Anyone else NOT like TJ on punt returns?

[Rocketsan 881]

I think it's a bit of a risk putting one of our best receivers back there. I'd prefer to put someone a little more expendable back to field punts...

[Parseghians theorem 0]

I think it's a bit of a risk putting one of our best receivers back there. I'd prefer to put someone a little more expendable back to field punts...

 

agree from an injury standpoint. but we put rocket back on both.

[Rocketsan 881]

agree from an injury standpoint. but we put rocket back on both.

 

Venture to guess that players are bigger and stronger today...as is the speed of the game.

 

Just think it's an unnecessary risk...at this point I'd put GA III back there...

[NCND 0]

He seems like a natural back there

[irishrb 0]

TJ looked incredibly smooth yesterday to me. Everything just looked effortless to me. He had that special quality that ND needs. He stepped up and wanted the challenge. ND's special teams need all the help they can get. Put some blocking together and let him have at it. After watching him yesterday, I see a Golden Tate type year for him. Get the ball to him as much as possible, including punts, I say.

[Ohio ND 0]

I'm not entirely sold on having TJ return the punts but he just looked like he was oozing with confidence on each one. Which is good, I think confidence has been lacking with the special teams over the past few years.

 

Special teams have been pretty lackluster and a boost to the return game could definitely give us the edge against tougher competition.

[Parseghians theorem 0]

Venture to guess that players are bigger and stronger today...as is the speed of the game.

 

Just think it's an unnecessary risk...at this point I'd put GA III back there...

 

still relative though.

 

returners bigger and stronger now.

defenders bigger and stonger now.

 

in turn

 

players were smaller and weaker in rockets day.

 

unless it hasnt been a 1 for 1 evolution. but i dont think thats the case.

 

and whoever is back there has to have 100 percent ball security.

[AlabamaDuck 0]

Returning punts are not nearly as dangerous as catching a high pass coming over the middle.

On the play that he almost broke, the gunners were picked up early. I think they will put it together.

[FaithInIrish Forever 5,591]

the best punt return teams have an NFL type player returning punts. He broke down an put Floyd back there some in 2011 at times. Its one of those things that nobody wants to do but it seams almost a necessary risk.

[golson5 221]

I like TJ back there. Think he will break a few.

[IrishGuy 199]

Using that mindset, TJ should only run "go" routes and never do anything inside the numbers to avoid injury.

 

You cannot think about injuries when set the lineup. If TJ is the best option for PR, then put him there. After the last couple of seasons, I would put my 63 year old mom there if she had the ability to do something other than wave her arm in the air and catch the ball.

[jfschellcrna 11]

he seems to be the only one who wants it...............

[davislove 0]

Venture to guess that players are bigger and stronger today...as is the speed of the game.

 

Just think it's an unnecessary risk...at this point I'd put GA III back there...

 

LOL,

 

It's too risky for our starting wr, but go ahead and put our 1b running back back there.

 

Take it you can live with losing GA3?

 

Seriously I agree with you on not using TJ.

[Rocketsan 881]

LOL,

 

It's too risky for our starting wr, but go ahead and put our 1b running back back there.

 

Take it you can live with losing GA3?

 

 

I think GA3 runs perfectly to return...I also think he's going to find his a$$ parked on the bench before week four...

[jessemoore97 1,479]

I don't know. I thought for the most part he looked better there than our last couple of PR. We at least had positive yardage and not just a waving hand. The key is blocking of course, and we've been terrible in that area on PR. You could put the genuine Rocket back there and he'd have to fair catch all day as well. It's boggled my mind why we haven't been able to figure this out through three years now. And I don't want to hear how the punting team has changed, etc, etc because there are lots of other teams who seemed to have figured it out and had a better return game than we ever displayed.

 

We'll see how things fair in the next couple weeks with increased competition. Maybe we'll go back to the safe thing and fair catch all punts regardless of the proximity of the defenders.

[ndomer4 532]

Atkinsons only future is returning kicks and punts, because after yesterday he looks like the weak link at runningback. TJ IMO is too valuable too be back there, I say get Atkinson returning everything.

[corysold 0]

Seeing that he gained more return yards on that game than ND has managed in entire seasons recently, I think he can stay.