While much praise is being given to the Dallas Cowboys defense and Quarterback Cooper Rush, one area that never gets much attention is special teams. The Cowboys defense does deserve the amount of approval they have been getting, and so does Rush, but the special teams have been so well-coached this season. Special Teams Coach John Fassel has been doing a swell job at his position.
John has had a total of 18 years of experience and has been the special team coach for three different NFL teams. From 2009-11 he worked for the then-Oakland Raiders, then from 2012-19 for the LA Rams.
Now John is working hard for Dallas to get their special teams to the top. Some proof as to why the Cowboys' special teams have been looking so elite is found in the previous games they have played.
To start, KaVontae Turpin has looked promising. During the preseason, Turpin managed to score two touchdowns on punt returns in a single game. This stat made Turpin famous in the Cowboys community and placed Turpin as the #1 kick returner.
Turpin has had some very impressive runs during the regular season even though he has yet to score a touchdown.
While much of the credit goes to Turpin's ability to dodge defenders, the blocking skills deserve some too. John Fassel has shown these players how to block well for their return man. Every time Turpin has the ball, I am seeing multiple Cowboys picking up their blocks rather well. That is an impressive skill that not many teams can do.
Blocking the opponents so your return man can get through is tough due to the amount of disorganization on the field during a punt.
The special teams also have another great trait to them this year. Blocking punts and field goals. During the New York Giants game in week 3, the Cowboys managed to block a crucial field goal that helped them win the game 23-16.
Another huge play happened last Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. During the first quarter, Defensive End Dorance Armstrong Jr blocked a punt and picked the ball up to run himself to the Rams' 20-yard line. This was an amazing play on special teams and shows how strong these guys are playing.
So why are all the players on the Cowboys' special teams looking so LIT right now?
I have to go with the remarkable coaching skill of John Fassel. I mean, he's not known as the “most creative” special teams coach for nothing. From past seasons, Dallas hasn't ever been this good on special teams. Now that this is John's 3rd season with the Cowboys, things are looking up. He has finally found the right flow for this team in terms of coaching.
I always have felt like special teams never get enough attention. One blocked punt/field goal or punt return for a touchdown can change the game drastically. If one of those things happens in each game, then that right there is all the Cowboys need to win big games.
I am a huge fan of how John has built up the special teams. Can not wait for next week and possibly more great plays from this group of players.
