Rick Gosselin’s 2001 NFL Special Teams Rankings
First crown for Philadelphia special teams coach John Harbaugh
(Published February 2002)
Football’s best Harbaugh in the 1990s was Jim, who became a Pro Bowl quarterback and won an NFL passing title with the Indianapolis Colts. But football’s best Harbaugh in the 2000s figures to be his older brother John.
His impact comes on the sideline, where Harbaugh coaches special teams for the Philadelphia Eagles _ and coaches them well. His Eagles finished atop the 2001 NFL special-teams rankings compiled annually by Rick Gosselin.
The league’s 31 teams are ranked in 21 categories and assigned points according to their standing _ one for the best, 31 for the worst. The Eagles won with a composite score of 194, 15 fewer than runnerup Chicago.
Then Philadelphia coach Ray Rhodes hired Harbaugh off the University of Indiana staff in 1998. Andy Reid retained him when he took over as head coach in 1999, even though the Eagles’ special teams finished 29th in the 30-team league in Harbaugh’s first season.
“In the NFL, the special-teams aspect is much more sophisticated than it ever was in college,” Harbaugh said. “When you put that first tape on and start watching what Joe Avezzano (Dallas) and Pete Rodriguez (Seattle) are doing, you realize, `Man, I’ve got a lot to learn.’”
Harbaugh learned quickly. His special teams improved to 22nd in 1999 and eighth in 2000 on the way to a special-teams title in 2001. The Eagles led in only one category — tying for the top in fewest points allowed with none — but finished in the Top 10 in 15 other categories.
The Eagles forced five turnovers on special teams, blocked two kicks and scored one touchdown to help Philadelphia capture its first division title since 1988. The Top 10 NFL special teams in the 2001 rankings produced seven playoff berths, four division titles and a Super Bowl championship.
Harbaugh, 39, has the four key components of special teams in kicker David Akers, punter Sean Landeta, returner Brian Mitchell and deep snapper Mike Bartrum. Akers was selected to the Pro Bowl, and both Landeta and Mitchell have gone in the past.
“If you have those four elements, everything else you can build or develop,” Harbaugh said.
Chicago had three of the four elements. The Bears finished at the top in three categories and in the Top 10 in 13 others. But the lack of a game-breaking kick returner — Chicago finished 23rd in kickoff returns and 20th in punt returns — cost the Bears a shot at the title.
The team that made the biggest jump was the San Diego Chargers, who vaulted from 28th in 2000 to third in 2001. The Chargers finished first or tied for first in seven categories. San Diego struggled in kick coverage, however, finishing 31st on kickoffs and 24th on punts.
The 19th place finish by Dallas in its worst in Avezzano’s 12-year tenure as special-teams coach. The Cowboys committed five turnovers and had six kicks blocked in finishing out of the Top 10 for just the fourth time in
| Rank | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 194 |
| 2 | Chicago | 209 |
| 3 | San Diego | 253.5 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 255 |
| 5 | New England | 255.5 |
| 6 | Carolina | 277 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 280.5 |
| 8 | Tampa Bay | 284 |
| 9 | Miami | 287 |
| 10 | Oakland | 304.5 |
| 11 | Denver | 308.5 |
| 12 | Jacksonville | 316.5 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 320 |
| 14 | Detroit | 322 |
| 15 | NY Jets | 326 |
| 16 | Arizona | 327 |
| 17 | Washington | 329.5 |
| 18 | Seattle | 331.5 |
| 19 | Dallas | 344.5 |
| 20 | New Orleans | 363.5 |
| 21 | Green Bay | 368.5 |
| 22 | Kansas City | 378.5 |
| 23 | San Francisco | 385 |
| 24 | Cleveland | 388 |
| 25 | Indianapolis | 403.5 |
| 26 | Pittsburgh | 414 |
| 27 | St. Louis | 425 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 427.5 |
| 29 | NY Giants | 435.5 |
| 30 | Cincinnati | 450 |
| 31 | Buffalo | 451.5 |
Here’s a breakdown of the 21 categories:
KICKOFF RETURNS
Best: San Diego, 26.0 yards
Worst: NY Giants, 17.7 yards
PUNT RETURNS
Best: Atlanta, 13.6 yards
Worst: San Francisco, 6.6 yards
KICKOFF COVERAGE
Best: Washington, 17.7 yards
Worst: San Diego, 26.1 yards
PUNT COVERAGE
Best: Miami, 4.5 yards
Worst: Oakland, 14.8 yards
KICKOFF STARTING POINT
Best: San Diego, 33.1-yard line
Worst: NY Giants, 23.6-yard line
OPPONENT STARTING POINT
Best: Detroit, 25.3-yard line
Worst: NY Giants, 32.9-yard line
PUNTING
Best: Carolina, 47.0 yards
Worst: Baltimore, 38.0 yards
NET PUNTING
Best: Carolina, 38.9 yards
Worst: Dallas, 31.1 yards
OPPONENT PUNTING
Best: New England, 31.6 yards
Worst: New Orleans, 38.3 yards
OPPONENT NET PUNTING
Best: New England, 31.6 yards
Worst: New Orleans, 38.3 yards
INSIDE THE 20 PUNTS
Best: Chicago, 37
Worst: St. Louis, 9
FIELD GOALS
Best: Denver, 31
Worst: Minnesota, 15
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Best: Miami, 90.4
Worst: Cincinnati, 60.7
OPPONENT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Best: Pittsburgh, 45.0
Worst: New Orleans, 87.0
EXTRA POINT PERCENTAGE
Best: 15 teams tied at 1.000
Worst: Pittsburgh, 91.8
KICK SECURITY
Best: 9 teams tied with 0 kicks blocked
Worst: Dallas, 6 kicks blocked
BLOCKED KICKS
Best: 3 teams tied with 3
Worst: 8 teams tied with 0
POINTS SCORED
Best: San Diego, 24
Worst: 9 teams tied with 0
POINTS ALLOWED
Best: 8 teams tied with 0
Worst: 4 teams tied with 28
TAKEAWAYS
Best: Dallas, 6
Worst: 5 teams tied with 1
GIVEAWAYS
Best: San Francisco, 0
Worst: St. Louis, 6
