Special teams could be the ultimate X-factor in this heavyweight bout between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders today. It has been an ace in the Steelers’ sleeve this year with excellent special teams play all around, but some significant injuries for the Commanders could exacerbate that situation. One thing to watch is the kick return game for the Steelers.
The Commanders have allowed 41 return attempts this season, which is at the top of the league. The Steelers have only allowed 14 return attempts, for comparison, with most teams settling for touchbacks.
Fortunately for the Steelers, RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson is back in the lineup and healthy after missing the last few games with an ankle injury. This could be the first opportunity to see a few return attempts for the all-time best kick return specialist.
“We’re definitively going to be given an opportunity based on their personality. But oftentimes personalities of the unit reflect their leader,” Tomlin said of the Commanders in an interview with Bob Labriola on Steelers.com. “The special teams coordinator for the Commanders is Larry Izzo, and anybody who has been around ball a significant amount of time realizes the type of player Larry Izzo was as a special teamer…And I think the fact that they’re kicking and covering kind of reflects his demeanor and what he was as a player.”
Tomlin told Labriola that he has been watching every kick return that crosses the 50-yard line every week as he attempts to gather information about the new rule. He has an interesting observation about successful returns.
“The vast majority of the ones that come back across the 50 are being returned right where they’re kicked,” Tomlin said. “If the ball is kicked on the boundary, they return it up the boundary. If the ball is kicked in the middle of the field, they come up the middle of the field, and so forth.”
Trying to move east and west has not paid dividends for those that have tried it, according to Tomlin.
Despite allowing other teams to return 41 kicks this year, the Commanders have allowed the 13th fewest yards per return on average at 25.3. That is impressive given the volume of returns. They only settle for touchbacks on 25.9 percent of kickoffs.
The only thing that could throw a wrench into the plan is the fact that Commanders K Austin Seibert is out for the game with a hip injury. Zane Gonzalez was signed to the practice squad on Friday and elevated for the game on Saturday. Could they play it safe with a different kicker and go outside their typical identity?
This could end up being a big edge for the Steelers if Patterson is able to break a return or two for solid starting field position. Or the Commanders could find the edge by forcing the Steelers’ offense on long fields. Either way, it should be fun to see the new rule in action for really the first time in a significant manner.
