Look, folks, we have been enamored, captivated even by the Lamar Jackson show. I would even say the amount of attention given to the stable of running backs has been on blast. Fans all around are in love with our secondary with Jimmy Smith resigning, Marlon Humphrey moving back to the outside, and Marcus Peters coming in lower than we thought he deserved on the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2020.
However, we need to show love to the Special Teams unit as they are hands down the best in the league. No, I’m not talking about the return game. I’ll be honest with you: the return game needs major improvement. When the average return is 18 yards, there’s work to be done. I’m not here to rag on those hard-working guys with all the changes they need to make. In fact, with the addition of Kenjon Barner, things are looking up.
I called you all here today to brag about football’s best legs (outside of the Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleaders). Justin Tucker and Sam Koch are making history, and I think we need to take a closer look at why.
Greatest Kicker Ever!
The former Texas Longhorn has racked up 141-points over the last four years, while busting out a 90.8 efficiency rate on FGs and hitting 99% of PATs. 99%? Are you serious? He’s as money as betting a favorite at judi bola. Of course, when you miss that few, the ones you do miss stand out…and become popular memes.
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— Atem ™ (@atem_tm) October 21, 2018
However, what you probably are not familiar with is that according to Pro-Football-Reference that he was the second-most accurate kicker (FG only) in the league last season only behind one Josh Lambo. Consistently holding the title belt of the most accurate kicker in NFL history is very hard, considering college scouts have improved the model for scouting talent at the position each year.
Sure, he was 18th in the league in attempts, but that is because John Harbaugh has changed his middle name to “gamble” when it comes to 4th down. The gamble paid off as they had a 71% success rate on 4th down, a league-best. But, when called upon, “Tuck-o-matic” rarely fails to answer the call.
Koch is Still Cookin’
We now move on to a guy who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. When you do your job consistently for years, make a Pro Bowl, and own your franchise’s record for the longest punt, something has to be said. According to the Baltimore Beatdown, he does alright:
“He holds franchise records for consecutive games played (224), total punt yards (47,451), longest punt (74), and yards per punt average (45.4).”
Long Snappers are People Too
I would be tarred and feathered by Ravens Nation if I forgot about the Wolfpack’s third member. Morgan Cox has been doing his job consistently for 10 years and, according to NFL.Com, is the league’s first true Pro Bowl Long Snapper.
What that means is his coaches and peers (not fans) chose the former Tennessee Volunteer. Because what average fan is watching Long Snappers? It wasn’t the 6’4″, 235-pounder’s first Pro Bowl either, having previously been selected by the coaching staff of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015 and 2016.
The greatness of the Ravens will continue into the 2020 season, but recognize that there are many facets of this team’s stardom. Let’s not overlook the Wolfpack as one of the biggest reasons the magic happens.
