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While some may consider it a luxury, a good punting game can pay off serious dividends to an NFL defense. In fact, of the the Top 10 net punting teams in 2012, half of the teams allowed 20 points or less and half of Top 10 teams made the playoffs. As the Eagles look to turnaround their defense and special teams, improving the punting game could go a long way toward both.
To better understand the importance of the punting game, let's look at the top punters in the punt net average business:
| Punter | Team | Attempts | Punt Average | Punt Net Average | Def Points Allowed (per game) | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Lee | 49ers | 67 | 48.1 (yards) | 43.2 (yards) | 17.1 | (11-4-1) |
| Thomas Morstead | Saints | 74 | 50.1 | 43.2 | 28.4 | (7-9) |
| Britton Colquitt | Broncos | 67 | 46.3 | 42.1 | 18.1 | (13-3) |
| Kevin Huber | Bengals | 76 | 46.6 | 42 | 20 | (10-6) |
| Dave Zastudil | Cardinals | 112 | 46.5 | 41.4 | 22.3 | (5-11) |
| Brandon Fields | Dolphins | 74 | 50.2 | 41.2 | 19.8 | (7-9) |
| Bryan Anger | Jaguars | 91 | 47.8 | 40.8 | 27.8 | (2-14) |
| Dustin Colquitt | Chiefs | 83 | 46.8 | 40.8 | 26.6 | (2-14) |
| Sam Koch | Ravens | 83 | 47.1 | 40.8 | 21.5 | (10-6) |
| Jon Ryan | Seahawks | 65 | 45.6 | 40.8 | 15.3 | (11-5) |
As you can see, having a great punting game is not a complete solution to defensive woes, but is helpful in keeping opposing offenses from scoring in droves (unless you are the Saints, Chiefs or Jaguars, who had pretty horrible defenses brought on by inefficient schemes and injuries). Half of the Top 10 punting teams made the playoffs, finished with plus-10 wins, and half of their defenses allowed less than three touchdowns a game.
Those numbers are all well and good, but let's compare them to the numbers for the bottom 10 (who feature a familiar face as the best of the worst):
| Punter | Team | Attempts | Punt Average | Punt Net Average | Def Points Allowed (per game) | Team Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mat McBriar | Eagles | 55 | 46.5 (yards) | 36.5 (yards) | 27.8 | (4-12) |
| Brad Nortman | Panthers | 76 | 43 | 36.5 | 22.7 | (7-9) |
| Reggie Hodges | Browns | 90 | 41.8 | 37.1 | 23 | (5-11) |
| Sav Rocca | Redskins | 68 | 43.9 | 37.2 | 24.2 | (10-6) |
| Michael Koenen | Bucs | 76 | 45.3 | 37.4 | 24.6 | (7-9) |
| Nick Harris | Lions | 67 | 41.5 | 37.6 | 27.3 | (4-12) |
| Drew Butler | Steelers | 77 | 43.8 | 37.8 | 19.6 | (8-8) |
| Zoltan Mesko | Patriots | 60 | 43.1 | 37.9 | 20.7 | (12-4) |
| Shawn Powell | Bills | 65 | 44 | 38.1 | 27.2 | (6-10) |
| Robert Malone | Jets | 84 | 45.8 | 38.5 | 23.4 | (6-10) |
Of the Bottom 10, only three teams finished .500 or better, and the Eagles were not one of them. Mat McBriar was tied for the worst net average on punts in the league. Part of that had to do with injuries to premium special teams players like Colt Anderson and Akeem Jordan as well as Riley Cooper being elevated to starter while players on offense were injured. Still, if you compare the Top 10 to the Bottom 10, teams finishing in the Top 10 had a 30-percent higher chance of making the playoffs, 20-percent higher chance of finishing over .500 and a 40-percent chance of only allowing opposing offenses to score 20 points or less.
Taking those numbers into account, it is easy to see why adding a great leg to the punting game would be beneficial to the overall success of the Eagles defense and special teams as well as the overall team's success. While many felt that Chas Henry was extremely inconsistent, McBriar was not much of an improvement in anyway. In fact, Henry's 2012 numbers were nearly identical to McBriar's 2012 numbers. This is a team in flux, with a ton of cap space and high picks in each round of this year's draft. That is why it essential to not only take care of the team's glaring positional needs, but their less noticeable short-comings as well.
Of the punters available in free agency, only Donnie Jones of the Texans is really of value and would be considered an upgrade. Nick Harris and Reggie Hodges are both on the market, but offer marginal upgrades over McBriar. That could lead the Eagles to look for a punter in the draft or to pick up one as an undrafted free agent. Of the punting prospects in this year's draft, LSU's Brad Wing is likely the top guy. NFL Draft Scout projects Wing as a 5th round pick, which is likely a bit too rich for the Eagles taste. Along with Wing, Quinn Sharp of Oklahoma State and Jeff Locke of UCLA are among the other options.
Do you believe adding a punter should be a priority? Is keeping McBriar good enough for you?