We’re midway through the 2015 regular season and the San Diego Chargers have one yard on punt returns, which puts them on pace for — calculator launched — two yards on punt returns this year.
Teams normally wind up with about 200-300 yards on punt returns, but never dip below 100. The NFL record low for punt return yardage in a season is 27 for the 1965 St. Louis Cardinals. And yet the Chargers, who were ranked 29th in this category last year and 31st in 2013, have just that one yard to speak of.
For that they can point fingers at special-teams coach Kevin Spencer, the personnel on returns and primary return man Jacoby Jones, who is making $2.8 million and has minus-4 yards on five returns and hasn’t been a factor as a receiver.
The Chargers have been punted to 34 times this season but have returned just eight of those kicks. The majority have been fair caught or downed or have gone out of bounds or into the end zone. One was muffed by Keenan Allen, resulting in a turnover. The remaining seven?
Week 3 against the Vikings: Allen returns a 60-yard punt for no gain and San Diego loses 10 more yards due to a holding penalty.
Week 4 against the Browns: Allen returns a 57-yard punt five yards.
Week 5 against the Steelers: Jones returns a 56-yard punt for no gain and they lose nine more yards due to a personal foul.
Week 5 against the Steelers: Jones returns a 38-yard punt five yards.
Week 6 against the Packers: Jones loses two yards in an attempt to return a 38-yard punt.
Week 6 against the Packers: Jones loses five yards in an attempt to return a 50-yard punt.
Week 8 against the Ravens: Jones loses two yards in an attempt to return a 60-yard punt.
No wonder quarterback Philip Rivers is on pace to break the single-season passing yardage record.
So when the Chargers have decided to field punts without calling fair catch this year, they’ve turned it over once, they’ve lost yardage five times and they’ve gained yardage just twice.
My personal favorite is Jones running into teammate Patrick Robinson on what should have been a good return…
But I also quite enjoyed whatever the hell this was…
Also, I swear to God Jones somehow did not gain a single yard here…
So why not give Allen a chance?
One more shot for the youngster…
Obviously, this is the primary reason why San Diego is 2-6.
