Good, bad, indifferent?
New special teams coach is Jeff Rodgers
- Thread starter Dan H
- Start date
juza76
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Good, Chicago had a solid special teams unit
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Nowhere to go but up
Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
His units have typically ranked in the top third of the league. He’s not awesome but should be a solid improvement. Awesome is virtually always under contract.
az jam
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He was ST coach under Fox in Carolina, Denver and Chicago. Good resume:
Jeff Rodgers is in his third year as the special teams coordinator of the Chicago Bears after being hired by the club on January 19, 2015.
He has 13 years of NFL experience coaching special teams and 16 seasons coaching experience overall.
In Rodgers' second campaign with the Bears, KR Deonte Thompson ranked 2nd in the NFL in kickoff return yards (804) and DB Sherrick McManis led the Bears in special teams tackles for the second consecutive season with 13. P Pat O'Donnell allowed 22 punt returns in 2016, tied for the 3rd fewest in the NFL among punters who appeared in 16 games.
Before his time in Chicago, Rodgers spent four seasons as the special teams coordinator of the Denver Broncos (2011-14). During Rodgers' four seasons in Denver, the Broncos ranked 10th in the NFL in gross punting average (45.6 yards per punt) and 11th in net punting average (39.6 ypp). Denver's six total kick return touchdowns (four punt and two kickoff) were tied for second most in the NFL during Rodgers' time with the team with the Broncos 24.5 kickoff return average ranking ninth in the NFL since 2011.
Under Rodgers' tutelage, Broncos kicker Matt Prater was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2013 season after setting franchise records in field goal percentage (96.2 percent, 25-of-26) and points scored (150). Prater's 64-yard field goal on December 8, 2013 is the longest in NFL history. In 2014, Connor Barth's 93.8 field goal percentage (15-of-16) was second-highest in franchise single-season history.
In Rodgers' second season with the Broncos, Denver's special teams allowed the second-lowest punt return average (6.0 yards per return) and the seventh-lowest kickoff return average (22.1 ypr) in the NFL. During the Divisional Playoffs that season, Trindon Holliday became the first player in NFL history to record a punt return touchdown (90 yards) and kickoff return touchdown (104 yards) in a single playoff game.
In 2011, Denver was third in the NFL in punt return average (12.7 ypr), including two touchdowns. Under Rodgers' direction in 2011, Colquitt set single-season franchise records for gross (47.4) and net punting (40.2) averages. Denver was sixth in the NFL in gross punt average and eighth in net punting average as punter Britton Colquitt set a franchise record with a 47.4 gross average. Colquitt's 42.1 net punting average in 2012 and 40.2 average in 2011 are first and second in franchise single-season annals.
Prior to his time in Denver, Rodgers spent two seasons in Carolina under Bears head coach John Fox, first as the Panthers special teams assistant (2009) before being named special teams coordinator (2010). He came to Carolina after spending the 2008 season at Kansas State as the Wildcats special teams coordinator.
Rodgers got his NFL coaching experience in San Francisco working as the special teams quality control coach from 2003-04 before being named assistant special teams coach in 2005, a title he held for three seasons. During his five seasons working with San Francisco's special teams, long snapper Brian Jennings (2004) and punter Andy Lee (2007) were Pro Bowl selections. Lee set an NFL single-season record with 42 punts landed inside-the-20 in 2007 leading to a 41.0 net punting average, second best in the league that season.
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona, where he worked with the secondary (2001) and linebackers (2002).
Rodgers played linebacker at North Texas, where he earned a degree in business, specializing in entrepreneurship and strategic management. Rodgers was born in St. Paul, Minn., and attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.
Jeff Rodgers is in his third year as the special teams coordinator of the Chicago Bears after being hired by the club on January 19, 2015.
He has 13 years of NFL experience coaching special teams and 16 seasons coaching experience overall.
In Rodgers' second campaign with the Bears, KR Deonte Thompson ranked 2nd in the NFL in kickoff return yards (804) and DB Sherrick McManis led the Bears in special teams tackles for the second consecutive season with 13. P Pat O'Donnell allowed 22 punt returns in 2016, tied for the 3rd fewest in the NFL among punters who appeared in 16 games.
Before his time in Chicago, Rodgers spent four seasons as the special teams coordinator of the Denver Broncos (2011-14). During Rodgers' four seasons in Denver, the Broncos ranked 10th in the NFL in gross punting average (45.6 yards per punt) and 11th in net punting average (39.6 ypp). Denver's six total kick return touchdowns (four punt and two kickoff) were tied for second most in the NFL during Rodgers' time with the team with the Broncos 24.5 kickoff return average ranking ninth in the NFL since 2011.
Under Rodgers' tutelage, Broncos kicker Matt Prater was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2013 season after setting franchise records in field goal percentage (96.2 percent, 25-of-26) and points scored (150). Prater's 64-yard field goal on December 8, 2013 is the longest in NFL history. In 2014, Connor Barth's 93.8 field goal percentage (15-of-16) was second-highest in franchise single-season history.
In Rodgers' second season with the Broncos, Denver's special teams allowed the second-lowest punt return average (6.0 yards per return) and the seventh-lowest kickoff return average (22.1 ypr) in the NFL. During the Divisional Playoffs that season, Trindon Holliday became the first player in NFL history to record a punt return touchdown (90 yards) and kickoff return touchdown (104 yards) in a single playoff game.
In 2011, Denver was third in the NFL in punt return average (12.7 ypr), including two touchdowns. Under Rodgers' direction in 2011, Colquitt set single-season franchise records for gross (47.4) and net punting (40.2) averages. Denver was sixth in the NFL in gross punt average and eighth in net punting average as punter Britton Colquitt set a franchise record with a 47.4 gross average. Colquitt's 42.1 net punting average in 2012 and 40.2 average in 2011 are first and second in franchise single-season annals.
Prior to his time in Denver, Rodgers spent two seasons in Carolina under Bears head coach John Fox, first as the Panthers special teams assistant (2009) before being named special teams coordinator (2010). He came to Carolina after spending the 2008 season at Kansas State as the Wildcats special teams coordinator.
Rodgers got his NFL coaching experience in San Francisco working as the special teams quality control coach from 2003-04 before being named assistant special teams coach in 2005, a title he held for three seasons. During his five seasons working with San Francisco's special teams, long snapper Brian Jennings (2004) and punter Andy Lee (2007) were Pro Bowl selections. Lee set an NFL single-season record with 42 punts landed inside-the-20 in 2007 leading to a 41.0 net punting average, second best in the league that season.
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Arizona, where he worked with the secondary (2001) and linebackers (2002).
Rodgers played linebacker at North Texas, where he earned a degree in business, specializing in entrepreneurship and strategic management. Rodgers was born in St. Paul, Minn., and attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.
Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Solar7
Go Suns
I'm content with this. I do have to say, my knowledge of special teams coordinators is lacking, so I didn't really have a dog in the fight.
Ouchie-Z-Clown
I'm better than Mulli!
Not Amos. Dilly! Dilly!
LoyaltyisaCurse
IF AND WHEN HEALTHY...
If he could simply get ST to mediocre, that would equal 2-3 wins.
iLLmatiC
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He's not Amos, so, good.
mjb21aztd
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Let's pray he does better than amos... fingers crossed
RugbyMuffin
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We can finally close the book on this. Dilly, Dilly.
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Jetstream Green
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He went to high school at Austin Westlake, which means quarterbacks are in his 'DNA' Wilks. You better get his input in the draft lol
Arz101
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Looks like a good hire. Would also like to see them bring back Dawson, Andy Lee and Aaron Brewer this year.
Garthshort
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Who knows, but it seems like a solid hire.
football karma
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i think we would all sign up for that right now
gimpy
ASFN Lifer
Exactly!!!!
question one: Are you named Amos Jones?
question two: Are you related to Amos Jones?
question three: Do you like Famous Amos cookies?
As long as the answer is no to those questions you are hired!
I wonder what changes are in store for the Cardinals specialists?
Phil Dawson counts $3.5M against the cap this year. Seems like a lot for a guy who missed so many kicks. Could save $3M by cutting him.
Andy Lee count $2.3M against the cap. I think he sticks around as that is a reasonable contract.
Phil Dawson counts $3.5M against the cap this year. Seems like a lot for a guy who missed so many kicks. Could save $3M by cutting him.
Andy Lee count $2.3M against the cap. I think he sticks around as that is a reasonable contract.
StreetTruckinTitan
You talkin' to me?
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If he doesnt I think we can all finally agree its the players not the coach.Let's pray he does better than amos... fingers crossed
Harry
ASFN Consultant and Senior Writer
Fixing the line fixes much of this. I posted the blocking problem several games before Dawson went public. You can’t have rushers constantly in your peripheral field of vision. He made some big kicks. I’m okay with bringing in a challenger.
Good hire...safe choice. Our ST will no longer cost us games and may occasionally contribute to wins.
Snakester
Draft Man
Not bad. The special teams can only get better this year and we might just win a game or two because of it instead of losing several because of it. Dilly Dilly!
