Make no mistake about it, special teams are a big deal at all levels of football, especially the NFL.
September 28, 1986: Cowher Greets Ice Cube🏈#Browns Gerald McNeil returns punt 84 yds in W vs. #OnePride
— On This Day: Cleveland Sports (@CityfanC) September 28, 2022
Best part about it? -1st one to greet him is Special Teams coach Bill Cowher. So obvious Cowher was going to be special, have a great career #IceCube🧊#TheChin #DDHoggard pic.twitter.com/2uLT3jA5zN
You can see that merely by going through Browns history. Way back at the beginning of the franchise, the Browns had the best kicker in the game in Lou Groza, and the best punter in the game in Horace Gillom. Then in 1953, they had the leading punt returner in the league in blank in Ken Konz.
In the 1960s, the Browns had returners like Leroy Kelly and Walter Roberts. Wide receiver Gary Collins doubled as the team’s punter, and one in 1965, a year after catching three touchdown passes from Frank Ryan to defeat, the Baltimore, Colts 27-0 in the NFL Championship Game, he led the league in punting.
When Groza retired, he was followed by Don Cockcroft, who both kicked and punted for most of his 13-year career.
In the 1970s, Greg Pruitt was one of the top returners in the league.
In the 1980s, Cockcroft retired and gave way to Matt Bahr, who continued the great tradition of Browns kickers. In a game in Minnesota in 1986, the Browns defeated the Vikings on special teams on a day when their offense and defense struggled. In breaking the Three Rivers Jinx that year by beating the Steelers at Pittsburgh, a key play was a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Gerald McNeil.
Even in the disappointing expansion era, the Browns have generally had some great special teams. Phil Dawson just might be the best kicker the Browns have ever had. Ryan Pontbriand was a tremendous long snapper, and Josh Cribbs may be the best overall special player the Browns have ever had. He returned kicks and was on coverage units, excelling beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. After all, he had been a slash-style quarterback at Kent State.
Why the history lesson about special teams? Because the Browns fired their special teams coordinator, Mike Priefer, and now are looking at hiring a new one. It will be an important hire, because while the Browns try to build their offense and defense into units that can help get them back into contention in the AFC, they will also need great special teams.
Indeed, head coach Kevin Stefanski must find the right guy to lead his special teams. You saw what happened with the special teams this past season, when they were awful. They did nothing to help the team win, and in fact, did much to help it lose.
The Browns need to take special teams seriously, and it appears that they have. It’s about time that happened.
Steve King
