To the layman, there seems to be no difference between a kicker and a punter. Both positions kick the football high and appear to be the same set of actions; but in fact, the technical actions of these two positions are and tactical literacy are completely different.
For punters, after the team's third offensive attack fails, they need to arrange their punts according to tactics. The most important thing is that they are high enough and far enough.
But that's not all. In addition, they need to control the landing point of the punt and the position of the opponent's returner. The space in front of them may be the landing point of the punt; they also need to leave enough time and space for their teammates to complete the match. The returner's grapple prevents the opponent from obtaining a better offensive starting position through the return, and also prevents the opponent from completing the return touchdown to the greatest extent.
For kickers, the goal is their only goal. Whether it is a free kick or an extra point, aiming at the goal is the ultimate goal. Through the control of strength and arc, the football is accurately kicked into the goal. As for height, Neither distance nor placement are their tasks.
It can be simply understood that although the special teams team is a whole, all the attention of the kicker is on the goal; and the punter must complete the tactical cooperation with his teammates, and with the help of his teammates, control the landing point and control. The opponent attacks back.
For a simple example, the top punter in the league can accurately place the football's landing point within the opponent's red zone through his own landing point control and airborne control. This means that the opponent's next attack must be within ten seconds. Start within the yard line.
If coupled with the precise cooperation of the special team, the football will be controlled on the one-yard line in front of the end zone. This is the most perfect punt, because the opponent must start the offense on their own one-yard line. The quarterback's The display space is compressed to the extreme, and safety points may be created if you are not careful.
Of course, from another perspective, in the final stage of the game, the kicker accurately kicked the football into the goal from fifty-five yards or even further, winning the free kick and winning the game. Such a highlight moment and dominating ability It is also beyond the reach of punters.
In rugby games, the offensive and defensive groups always attract countless attention, but people should not forget that the reason why rugby is divided into three groups is because each group is crucial and has the ability to influence the direction of the game. Ability.
In fact, just one kick can lead to endless possibilities and countless dangers. Therefore, in order to avoid trouble and potential danger, the team responsible for kicking off the ball often chooses to perform a miracle by vigorously kicking the football off the baseline with all its strength, allowing the opponent to automatically start the attack above the twenty-yard line.
However, it is not easy to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the game. When the special teams play, the audience's mood often relaxes a little. At this moment, everyone inside and outside Ford Field is not focused on the court.
The commentators are closely analyzing the trend of the next game. Lu Ke's performance is bound to attract everyone's attention. Faced with Michael Vick's full recovery today, the rookie quarterback obviously does not fall behind at all. They are making comments one after another. He expressed his own opinions and predicted the different possibilities of the game.
The home fans are relaxing and taking a breath of relief. After experiencing continuous high-intensity cheering, they now need to combine tightness and tightness. Next, they need to continue to apply noise attacks, looking forward to providing a boost to help their home team. Get a win.
Even the offensive and defensive teams of the two teams are preparing intensively, constantly communicating with coaches and teammates to further confirm the next tactical arrangement. In the ever-changing game, the tense atmosphere was almost suffocating.
This seems to be a normal kick-off. A game may go back and forth ten or twenty times, and there is no particularly noteworthy part.
Even the special team players are no exception. Compared with punts and free kicks, kick-off tactics have relatively fewer tricks - if the opponent simply and rudely kicks out of the baseline, then they don't even need to warm up and start. The ball is done.
So, for the rare moment, Ford Field became a little quieter. The restless heat wave was still slowly surging, and the noisy noise was still slowly surging, but it did not explode after all. Instead, it entered a short rest moment. For the two special teams on the court, it seemed to be a rare moment of peace, and their ears could finally relax a little.
Marcus Lynch stood in the end zone, hopping lightly like a bunny, relaxing his limbs and muscles, but he was already thinking about the next offense in his mind; although he faced a severe challenge Challenge, the Philadelphia Eagles are obviously not an easy opponent to deal with, but at this time he did not flinch or hesitate at all. Instead, he was full of energy and couldn't wait to start a strong confrontation.
This tenacity and fighting spirit is undoubtedly a new look for the San Francisco 49ers. Sometimes, Marcus couldn't help but imagine that the 49ers needed fresh blood, and Lu Ke was undoubtedly the best choice. The quarterback competition should not exist at all.
Not only because of the personal relationship between Marcus and Lu Ke, to a certain extent, Marcus quickly stood out among the running back competition and gradually gained a foothold in the starting lineup; but also because of the leadership of Lu Ke. Next, the team truly showed their indomitable and tenacious playing temperament. As long as they stand on the court and as long as the game is not over, they have hope.
He likes this kind of team atmosphere, which is something Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick don't have.
In Marcus' view, Lu Ke is the future of the San Francisco 49ers.
The chaotic thoughts just flashed through his mind. Then, Marcus took a deep breath, took another deep breath, forced himself to concentrate, and put other things aside for the time being. His first priority was to complete the return of this kick-off. .
The Philadelphia Eagles' kicker is a rookie, Alex Henry. He was selected with the 120th pick in the fourth round of this year's draft and joined the Eagles.
Alex Henry graduated from the University of Nebraska and performed exceptionally well. He was selected to the All-American first team for two consecutive years in 2009 and 2010. Not only did he set the NCAA's all-time record for free kick percentage, 89.5%, but he also set the record for the longest free kick in the history of a college team, fifty-seven yards; in addition, he was one of the longest free kicks in the history of the University of Nebraska. The highest-scoring kicker in the league, he set a new record in the league's rookie training camp with a 96.7% free kick success rate in training camp in March this year.
With an extremely brilliant record, Alex entered the league with a high pick in the fourth round and quickly established himself as a starting player. Since the regular season, Alex's performance has always been steady and he can be called one of the most stable links in the Eagles' special teams.
Marcus kept jumping on his toes, adjusting his running rhythm. He looked all over the court, observing the position of the opponent's players and his own players, searching for potential running routes like a radar; at the same time, he observed Alec Henry's running footsteps simply predict the strength and position of the opponent's kick.
At this moment, the referee blew the kick-off whistle. Henry quickly started, ran up, lifted his legs, and kicked the ball. The entire technical action was completed in one go. The football drew a high arc, slid across the sky, and then headed towards the end zone. The bottom line is falling rapidly.
Marcus, who was highly focused, fixed his eyes firmly on the football. After making a judgment on the entire parabola, he began to adjust his steps in small steps, and used his peripheral vision to quickly measure back and forth, measuring the football. Make a preliminary prediction of the final landing position——
This time, Henry's kick seemed to be slightly weaker, and the height and distance of the parabola were slightly insufficient. This meant that the rugby ball would not fly directly out of the baseline, but should land in the end zone. Then Marcus Then you can launch a counterattack. However, it is not yet known how difficult it is to attack back.
Marcus did not think wildly, and continued to adjust in small steps to accurately find the whereabouts of the football. He just took a big step back, and then steadily put the football into his arms. As expected, the intensity was slightly lacking. Marcus's catch was not difficult at all, and his footsteps did not require any extra adjustments.
He stepped hard on the ground with his feet, and his whole body rushed out like a spring, but then, Marcus controlled his body, and his eyes quickly scanned the entire stadium to control the overall situation.
The Eagles' players were completely scattered, swarming in like a tide, forming a chain defense without forming a dense area encirclement; at the same time, the 49ers' players also scattered according to different coverage areas, and then followed their footsteps. Quietly, he began to shrink toward the center, while keeping an eye on and monitoring his opponent.
Sharpening the knife and chopping firewood without losing sight of it, Marcus slowed down his pace and rhythm, but he mastered the formation of the entire field. In just a second or so, he made a judgment in his mind, and the entire The stadium was like a battlefield, with thousands of troops and horses galloping towards it. Amid the waves, Marcus glimpsed a road to the sky.
Then, Marcus took steps, started, exerted force, increased speed, and sprinted.
At this moment, the 49ers' special team sent four players in front of Marcus, forming two-by-two groups. Then, like a door opening outward, they opened and slapped the Eagles players who were coming towards them. On the outside, the dense defensive area in the middle opened up a wide path, and Marcus sprinted forward with light and fast steps.
He caught a grappling figure from the corner of his vision. Marcus dodged in time, leaving a small whirlwind behind him. Then he raised his knees high and avoided the opponent's ankle lock with a high-leg posture. Follow-up action; the next moment, he could see an Eagle player on the left and right breaking away from the confrontation and rushing forward.
With full concentration and no distracting thoughts, Marcus entered a state of total selflessness!
