[Equipe Type] Special teams: Justin Tucker without competition
Throughout the month of May and June, Touchdown News reveals the typical NFL team voted by the editorial staff. The idea is simple: select the best players at the moment T, to start the 2022 season. It is not a question of building for in 3 years (or 10), but of winning immediately.
Often underestimated, special teams can still have a significant impact on the outcome of a match. We saw it in the playoffs this season, when this squad gave the 49ers victory against the Packers, or caused the defeat depending on which side you are on.
It is obvious that a kicker and a punter have their place in a typical team. After designating the incumbents, one thing stands out: to be the best at your special team position, you have to have studied at the University of Texas.
Kicker
1 – Justin Tucker – Baltimore Ravens – 32 years old
2021 stats: 17 matches, 35/37 on field goals, 32/32 on conversion
In the NFL, it’s not just Aaron Donald who is indisputably the best player in his position. This is also the case for Justin Tucker. It’s simple, with a success percentage of 91.1%, he has the best average in the history of the league. In 2021, this success was even above his career average, with 94.6%. Numbers that make him probably the best kicker in league history.
Even more than a precise kicker, Justin Tucker has also proven two points this season: he has a powerful leg, and he is a clutch. The perfect proof is his field goal at the buzzer against the Lions in week 3. A kick from 66 yards, which allows him to give the victory to the Ravens, and at the same time beat the record for the longest field goal in the league. ‘story. If you have to stake your life on a field goal, entrust it to Justin Tucker, you will be in good hands (or legs).
punter
1 – Michael Dickson – Seattle Seahawks – 26 years old
2021 stats: 17 games, 83 punts, 46.9 yards average
In the big family of Australian punters, I ask for the best: Michael Dickson. Trained like his comrades at the school of Australian football, the Seahawk has established himself for 4 years as a more than solid punter in the NFL. His career average of 47.4 yards per punt ranks him second in league history, trailing only Shane Lechler.
This season was especially marked by a very particular action: a double punt. Against the Rams in week 5, during the third quarter, Dickson saw one of his punts countered by a Los Angeles player. The punter recovers the leather and strikes a second time, gaining 68 yards. Certainly, the action should have been penalized, but we must salute the responsiveness of Dickson, capable of exploding the counters in panic. Proof if any that he is a quality punter.
Editor’s vote
1 – Justin Tucker – 90 points
6 – Michael Dickson – 26 points
Scale: 1st = 10 points, 2nd = 9 points… 10th = 1 point.
The rest of the top 10 is for tomorrow!
The typical team
Quarterbacks – RB – OT – OG/C – TE – WR – DL – Edge – LB – CB – S
