Table of Contents
About the Author: Trevor Sikkema
Latest Bucs Headlines
Special Teams Grades
Kicker
In a year where it seems kicking is down throughout the league, the Buccaneers have far and away the worst kicking situation in the NFL.
The preseason started with Roberto Aguayo and Nick Folk battling it out for the team’s kicking spot, which was eventually won by Folk after two poorly missed field goals in the team’s first preseason game from Aguayo.
They though that their kicking woes would be past them after that, but it hasn’t been.
Folk has missed seven kicks in first four games of 2017. To put that into perspective, Roberto Aguayo missed 11 total kicks in all 16 games last season. Also, no other kicker in NFL has missed more than three kicks – Folk has missed seven.
To put it plainly, things somehow got worse after Aguayo.
Kicker Grade: F
Punter
On the other side of the coin, the Bucs punting situation continues to be one of the best in the NFL.
Bryan Anger picked up right where he left off last season, in which he set the Bucs’ team records for punting, net punting and punts inside the 20-yard line.
In fact, after a performance in which he had a 53-yarder downed at the 3-yard line and a 62-yard punt downed at the 11-yard line, he was given a random drug test by the league.
Anger isn’t in the Top 10 of any of the punting categories, but that’s mostly because of a missing game and lack of opportunity.
Punter Grade: A
Kicker Return/Punt Return
Bernard Reddy won himself a roster spot this training camp, to much of the reason for his special teams skills.
Unfortunately for him, there just isn’t much room to have a big impact on special teams as a returner as there used to be. Because of the ball being placed so far out on kick offs, it’s just rarely worth it to take it out. Plus, on punt returns, though Reedy has been fine, his main job is to just make sure no mistakes happen; be smart when fielding and catching and don’t fumble. He’s currently averaging 10.3 yards per punt return.
In that sense, he’s been fine.
