamped special teams? Didn’t Knox, disgusted with the Rams’ special teams circus last season, start rebuilding after last year?

In the off-season, Knox released special teams coach Howard Tippett from his contract and replaced him with Wayne Sevier, who coached in two Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins. Knox also drafted Toby Wright and Keith Lyle and traded for Marquez Pope--all speedy, hard-hitting safeties who could cover on kicks and punts.

The special teams got off to a decent start. Punter Sean Landeta has been among the league leaders and is tied for the NFC lead with a 44.7-yard average. Johnny Bailey is averaging 21.4 yards on kick returns and 8.9 yards on punt returns.

And through the first five games, the coverage teams had not given up the big plays they did a year earlier.

All was well, until Green Bay.

The Rams gave a glimpse of the special teams disaster to come when Green Bay’s Robert Brooks blew through their punt coverage for an 85-yard touchdown in the third quarter, sparking the Packers to a 24-17 victory.

Two weeks later, Hughes, a Pro Bowl selection last year, had a career day against the Rams.

On his 92-yard return in the second quarter, Hughes burst up the middle of the field, cut outside and outran Todd Lyght and Darryl Henley to the end zone.

Lyght had an angle on Hughes but was knocked down at the 14 by James Williams. Henley missed on a desperation dive at the goal line.

“It was a question of players not maintaining the proper alignment (on coverage),” Knox said. “We had a missed tackle on the second return (the 98-yarder at the end of the third quarter). We had a clear shot at it.”

After Hughes’ first return for a touchdown, why did the Rams continue to kick the ball to him? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to kick away from him or kick it short?

“Let’s say you kick it out of bounds,” Knox said. “Then they get the ball at their 40. You certainly hope you can cover the second time better than you did the first time. And if you try to squib kick it down there, they’re going to get the ball right back in good field position.”

Injuries to two key special teams players also were a factor, Knox said. David Lang, the Rams’ top coverage player, missed the game with a deep thigh bruise and is expected to return next week. Henderson was out because of a groin pull he suffered in the Giants’ game.

“That has hurt us,” Knox said. “Teams have to double-team Lang, and that frees up everybody else.”

Despite the injuries and missed tackles on coverages, the Rams did get one heads-up play on special teams. Robert Bailey returned a punt an NFL-record 103 yards in the fourth quarter to cut the Rams’ deficit to 37-34 with 4 minutes 8 seconds remaining.

Tommy Barnhardt’s punt landed in the end zone, but the Saints never downed it. Live ball.

And when the Saints began walking off the field, Bailey alertly grabbed the ball and took off running.

“Picking that up in the end zone is something that our people talk about all the time,” Knox said. “It has been done before in the NFL. That was a heads-up play by Bailey.”