Last Sunday, Arizona did what many thought Baltimore should have done: avoid kicking off to Joshua Cribbs. Let’s review each of the results:
- Rackers kicks to the 27 yard line, returned by Darnell Dinkins to the 34.
- Dinkins fields it at the 26, returns it eight yards to the 34.
- Deep kickoff to the 1, Cribbs nearly breaks it after going 33 yards, but holding by Leon Williams takes it back to the 17.
- Short popup to the 31, which Cribbs is fortunate to fall on for no further gain.
- Another sky ball to the 29. Jason Wright brings it up to the 39.
- Kickoff goes to the 25, Wright can’t field it cleanly, but Cribbs picks it up at the 28 and advances it to the 33. Simon Fraser’s head [in his] butt foul moves it back to the 18.
All in all, it was a very effective job by big-legged Rackers. His one attempt for a touchback nearly cost them, but this was a flag-filled afternoon. The Cardinals were frighteningly close to recovering two of the five short kickoffs.
What lessons can the Browns learn from this?
- Strongly consider fair-catching sky-high short kickoffs. Emphasize this in practice. It gives the return unit a clean chance at catching the free kick. Other members of the return team, rather than attending to the onrushing kick unit, can focus on pouncing on the ball if the catch is muffed. A 15-yard interference penalty is much more likely than a 15-yard return.
- The Browns should also kick off very high and short on occasion. It’s a good change-up with a reasonable chance to force a turnover. No time like the present, too, with the Jets’ dangerous Leon Washington next on the itinerary.
- If the sky kick is not especially short or high, then it’s sound football to have a skill player (Wright, Vickers, or Dinkins) field it and just run straight ahead. Not exciting, but pretty good field position.
- How is Dinkins’ hand doing? The college QB broke his throwing hand earlier this year. If he can grip a dry ball, it’s reasonable, on a kick to the 20 or 25, to attempt a lateral to Cribbs. Underhand if Cribbs is hitting the wedge. Overhand for a real cross-up: Cribbs headed to the opposite field away from traffic.
- If a kickoff is even close to the sideline, the returner should try to catch the ball with at least one toe touching white. That makes the kickoff itself out of bounds, putting the ball at the 40. But players already know the rules, don’t they?
