The most frustrating thing I see week in, week out

[Idioteque]

Antonio has GOT to be taken off of punts. My butthole puckers with every return. There are stupider aspects of this team and certainly bigger problems, but this is astoundingly dumb.

I could see them keeping him on returns if he were some gamebreaker at it. If Devin Hester had ever become a great WR, I could see the Bears letting him return some kicks here and there. But Antonio's very average on returns. He's 17th of 25 qualifiers in reutrn averages with 13 FCs.

Are we really risking our best player so he can be an average punt returner, in the hopes he breaks one or two a year? And is there NO ONE else on roster capable of this?

 

[diver]

Put your boy Archer back there.

Who the hell else can do it? Without causing a catastrophe? At least Brown can catch the damn thing.

 

[nooneuno]

He's a pro bowl calibre returner, I'd hardly say he is average. The special teams unit as a whole has been poor. He's the best returner we have, if he wants to do it, let him.

 

[Troglodyte]

That's the most frustrating thing you see? What, do you only watch punt returns?

 

[AggieSteel]

He's been a great punt returner for years though, I think this is by far his worst year.

But yes it would be nice to have a guy other than our record-setting #1 WR to handle this. Looking at you, little Dri

 

[Super Dave]

I wonder why he doesn't do that First Down thing after a punt?

It would be awesome if he did it after a fair catch........

 

[In Ben We Trust]

Could not agree more. He's become too valuable at WR to risk an injury over the potential for MAYBE two punt return TD's per season. If he were to go down this team would be an absolute disaster.

 

[Idioteque]

He's a pro bowl calibre returner, I'd hardly say he is average.

He's returned punts for three years. The first two, he finished 26th and 4th in the league. This year, he's 17th. Hardly great.

The special teams unit as a whole has been poor. He's the best returner we have, if he wants to do it, let him.

The way I see it is that we should limit our best player's chance of injury, not increase it by giving him a pretty unimportant job. A great PR averages about 5 more yards per return than an average one does, and for that small boost, it's silly to risk a valuable player, let alone your team MVP. Returning punts is a high-impact job.

The names at the top of the PR stats are names like Devin Hester, Frankie Hammond, Ted Ginn, and Dwayne Harris. Guys who don't contribute anything else to the team, and who wouldn't cripple the team if they got hurt. If we lose Antonio, we can write off the season. I just can't imagine why we're having him return punts. Why not make him our punt gunner? Or teach Heath to be our long snapper and save a roster spot?

This is not strictly a Tomlin thing. I can't believe the Patriots had Edelman doing it, either, though at least they've replaced him. But there's not another punt returner in the NFL who's anywhere near Antonio's level of value to the team.

 

[Idioteque]

That's the most frustrating thing you see? What, do you only watch punt returns?

No, but I understand most of our other problems. The D sucks because it has very little talent. The coaching sucks because the head coach sucks. Antonio on punt returns frustrates me because it's soooo stupid and for very little reason.

 

[DocScott]

Wheaton was back there yesterday, did pretty good too, one return for 41yards. He's our guy now!

 

[Steeltime]

Wheaton was back there yesterday, did pretty good too, one return for 41yards. He's our guy now!

That was for the kickoff returns, but agree he did a very good job. Vastly superior to Archer.

Maybe Wheaton could handle punts as well? Decent idea, Doc.

 

[DocScott]

Steeltime, my bad....he did return a kickoff instead of a punt Maybe we should try him or even the new guy, Josh Harris?

 

[diver]

No, but I understand most of our other problems. The D sucks because it has very little talent. The coaching sucks because the head coach sucks. Antonio on punt returns frustrates me because it's soooo stupid and for very little reason.

It is not stupid, especially when you have no one else to rely on. Drafting Archer in the 3rd round to do it was stupid.

They are football players for crying out loud. He could get hurt at anytime. Would you feel OK if he got hurt catching a pass?

 

[Idioteque]

It is not stupid, especially when you have no one else to rely on. Drafting Archer in the 3rd round to do it was stupid.

Teams find guys like Ted Ginn and Frankie Hammond and Philly Brown to rely on. Why do you think that of all 32 teams, maybe 1-3 each year use their superstar players to return punts?

They are football players for crying out loud. He could get hurt at anytime. Would you feel OK if he got hurt catching a pass?

Having him return punts increases the chance he gets injured. And as I pointed out, there's not much reward for the risk since he's been an average or worse returner for 2 of his 3 years returning.

Feel OK? No, but it would actually make sense.

 

[Steelerfan81]

I wonder if Rod Woodson could still do it?

 

[Steel G]

I wonder if Rod Woodson could still do it?

I wonder if he can still play corner...or safety. They better tell Porter and Lake to suit up too.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I'm all for finding a specialty PRer. He can also be a #4 or #5 receiver. How come the Steelers have such a hard time with special teams? We have got to be near bottom rank, consistantly, for the last 10+ years. Boby Love was our last decent ST coach that I can remember. Ideotech is 100% correct, Antonio is to important to risk. Coaching 101



Salute the nation

 

[t-man]

Archer must have ****** someone's wife in the *** and wiped his dick on the curtains on his way out. I have no idea why they don't at least try the kid back there, unless he's muffing the **** out of them in practice. It's not like he's doing anything else, so what do we have to lose?

Joe

 

[Stryker]

Want your *** to pucker? Try and remember when Hank Poteat was our PR. Hank shiver-shake Poteat. At least AB will never lose possession. Damned if he doesn't break it, but if he keeps possession, it's a win in my book.

 

[Southern Steeler]

I'll never forget Colclough trying to field a punt with only his hands and having it bounce off his face.

Good times....

 

[bermudasteel]

He's a football player. That is all...

 

[Idioteque]

He's a football player. That is all...

He's our best football player at this point.. terrified of the day he's knocked out on a typical 6-yard punt return that a street FA could be fielding..

 

[Superman]

that's true, Bermuda, but we have Wheaton, Dri or even the other Brown to field punts. ****, send the new RB out there to just fair catch them.

just, for the love of all that is holy, do not ever send Ike out there to even fair catch.

 

[Omar10213245]

I'll never forget Colclough trying to field a punt with only his hands and having it bounce off his face.

Good times....

I remember that, too. It was the 1st bengals game in '06, they beat us. When he put his hands up like that, my jaw dropped...i was flabbergasted that someone would try and field a punt that way

 

[TAS]

I wonder why he doesn't do that First Down thing after a punt?

It would be awesome if he did it after a fair catch........

holy **** that is funny

I'd give you karma but the system is ****** up... Still