Rick Gosselin’s 2003 NFL Special Teams Rankings
Second crown for Philadelphia special teams coach John Harbaugh
(Published February 2004)
Free agency could hit the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles hard this offseason with Pro Bowl cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent and halfback Duce Staley all headed toward the door.
But the Eagles have already taken the necessary step to prevent their most valuable free agent from departing, signing special-teams coach John Harbaugh to a three-year contract extension in January.
The Eagles have won three consecutive division titles and hosted the last two NFC title games. They have won games during stretch without Taylor, Vincent and Staley. But they haven’t won a game without Harbaugh.
His value was magnified in 2003 in the final year of his contract. The Eagles posted the best record in the NFC despite finishing 18th in offense and 20th in defense. But excellence in the kicking game goes a long way.
The Eagles fielded the best special teams in the NFL in 2003, according to Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings.
The league’s 32 teams are ranked in 21 categories and assigned points according to their standing — one for the best, 32 for the worst. The Eagles won with a composite score of 260, 19 ½ points better than runnerup Carolina.
It was the second time in three seasons the Eagles have finished No. 1 in special teams (also 2001). Harbaugh’s units also ranked eighth in 2000 and sixth in 2002. That consistency is why the Eagles concluded he was one free agent they could not afford to lose.
“I’ve said time and time again John is the best in the business at what he does, and the statistics back it up,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said.
The strength of the Philadelphia special teams was their balance. The Eagles finished in the Top 10 in 11 of the 21 categories but were particularly strong in the return game. Brian Westbrook led the NFC in punt returns and scored two touchdowns, including one that beat the New York Giants in the closing minutes of an October game.
The Eagles are one of only two teams to rank in the Top 10 in special teams all four seasons of the 2000 decade. The two-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots are the other.
So there is a clear correlation between special teams and success in the NFL. In a parity-laden league, the kicking game has emerged as an edge.
Both Super Bowl teams, Carolina and New England, ranked in the Top 5 in special teams this season. Six of the eight division champions ranked in the Top 10. Counting the Patriots, six of the last seven NFL champions ranked in the Top 10 in special teams on their way to a Lombardi Trophy.
Tampa Bay, last year’s Super Bowl champion, tumbled from seventh in the NFL in special teams in 2002 to 31st in 2003.
That contributed to the Bucs’ slide right out of the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
Pittsburgh made the greatest leap on special teams in the span of a year, moving from 27th in 2002 to third in 2003. The Steelers had superb coverage units, finishing in the Top 10 in both kickoffs and punts.
New England also excelled in coverage while Carolina was stout in its return game with Rod Smart and Steve Smith both scoring touchdowns.
| Rank | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 260 |
| 2 | Carolina | 279.5 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 281.5 |
| 4 | Baltimore | 282.5 |
| 5 | New England | 285.5 |
| 6 | Oakland | 296.5 |
| 7 | Chicago | 298.5 |
| 8 | Green Bay | 310.5 |
| 9 | Buffalo | 312.5 |
| 10 | Detroit | 314.5 |
| 10 | Kansas City | 314.5 |
| 12 | Houston | 317.5 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 319.5 |
| 14 | Seattle | 321.5 |
| 15 | NY Jets | 326 |
| 16 | New Orleans | 332 |
| 17 | Tennessee | 335.5 |
| 18 | Cleveland | 346 |
| 19 | Washington | 347 |
| 20 | Miami | 360 |
| 21 | Dallas | 366 |
| 22 | Atlanta | 367 |
| 23 | NY Giants | 369 |
| 24 | St. Louis | 377.5 |
| 25 | Cincinnati | 380 |
| 26 | Denver | 393.5 |
| 27 | San Francisco | 397 |
| 28 | Arizona | 425 |
| 29 | San Diego | 429.5 |
| 30 | Minnesota | 437 |
| 31 | Tampa Bay | 442 |
| 32 | Jacksonville | 463.5 |
Here’s a breakdown of the 21 categories:
KICKOFF RETURNS
Best: Kansas City, 25.4 yards
Worst: Tampa Bay, 18.9 yards
PUNT RETURNS
Best: Kansas City, 16.4 yards
Worst: NY Giants, 5.1 yards
KICKOFF COVERAGE
Best: Tennessee, 18.7 yards
Worst: Oakland, 25.9 yards
PUNT COVERAGE
Best: Seattle, 4.8 yards
Worst: St. Louis, 15.1 yards
KICKOFF STARTING POINT
Best: Chicago, 33.5 yards
Worst: NY Giants, 25.5 yards
OPPONENT KICKOFF STARTING POINT
Best: Miami, 25.0 yards
Worst: San Diego, 32.4 yards
PUNTING
Best: Oakland, 46.9 yards
Worst: NY Jets, 36.9 yards
NET PUNTING
Best: New Orleans, 38.2 yards
Worst: NY Jets, 31.3 yards
INSIDE-THE-20 PUNTS
Best: Houston, 36
Worst: 2 teams tied with 13
OPPONENT PUNTING
Best: NY Giants, 35.6 yards
Worst: Tampa Bay, 43.4 yards
OPPONENT NET PUNTING
Best: Oakland, 30.9 yards
Worst: Tampa Bay, 38.0 yards
FIELD GOALS
Best: St. Louis, 39
Worst: San Diego, 15
FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Best: Indianapolis, 1.000
Worst: Jacksonville, .606
OPPONENT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Best: Washington, .612
Worst: Dallas, .913
EXTRA POINT PERCENTAGE
Best: 16 teams tied at 1.000
Worst: San Francisco, .926
BLOCKED KICKS
Best: Carolina, 5
Worst: 5 teams tied with 0
KICK PROTECTION
Best: 7 teams tied with no blocks
Worst: Tampa Bay, 6
POINTS SCORED
Best: Kansas City, 24 points
Worst: 7 teams tied with 0
POINTS ALLOWED
Best: 8 teams tied with 0 points
Worst: St. Louis, 30 points
TAKEAWAYS
Best: San Francisco, 6
Worst: 5 teams tied with 0
GIVEAWAYS
Best: 4 teams tied with 0
Worst: St. Louis, 6
