How did we improve our return game this offseason? Or, why didn't we?

With all the talk about Special teams; did they forget about the return game? Tomlin always was talking about the kicking and tackling, but never about the return game.

Last year we brought in Switzer and that bombed.
2018 the Steelers finished 2nd to last in Avg kickoff return. Ranked 31st AVG 19.3 yds
2018 the Steelers finished in the bottom half of the league for Avg punt returns. Ranked 17th. AVG 8.1 yds

I had high hopes when they drafted Johnson as he was one of the best return men in college football. The only knock was that he had control problems, and I thought he could work that out in the preseason. I expected him to be getting the majority of the Duty in both the Punt and Kick return game. In the last 2 years in college he average 1 punt return and 1 kick return per year. In those 2 years he averaged 23.8 yds per kick and 20.2 yds per Punt.

Through the Preseason Holton had the most Kick return yards and Spencer the most punt return yards.
Both of these players were released.

So, I guess for 2019 it is back to the bottom of the league for our Special Team returns?

 

Blame the league. Kickoffs are pretty much a joke, they moved up kickoffs, made blocking walls an illegal form of blocking on a kickoff.
Then punters learned to not out punt their coverage, as it’s vastly more important than punting super far. Plus then when one gets returned 60% of the time they call holding or block in the back.

The sample size for the stats is pretty small anymore.

Remember all the kickoff and punt returns highlights you used to see. Haven’t seen many last 2-3 years have you?

Which gets to the point why waste the roster spot of a glorified returner anymore? I think the staff finally wised up.

 

Yea, but did did you see Spencer on the end arounds and imagine him on reverses, along with his punt returns he could of been an asset to this team more so than Mak or Dan Mc Cullers.

 

I'll be ecstatic if we dont gain 1 yard more than last year but cut the penalties in half...

 

I agree, and I also wonder if the experience of the likes of Stefan Logan and Dri Archer also counted against Spencer. We’ve had that “really quick, potentially explosive” guy here before and he’s either not been used properly or failed to make enough of an impact to warrant keeping.

Like others have said, I’m good with the five we kept, but would have held on to Holton as a speedster in place of Matekevich.

 

It's not all about the return game. We lost both gunners already. Do we want to also lose the guy that led them in ST tackles too? I don't want to see those highlights either. We only have so many guys active on gameday. Who are the seven you sit on gameday?

Dobbs
Ola for now
Johnson
Banner
Gentry
dan
layne
Dangerfield or Kelly or UG3.

 

Dan won't sit, he's the backup NT, Buggs will sit.