One of the most ignored areas in soccer analysis is special teams and battle position on the field. For some teams it is more important than for others, but in general it plays a very important role in determining the result. Gaining field position doesn’t necessarily translate to winning the football game, but teams that start from their own 30-yard line compared to their own 20-yard line have a huge advantage, even if the 10-yard line seems minimal. Let’s break it down.

Special teams

Thomas Jones was given MVP in the NFC Championship for obvious reasons, but Mike Greenberg of Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN singled out Bears punter Brad Maynard as MVP and I completely agree with him. Four of his seven punts pinned the Saints offense deep in their own territory, and the one he threw at the Saints’ five-yard line led to that critical deep that halted the turnaround New Orleans was starting at sixteen. .

In Chicago’s weather on Sunday, you’d think punting would be a drag, but Maynard connected on punts of 48, 51 and 66 yards in the third quarter. When all was said and done, the Saints finished the game with average starting field position of their own 22-yard line. By contrast, Chicago began their drives with average starting field position of their own 44-yard line. they helped that position, but the Bears started inside their 20-yard line only once after five punts.

In the other game, the clearance was limited but effective. Both punters averaged over 51 yards per kick, helping field position for both sides. The Patriots won the battle for average starting field position by 12 yards, as the Colts’ best starting spot was their own 33-yard line on 12 drives not including the final post-interception drive. This is where the Bears might not have an advantage because Indianapolis didn’t let poor position get to it, having had seven drives of 59-plus yards.

The Colts and Bears finished 10th and 11th respectively in net punts during the regular season, but that doesn’t tell the story. Chicago was second in the league in punt return average and ninth in kickoff return average, as it has its most dangerous weapon in rookie Devon Hester. Hester returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns during the season and finished second and fifth in return yards in those respective categories. He should be salivating after what Ellis Hobbs and New England did last Sunday.

Hobbs returned six kickoffs for a conference championship game record 220 yards while setting up a touchdown with an 80-yard run and a field goal with a 41-yard return. Hester is certainly capable of getting one back, but if he plays the way he did against Seattle, that advantage could be lost. In six returns, he only had 56 yards and had three fumbles. On the season, he’s turned the ball over 12 times, so at that rate, there’s a 2-to-1 chance he’ll turn the ball over instead of returning a kick for a score.

The Colts have the best clutch kicker of all time in Adam Vinatieri, so he’s a huge plus in the kicking department. Don’t tell that to Chicago or anyone, though, as it’s not true. The Bears counter with Robbie Gould, who turned out to be Mr. Clutch himself with that 49-yard game winner against the Seahawks. He is 32-36 on the season and that’s playing in Chicago. Vinatieri was a solid 25-28 but that was within a dome. Overall, the Bears were near the top of the NFL in kicking efficiency, while the Colts were eighth.

Looking at all special teams categories, Chicago has the decisive advantage. If the Bears win, the MVP probably won’t be Maynard, Hester or Gould, even though the latter two have an outside shot. In any case, it will probably be a group effort. The question is will it be enough? It wasn’t enough for the Patriots in the AFC Championship, and despite finishing 25 spots behind the Bears in the league on special teams, it didn’t seem to bother Indianapolis much either.

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