Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
It was no mystery at all that the special teams unit struggled for the New Orleans Saints last week in Seattle.
In the first half of the 44-13 blowout, the Saints’ special teams surrendered a 95-yard punt return (a Seahawks franchise record), a blocked punt and a 60-yard kick return. Kicker Blake Grupe also registered his third missed field goal of the season.
It was a disaster.
Special teams coordinator Phil Galiano is in his first year leading the unit which features several new players. Key special teams contributors departed over the course of the offseason or were moved on from as the regular season began.
A few names include:
- Safety J.T. Gray
- Cornerback Rico Payton
- Linebacker D’Marco Jackson
- Linebacker Anfernee Orji
- Defensive end Payton Turner
- Defensive end Isaiah Foskey
- Fullback Adam Prentice
- Running back Jamaal Williams
Of last year’s core special teams players, the only returning, consistent contributors are safeties Jordan Howden and Ugo Amadi along with long snapper Zach Wood.
Galiano spoke with the media on Thursday where he discussed the focus of the work the team has done since Sunday’s game in Seattle.
“The two things that we put a big emphasis on was communication and leverage,” he said. “I think that we went and how we practiced, we went and got a couple more reps, some full cover reps in the punt. Just put back to the emphasis of overcommunicating and that sort of deal.”
Galiano also brought to light the team’s viewpoint on the performance against the Seahawks calling it an “unacceptable” performance that “left a bad taste” for the team.
An important factor in improving the conditions of any unit that stumbles in a game the way several areas of the game did for New Orleans last week is accountability. Calling a poor performance a poor performance rather than brushing it off as something less than it is will always be an important part of the process. Galiano minced no words when it came to defining the team’s performance against its standard and the importance of the work ahead to correct it.
“We’re embarrassed by our performance and can’t wait to get back on the field and go show what we can do,” he said.
The Saints are currently last in net yards per punt return, have given up the second most punt return yards and have the No. 31 ranked field goal percentage (57.1%) in the NFL. New Orleans has a lot of ground to cover when it comes to improving its special teams play and looks to display some key improvements this weekend against the Buffalo Bills.
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