nfl special teams rankings 2022

McPherson was perfect up to 40 yards (13-of-13) and also showed an exceptional ability to convert from deep (9-of-11 from 50-plus). Tutu Atwell and superstar receiver Cooper Kupp will likely handle most of the kick and punt returns, while safety Nick Scott leads the coverage unit. Special teams: 19, The FPI efficiencies are an excellent match for the Titans' mediocre 7-6 record. Cameron Johnston continued to display a deep kicking leg in his first season with Houston after three strong years with the Eagles. He has one career punt return touchdown. Week 14 ranking: 3 Offense: 3 Defense: 6 Special teams: 1. Bullock had a career-low 61.5% success rate on field goals between 40 and 49 yards this season. But the fact that the offense is seventh after Dak Prescott missed five games with a fractured thumb is telling. In 2020, Blankenship converted 95.6% of his extra-point attempts and 86.5% of his field goals. Harty had the seventh most kick return yards (690) in the NFL last season. Do you like rankings? Check out our complete fantasy football rankings. A season ago, the Jets had arguably the worst defense; now it is a legit top-10 unit. Evan McPherson was one of many Bengals who made a name for themselves during the 2021 postseason. The Colts are fundamentally bad on offense, struggling in critical areas like protecting the football and blocking, which explains a lot. The strongest component of the Jets special teams is returner Braxton Berrios. The question for this Atlanta special teams unit will be whether or not electric returner Cameron Batson can stay healthy. Despite this experience, the coverage unit could struggle without top-tier special teams talent outside of depth safety AJ Moore. Joseph Carlton and former Buffalo Bill Corey Bojorquez will compete for the job as the starting punter while rookie fourth-round pick Cade York will handle the placekicking duties. Buffalo Bills. Jake Bailey has been a solid punter over the past three seasons in New England but struggled in 2021. Dec 7, 2022. Kicker: Chris Boswell, Punter: Pressley Harvin, KR/PR: Gunner Olszewski. The Ravens will once again rely on Devin Duvernay to serve as their kick and punt returner. Ka'imi Fairbairn will reprise his role as the teams kicker after another solid season with the Texans. Special teams: 14, The Chargers have underperformed this season on offense and defense. Pressley Harvin will also return as the teams punter, but he was very average during his rookie season with the Steelers. Carter is less surehanded as a punt returner (four career muffed punts) but is just as dynamic (9.2 yards per punt return), Kicker: Robbie Gould, Punter: Mitch Wishnowsky, KR/PR: Ray-Ray McCloud. Gillikin had a net punt average of 42.0 yards in his first season, pinning 32 punts inside the 20-yard line. Waddle averaged 17.6 yards on kick returns and 7.0 yards per punt return. Stout was extremely effective in pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line while averaging 46 yards per punt during the 2021 season. Today, we look to the third part of the game special teams. And with the exception of a couple of big plays, special teams has been a consistent fiasco. Much of that determination comes down to whether or not star wideout CeeDee Lamb is back to return punts. Reed, is the biggest reason for the massive improvement on defense. With elite talents like safety Camryn Bynum in kick coverage and the underrated Kene Nwangwu in the return game, the Vikings do have the potential to improve this season. The offense has struggled to get started at times, especially in the passing game. On special teams, punter Jake Camarda has turned out to be a real gem, and Deven Thompkins brought promise to the kick return situation this past week. General manager Brian Gutekunst bet that linebacker De'Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas could repeat their 2021 performances and paid them big, while also not fortifying the edge positions behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. Special teams: 12, The offense is, perhaps, the most vivid example you'll find of why the Colts have struggled this season. Zach Wilson's regression, and eventual benching, is a big reason for the quarterback instability. Tucker has made 252 of 263 attempts within 50 yards, with eight of those misses coming in the 40- to 49-yard range. Matt Prater continues to deliver consistent production as a placekicker nine years into his career. He turned his playing experience into a 10-year coaching career, nine of which took place at the top level of Indianapolis football. Betting analysis for the 2022 NFL Football season matchup between Tampa Bay and San Francisco. Today, we look to the third part of the game special teams. In the return game new signing Jabrill Peppers is likely to compete with Ty Montgomery. Fairbairn isnt the most trustworthy leg in the NFL, but he has shown the ability to convert from deep. Darden has explosive speed and is a threat to take a kick to the house at any given time. Meanwhile, the defense has been outstanding against the run (81.3 yards allowed, third best), but the pass defense is allowing 283.7 yards per game, the second worst in the league. Carlson converted on 23 consecutive field goals during the last eight weeks of the 2021 season and kicked the Raiders into the playoffs with a clutch 47-yarder against the Los Angeles Chargers in week 18. Special teams: 29, The Cardinals' performance this season has been mediocre, at best, which fits in with their FPI rankings. New coach Kevin OConnell will turn to Greg Josepha gifted kicker who had a tumultuous run in his first season with Minnesota. Jaelon Darden served as the teams kick and punt returner in his rookie season. Kicker: Randy Bullock, Punter: Brett Kern, KR: Dontrell Hilliard, PR: Kyle Phillips*. UCLA was No. Please contact support. And Green Bay's special teams play is always an issue, so that's nothing new. Justin Tucker remains the gold standard when it comes to kickers in the NFL, but the Ravens will be finding a new punter after Sam Koch retired this past offseason. Houston will need to get the most out of kicker Kaimi Fairbairn to reach their potential this year. Camarda averaged 45.8 yards per punt throughout his four-year career. Berry set a career-high in net punting average (41.4) despite having a hangtime below 4.37 for the first time in his career (4.12). Since joining the Giants, Gano has improved his accuracy past 50 yards, converting on 12-of-16 attempts. It's easy to point to a significant number of injuries, despite the Bolts saying weekly that it's not an excuse. Unfortunately, a league-average punter is what keeps the Bengals on the lower end of the top-10. 2022 Team DVOA Ratings: Special Teams Updated 01/16/2023 02:24 PM EST Year 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 Zane Gonzalez was having the best season of his career in 2021 before an injury in Week 14 cut it short. Ryan Succop has been a solid kicker since joining the Buccaneers before the 2020 season. View defense & special teams stats for the 2022 NFL season. Kicker: Graham Gano, Punter: Jamie Gillan, KR/PR: C.J. The third-year receiver had 31 punt returns for 227 yards and muffed just one of 46 punts on the season. Thomas Morstead has been one of the more effective punters in the NFL during his nine-year NFL career, and that was true during his tenure with the Falcons and Jets last season. The Jets decided to bring in Greg Zuerlein to compete with Eddy Pineiro for the starting job. The Lions had a rotating cast of kickers during the 2021 season, withRiley Pattersonfinishing as the last man standing. Full schedule | Standings And on special teams, second-year punter Pressley Harvin III is 30th in the league at 44 yards per punt. A lot of that has to be because the defense has hemorrhaged of late. Sanders uncharacteristically suffered on attempts above 50 yards, hitting just 2-of-6 attempts. NFL Special Teams Rankings 2022 Breaking Down The Special Teams Rankings Why A Good Special Teams Is Such An Advantage Top Field Goal Units Top Punting Units Top Return Units Breaking Down The Special Teams Rankings Special teams can be an afterthought to some, as defense and offensive rankings are going to take priority. McManus has converted 97.3% of his extra points and 81.9% of his field goals during his tenure with the Broncos. (Want to see the rest of our position group rankings series? -- Jake Trotter, The Panthers have been much more efficient since interim coach Steve Wilks took over and committed to the running game. On defense, the Bolts have been without edge rusher Joey Bosa, cornerback J.C. Jackson and several key defensive linemen -- all of whom are on injured reserve. Special teams: 10, The numbers make sense with a look at how the Rams' season has played out: They're averaging just 16.8 points per game, by far the worst under coach Sean McVay since he was hired in 2017. Patterson has eight career kickoff return touchdowns and only two seasons below 28.3 yards per return in his nine-year career. Joey Slyebounced around the NFL in 2021 before finding a home with the Commanders the last nine weeks of the season. The Texans' defense is respectable due to its ability to limit passers, having held opposing QBs to under an 80.0 passer rating seven times this year, which is tied for second best in the league. In Zuerlein's nine-year career, he has just two seasons (2013 and 2017) with a field goal success rate above 88.0%. Lamb was primarily used as a punt returner thanks to his ability to secure the ball. Despite that, Chicago still ranks 11th in pass defense (allowing 204.2 yards per game). In addition to our updated rankings, we checked in with NFL Nation reporters across the league and asked them to evaluate every team's offense, defense and special teams by their Football Power Index (FPI) efficiency rankings, powered by ESPN Analytics. After spending the last few seasons looking for consistency at the kicker position, the Chargers turn to veteran Dustin Hopkins this year. The Jets also saw improvement out of Braden Mann in his second year with the team. The special teams unit has been the most consistent group for Buffalo this year, with kicker Tyler Bass making a career-high 89.7% of field goals, which is especially significant after punter/holder Sam Martin joined just before the season. Kicker: Brandon McManus, Punter: Sam Martin, KR/PR: Kendall Hinton. Kicker: Matt Gay, Punter: Riley Dixon, KR/PR: Brandon Powell. Veteran kicker Randy Bullock will compete with Caleb Shudak for the starting job to open camp. Whatever the reason, 12 of the Raiders' 13 outings have been one-score games, and they are just 5-8. Bullock continued the trend that has taken root during his nine-year career: hes extremely accurate from inside 40 yards and struggles with consistency anywhere deeper than that. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles in camp, which places Demetric Felton as the teams primary returner this season. Ranking in the top three on offense is a bit . Kicker Robbie Gould will return for another season as the 49ers look to maintain their status as one of the leagues premier teams. We've covered every group on offense and every group on defense. Agnew is a dynamic returner and is truly a special team's weapon for the Jaguars. Though his placekicking counterpart has yet to be singled out. The third-year veteran hit 48 of his 49 extra points while also converting a career-high 94.1% of his field-goal attempts. The 2022 NFL regular season is over. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage . Experienced returner Desmond King II and a coverage unit led by MJ Stewart will look to keep a rebuilding Texans team out of poor field position. Once upon a time NFL special-team units were comprised of backups - players not good enough to start. -- Brady Henderson, The Jets have some promising young players on offense, most notably wideout Garrett Wilson, but they have topped the 30-point mark only twice. Dan Fornek @fornekdf Aug 13, 2022, 8:50 AM EDT Light Mode Our 2022 NFL position group rankings series rolls along. Not having top cornerback Adoree' Jackson has been crushing. The Packers will turn to veteran Mason Crosby as their kicker and former third-round pick Amari Rodgers as the kick returner. The rookie will compete with veteran Matt Haack for the starting job this season. But perhaps most alarming are the average defensive ranking and the abysmal special teams spot. He has three seasons with at least 29 punts downed inside the 20 and has never posted a hangtime below 4.31. Smith-Marsette returned just four kicks last season, averaging 20.8 yards per return in his rookie season. And Week 14's game was the first this season in which wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were both available from start to finish. In those seasons, hes averaged 9.6 yards per return and scored two punt return touchdowns. -- Eric Woodyard, Offense: 24 The defense has struggled to get off the field at times, which is reflected in its efficiency, but it has allowed the second-fewest points per game (17). Camp reports indicate that Alex Erickson has the advantage when it comes to returning kicks for Washington, especially since Brian Robinson and Jahan Dotson will have roles on the Commanders offense. Instead of reading my Week 15 fantasy football defense/special teams (DST) rankings, come . After suffering through a revolving door at the kicker position the last two seasons, Washington will look to former Carolina Panther Joey Slye to steady the boat. Tyler Bass, meanwhile, has the kicker position all but locked down. Rodgers: I Can Win MVP in 'Right Situation', Coaching Buzz: OC Ben Johnson Returning to Lions; Chargers Fire OC Lombardi, Mock Draft: Three Teams Move up in Trades, Ronde Barber: Jerry Jones Has Cowboys Team Ready to Compete for Super Bowl, Eric Mangini: Ideal Free Agency Fit for Brady, Mitchell Schwartz: Why My Chiefs Should Be on Upset Alert Against Jaguars, Greg Rousseau: Have to Pressure Burrow No Matter Who's on Bengals' O-Line, Titans Tab 49ers' Ran Carthon for GM Post, Head of Pro Scouting, NFL Player Personnel Executive. Sarah Lewis Dec 21, 2022 Two defense/special teams (DSTs) to look at for Week 16 are the Tennessee Titans (currently rostered in only about half of Yahoo leagues) and the San Francisco 49ers. Felton averaged 7.1 yards per punt return and 19.1 yards per kick return in his rookie year but is an explosive runner who has the ability to house any kick if he gets going. Jones averaged 28.4 yards per kick return and 14.0 yards per punt return, both of which are top-25 numbers in NCAA history. The combination of Carlson and 2021 first-team All-Pro punter AJ Colealong with whats likely to be a solid coverage and return teamcould make for one of the most consistent and reliable units in the NFL. Graham Ganohas evolved into a great deep kicker during his two seasons with the Giants. Hekker had just one season with a net punting average below (42.0) and has never had fewer than 20 punts downed inside the 20. Rodrigo Blankenship will return after missing most of the 2021 season due to injury, and the Colts hope he can return to his pre-injury form. -- Courtney Cronin, Just look at the numbers for the story of the Broncos' season. Matt Gay had the best season of his career in Los Angeles in 2021. The defense owns a league-worst rank in sacks and pressures, which has hindered the Bears' ability to stop opposing quarterbacks. Hekker should provide stability to a Panthers unit that had three players attempt ten or more punts last season. In his first season, McPherson converted 95.8% of his extra-point attempts and 84.8% of his field goals. Special teams: 22, These rankings are not surprising considering Atlanta's roster situation -- awash in dead money and a young squad still lacking depth at certain positions. Bailey will need to be better for the Patriots to climb the list. Assuming Kicker Will Lutz can return to form coming off a groin injury last season, new Head Coach Dennis Allen could potentially field one of the better special teams units in football this upcoming season. Defense: 24 The Cardinals, clearly valuing experience, will go with Punter Andy Leethe oldest punter in the leagueto start the season. Quarterback Justin Herbert played multiple games despite feeling the effect of fractured rib cartilage. Two factors could explain it: upheaval at quarterback (three different starters) and offensive tackle (six different starters). Isaiah Rodgers was successful as the Colts kick returner in 2021, averaging 26.4 yards per return. A training camp battle between kickers Riley Patterson and Austin Seibert will be the main story for a Lions special teams unit that could take a step forward in its second year under head coach Dan Campbell. The Lions' D is allowing 403.2 total yards per game and 26.7 points per game, which are both the second-highest marks in the league. Kicker: Greg Joseph, Punter: Jordan Berry, KR: Kene Nwangwu, PR: Ihmir Smith-Marsette. New rookies in the league have settled in and are now being plugged into their position groups. Greg Josephwill return to the Vikings after playing for three teams in his first three years in the NFL. Without many impact players on special teamsaside from linebacker Isaiah McDuffieGreen Bay needs to find more consistency from a unit that struggled last season. Duvernay averaged 24.1 yards per kick return and 13.8 yards per punt return last season for Baltimore. Lutz has converted 97.3% of his extra-point attempts and 86.6% of his field-goal attempts in his career. Defense: 14 The Los Angeles Chargers made a move up seven spots from last week after a win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night. Unfortunately for the Chiefs,Tommy Townsendregressed slightly after a strong rookie season. Tyler Bassshowed significant improvement in his second season as the Bills kicker. Dallas, 301 7. The veteran kicker has been a lock inside 40 yards throughout his career (97.5% success rate) but has struggled with deeper kicks. Koo went 30-for-30 on extra points and made 27-of-29 field goes in his third season with the Falcons. Veteran punter Thomas Morstead should be a reliable option and part-time returner Jaylen Waddle has the speed and shiftiness to take the ball to the house from anywhere on the field. But Prescott has to watch the interceptions, with eight since his return. Tampa Bay will rely on Giovani Bernard in the return game and hope that standout coverage specialist Ross Cockrell can bring stability to a unit that will need to improve if the Bucs are going to make another deep playoff run. Blake Gillikin will return as New Orleans primary punter after a solid rookie season. Detroit, 310.5 8. The Rams found a hidden gem in returner Brandon Powell last season. FTN's Dan Fornek ranks all 32 NFL special teams units heading into the 2022 football season. Nyheim Hines has been the Colts punt returner since the end of the 2019 season. JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN Of the players with a minimum of 10 punt returns, Lamb finished eighth in yards per return (9.9). Hardman has explosive speed and will be a threat to house any kick he can field. The 49ers also added Ray-Ray McCloud to the team in free agency to serve as their kick and punt returner. The seven-year veteran made just 150of021 field goals past 30 yards last season. 2026; 2025; 2024; 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015 Teams on bye: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Washington Micah Parsons is scary good but that doesn't mean the Cowboys DST is in the same category fantasy-wise. With solid contributions from players like Punter Tommy Townsend and electric returner Mecole Hardman, the Chiefs should be able to control the field position battle. The sure-handed Hyde provides reliability. He muffed just one punt in 28 opportunities. When it comes to the defense/special teams . Defensively, the Bengals are sixth in fewest red zone touchdowns allowed. Tavon Austin is expected to handle punt returns if he makes the team. Kicker: Cade York*, Punter: Corey Bojorquez, KR/PR: Demetric Felton. Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- has evaluated how teams are stacking up through 14 weeks. Berry has never had fewer than 25 punts land inside the 20 in his career. The special teams has 15 field goals -- tied for the third least in the league -- and its coverage units have struggled, particularly against the Eagles, with rookie Britain Covey returning six punts for 105 yards in Week 13. With standout contributors like Kristian Welch and Geno Stone, the Ravens should lean on this veteran unit if need be. Santoso had just one attempt over 40 yards last season and he missed it. LT Andrew Thomas, New York Giants Second Team: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers Thomas was the NFL's most consistently excellent left tackle this season, racking up an 89.1 PFF grade over 1,049 snaps. So, again, no surprise. After spending years as the leagues premier unit behind legendary returner Devin Hester, the Bears are in something of a special teams rebuild. McManus historically struggles with kicks over 50 yards (54.2% success rate) but is a dependable kicker inside that range (91.3% success rate). The Falcons have some flexibility with their kickoff and punt returners that depends on Cordarrelle Pattersons role on offense. Despite posing the lowest average hangtime of his career (4.10), Kern still had a net punting average over 40.0 for the ninth time in his ten-year career. As the 2022 NFL season approaches the end, which of these teams remain on the Top 10 NFL Teams 2022 rankings end of season list? The Titans will have a new look with their kick and punt returners heading into the 2022 season. Call it poor playcalling. The five-year veteran made all 44 of his extra-point attempts and missed just three field goals in 33 attempts. McManus has the leg to make kicks from deep and could give the Broncos more scoring opportunities. Finally, talents like Daniel Thomas and Chris Claybrooks will all contribute positively to kick coverage. Return man Rondale Moore will look to take a step forward in his second season with the club. -- Adam Teicher, The Bills remain one of the best teams despite some hiccups. D-coordinator Joe Barry likely will take the fall for his lack of innovative game plans and playcalls, but there are others at fault too. Taylor also has experience returning his punts from his time in San Francisco and holds a 9.3 yards per return average in his career. Also hoping to make major contributions will be return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud IIIsupplemented by Brandon Aiyukand talented coverage man Deommodore Lenoir. It's been an adventure on special teams, but even that unit seems pointed in the right direction. 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