Super Bowl XLI Special Teams

By Alex Davis: They’re an afterthought for most of the betting public. In the Super Bowl, they’re almost the only hope the Chicago Bears have to come out on top. Special teams are the one area where the Bears can say that they have the clear advantage.

The Indianapolis Colts clearly have the better offense of the two teams, and the difference between their defenses has shrunk dramatically since the season-ending hamstring injury to Chicago lineman Tommie Harris and the return of Colts safety Bob Sanders. Those are the main reasons for Indianapolis being a 7-point chalk heading into Dolphin Stadium.

But there’s more to the game than offense and defense. The importance of special teams is generally undervalued by the betting public. Consider last year’s championship game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle punter Tom Rouen had a horrible game; four of his punts went for touchbacks, the first time that had happened in any NFL game since 2001. Pittsburgh capitalized on its field position to win the game, and Rouen hasn’t played in the league since.

Even with a household name like Colts place-kicker Adam Vinatieri involved, most football fans are unaware of the full impact these players can have on the outcome of the Super Bowl. Vinatieri cemented his legacy by kicking the winning field goals in two consecutive Super Bowl victories for the New England Patriots. He’s a mortal lock to become just the second pure kicker (Jan Stenerud was the first) to join the Football Hall of Fame. So why were the Colts ranked No. 26 in special teams this year, while Chicago was No. 1?

Most casual observers think his proven success in “clutch” situations was enough to convince the Colts to let Mike Vanderjagt go. However, Vinatieri’s true advantage over Vanderjagt is on kick-offs. He was sixth in the NFL this year in average kick-off distance at 65.8 yards; Vanderjagt, on the other hand, is so poor at that discipline that the Colts had to eat up a roster spot every year for a kick-off specialist, ending with Dave Rayner (now with the Green Bay Packers) in 2005.

But the story doesn’t end there. Hunter Smith has also been consistently good with his punting, cranking out 44.4 yards per effort (10th in the NFL) and allowing just five touchbacks. With that kind of length, you would expect the Colts to have their opponents backed up to their own end zone on a weekly basis. Not so. Their coverage units are awful; Smith’s net yardage of 34.5 yards per punt was third-worst among regular punters in 2006.

This is where Devin Hester could pull Chicago’s fat out of the fire. He has become a household name in his own right, scoring six return touchdowns – one more TD than wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad. Hester was also second in the NFL with 12.8 yards per punt return, while Indianapolis’ Terrence Wilkins was a mediocre 9.2 yards. Hester also topped Wilkins in kick returns by 26.5 yards to 24.5. Those yards add up over the course of a game and take pressure off the unproven shoulders of Bears QB Rex Grossman.

Yet even with Hester, there is a hidden story that should make Bears supporters pause before laying down their cash. Hester committed 12 fumbles this year on returns. It’s not uncommon for returners to let the ball slip through their hands –

Wilkins did so 13 times this year – only to pick it up right away and start heading downfield.

Hester, though, has suffered his share of embarrassing moments. For example, in Week 9, Eddie Jackson of the Miami Dolphins recovered a Hester fumble at the 10-yard line to set up a Marty Booker touchdown in a 31-13 Miami romp, spoiling any hopes for an undefeated season in Chicago.

Just to throw one more bone in the Bears’ direction, place-kicker Robbie Gould –the forgotten man in the Windy City – had a better season than Vinatieri. His 32-for-36 performance, adjusted for Chicago’s outdoor weather, launched the Bears near the top of the league in kicking efficiency at 8.8; Vinatieri went 25-for-28, aided somewhat by the RCA Dome, for a score of 4.8 – eighth in the NFL.

If you’re one of the many statheads who doesn’t believe in “clutch,” you have to think Gould’s value to the Bears is highly underestimated. Is it enough reason to fade the Colts? You be the judge.

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