A shocking emergence from the San Francisco 49ers this season has been their special teams unit.
It’s been a refreshing sight to see them perform extraordinarily well. No one could’ve foreseen this coming. Of course, the bar was as low as it could be. They’ve been a putrid unit for years.
So, what gives? How has the 49ers’ special teams unit finally improved this year?
How the 49ers improved their special teams
It starts with special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. The work he’s done to get the unit improved is nothing short of stellar. Now, it didn’t start that great at the beginning of the season.
But it’s not so much how you start in this sport, it’s how you pick it up and finish as the season progresses. At this part of the season, it’s clear he’s done a fine job, which Kyle Shanahan recently acknowledged him for.
“I just think he’s so consistent. You know, he’s a former player who did all that dirty work for so many years as a fullback and special teams player,” Shanahan said. “So, I think automatically when you’re like that, you earn a lot of respect just going into room with players, but that never lasts unless you know what you’re talking about and you work extremely hard and you’re consistent.
“I think he does all those things. So, he has got a great pedigree. He has been doing it for a while and he’s pretty simple in his approach in terms of, he studies the tape, he coaches these guys hard, he doesn’t sugarcoat around anything. When guys aren’t performing up to the standard, he’ll call them out and let them know. I think guys know what to expect and usually when it’s like that, guys just as a group, tend to get better each week and that’s what’s happened.”
New players installed
Aside from Boyer, the 49ers have hit the nail on the head with installing new players on special teams. It all started when they cut ties with punter Mitch Wishnowsky.
The 49ers let him go in favor of the wily veteran Thomas Morstead. He’s done a sweet job with his punts, giving the 49ers’ defense some real estate to work with.
The next move was when they finally gave up on kicker Jake Moody. After countless misses, they let him go and picked up Eddy Pineiro. He’s been money for the 49ers all season.
Last but not least is wide receiver Skyy Moore. He’s given the 49ers a spark as a returner, which hasn’t been seen since Tedd Ginn Jr. was on the team.
The combination of Boyer and these players has been the driving force behind the special teams’ improvement.
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