PFF on Punters (Chris Kluwer guest article)

[SgtJoo]

... Here are the stats that allow you to figure out exactly how good or bad a punt was, based solely off what the punter can influence, and you can track them fairly easily by yourself.

 

... Distance ... Hangtime ... Location the ball was caught/landed ... Location the ball was kicked from ...

 

A good punt is a combination of distance and hangtime and location. Most of the time, you get two out of the three. If you’re trying to crush the ball for distance and hangtime, you don’t have much control over location. If you’re going for location and distance, hangtime suffers because you’re driving the ball to a certain spot. Trying to get location and hangtime means you’re sacrificing distance to get the ball up high over by the sideline.

 

This gives us a way to compare punters with differing styles.

 

We can assign a point value to distance ranges, hangtime ranges, and zone ranges, and then use those to determine just how good any given punt was, regardless of punting style. Hitting a ball up the middle of the field is easy, so you need a higher hangtime compared to how far the distance is (giving your coverage team a better chance to cover). Hitting the ball closer to the sideline becomes progressively more difficult, so we value distance and hangtime more than we would a ball down the middle of the field as it’s harder to get all three.

 

Well, existentially, not a whole lot, but in terms of football knowledge, now you know the difference between a good punter and a bad punter based on statistics that actually matter, as opposed to what might as well be a Buzzfeed Top-15 list. Armed with this knowledge, you can now fight crime, stop pollution, and feed starving children in Africa, all while saving 139% on your car insurance.

 

Or, you know, continue yelling for a beer on fourth down. Whatever floats your boat.

 

 

 

TLDR: Nortman ain't bad

 

 

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/06/11/punt-game-sportsballing-really-hard-with-your-foot/

[YoungPanthers89]

[The Huddler]

I remember all of the reactionaries that wanted to get rid of this guy after his rookie year.

Hey! Maybe we should start giving rookies a little bit more than just one initiation year!

[TimTom]

Get a Kluwe!

[bLACKpANTHER]

[PantherWake]

Damn the NFC South has 3 of the Top 6 Punters

[Lemory]

72 yard punt! Only one other guy in the top ten had one. No one else came close! Good ole B-52 Brad.

[Jase]

Punters are people too, I suppose

Sent from my iPhone while admiring feet using CarolinaHuddle

[TheRumGone]

So like Nortman is one of the best punters in the league

[Floppin]

Norman was great last year. He absolutely crushed some balls and had tons of punts that pinned the other team behind the 10

[vorbis]

wonder how the jags are feeling about that 3rd round pick for anger when russell wilson was available.

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Nortman also has the highest avg of the top 10 with 47.7

[Donald LaFell]

that Saints game in the rain he was close to the MVP. 

[L-TownCat]

Norman was great last year. He got absolutely crushed  and missed tons of passes that got the other team inside the 10

 

fify ;)