Home Steelers 2018 Season The Steelers’ Punter Problem Was Self-Inflicted

The Steelers’ Punter Problem Was Self-Inflicted

by Steeldad

The Pittsburgh Steelers had apparently learned from past mistakes when it came to their kicking specialists. For several seasons they chose to not bring in any kicking competition when Shaun Suisham was there and when he went down in early August a few years back it created a chain reaction of problems. So fast forward to the punting situation of 2018. The Steelers brought in competition for Jordan Berry in the form of Matt Wile. Somehow, some way, Berry kept his job and I think I know why.

After two weeks of NFL action Jordan Berry trails the Vikings’ Matt Wile in pretty much every important punting category. So unimpressive has Berry been that Tomlin called him out yesterday at his press conference. This led myself and nearly every other fan to ask “then why in the world did you keep him?” Tomlin kept him because that’s what he and Danny Smith wanted.

They felt that Berry would do a better job of kicking balls inside the 20 (he hasn’t so far in two games as Wile leads 6-4) than Wile. They also believed that taking Berry away from his job as holder for Chris Boswell would disrupt Boswell’s rhythm. I think we know that with Berry holding Boswell’s rhythm has been disrupted big time any way!

Keeping Berry for those reasons was a very ‘Steelers’ thing to do.’ Tomlin doesn’t like change and coaches by nature don’t like it period especially when they feel like they really don’t have to change. Smith’s gameplan for dealing with the Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill was to have Berry punt the ball along the sideline and use it as a boundary. In other words, his tacklers would use the out of bounds line to pin Hill in. This only works when your punter is doing what he’s supposed to do and Berry wasn’t doing it.

For the Berry supporters out there, I know he had a beautiful 59-yard punt that exited the field at the one yard line. It led to a safety and gave the Steelers some much needed motivation. As good as that kick was it’s exactly the problem. He’ll hit four or five horrible kicks, get Tomlin thinking about a change, then hit one of these beauties. It can’t and shouldn’t work that way. You’ve have to have consistency.

This is why Tomlin has finally decided change is necessary. Earlier today the team had two punters and a long snapper in for workouts. I would be very surprised if there wasn’t a change. But then none of this would have been necessary had the Steelers not worried about familiarity and worried more about actually getting the job done.

 

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