During the season, if the Cowboys make a play of great substance, you know we are absolutely going to break it down on our Tuesday and Wednesday summaries. Tuesday is for the offense and Wednesday is for the defense as our traditions dictate. We go over the big picture metrics and the specific plays that summarize the outcomes.
We don’t always plan to make time for special teams as there are not enough hours in the week, but I would be delighted if KaVontae Turpin changed that.
What happened Saturday was about as rare as going to a baseball game and watching a perfect game.
You see, we don’t see kicks and punts returned for touchdowns often. Hardly ever. In fact, if we go back 20 years, I believe that we have watched about 332 games of Cowboys football that count and nine times Dallas has returned a punt for a touchdown.
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Nick Harris punts 43 yards, returned by Terence Newman for 56 yards, touchdown
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Michael Koenen punts 45 yards, returned by Patrick Crayton for 73 yards, touchdown
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Jon Ryan punts 53 yards, returned by Patrick Crayton for 82 yards, touchdown
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Brad Maynard punts 38 yards, returned by Dez Bryant for 62 yards, touchdown
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Matt Dodge punts 69 yards, returned by Dez Bryant for 93 yards, touchdown
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Nick Harris punts 53 yards, returned by Bryan McCann for 97 yards, touchdown
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Mat McBriar punts 49 yards, returned by Dwayne Harris for 78 yards, touchdown
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Washington
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Saverio Rocca punts 51 yards, returned by Dwayne Harris for 86 yards, touchdown.
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Washington
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Tress Way punts 55 yards, returned by Ryan Switzer for 83 yards, touchdown
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We aren’t talking about blocks here — there have been four of those during this time frame and while they are important, they are not part of this study. Otherwise, it looks like Terence Newman had one in 2006, Patrick Crayton had two in 2009, Dez Bryant had two as a rookie in 2010, SMU’s Bryan McCann had his moment in 2010, Dwayne Harris had one in 2012 and another in 2013, and that has been it since then save for Ryan Switzer’s in 2017. One punt return since October of 2013 will tell you that this team has not been aided by any “special” moments from the special teams punt return unit. Nine in 332 games.
Now, let’s do kickoffs. They happen even less, it appears. From what we found on our play-finder, the Cowboys have returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in the past 20 years. In fact, we are coming up on the 20th anniversary of the Reggie Swinton kickoff return. We also have the Miles Austin playoff touchdown in Seattle (in the game that most don’t like to discuss) of 2006. Felix Jones in his first ever home game in 2008 returned one and since then we have nothing until last Thanksgiving when Tony Pollard repeated what he was known for at Memphis — kickoff returns for touchdowns.
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David Akers kicks off 70 yards, returned by Reggie Swinton for 100 yards, touchdown
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Josh Brown kicks off 63 yards, returned by Miles Austin for 93 yards, touchdown
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David Akers kicks off 68 yards, returned by Felix Jones for 98 yards, touchdown
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Daniel Carlson kicks off 65 yards, returned by Tony Pollard for 100 yards, touchdown
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That is four kickoff returns for touchdowns in 332 games. To recap, nine punt returns for touchdowns in 20 years and four kick returns. The odds of one each in the same game seem completely unlikely. In fact, Dallas apparently just played 12 straight consecutive seasons without a kickoff return for a touchdown.
And that is how we got to where we are this morning. Would I really construct a post about a Cowboys player returning both a kick and a punt for touchdowns if it happened in a meaningless preseason game when he was surrounded by players on both his team and the coverage opponent who probably won’t be in the NFL in about 20 days?
Yes, I would. Let’s do it.
1Q – 6:17 – D.Hopkins kicks 63 yards from LAC 35 to DAL 2. K.Turpin for 98 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Before we look at this play, let’s look at the personnel. I think it is pretty safe to say that several of these players will be there on opening night in similar spots — several will not. If I were to guess, those in their spots and will be part of the kickoff return team are CJ Goodwin, Israel Mukuamu, Jake Ferguson, Sean McKeon, Devin Harper and, of course, Turpin. Peyton Hendershot is looking more and more like he might be on that group, too. As for the other four — Malik Davis, Juanyeh Thomas, Malik Jefferson, Brandon Smith — they are either on the bubble or hoping to get onto the bubble very soon. I won’t pretend to know the Chargers real kick team, but JT Woods, Joshua Kelley, Troy Reeder and Dustin Hopkins are all out there, so we can assume it is probably their ones.
Here are our NextGen dots and I apologize that the animation is a little staggered, but it is preseason for the dots, too.
Let’s look at a few frames of this play because you quickly can see what Turpin brings to the table and what he needs from the other 10 guys.
Frame 1: Turpin is still at his 6-yard line and everything looks pretty normal. It is a pretty basic middle return and everyone is on their guy. The only Chargers who appear to have a lane to the ball are both just inside the 30-yard line (and the kicker is at the 40) as outside contain guys. They are Brandon Sebastian (No. 38) at the top of the screen and Raheem Layne (41) at the bottom.
Frame 2 shows us a little more about that triangle that the Chargers are attempting to set up as Turpin crosses the 15. Sebastian is now trying to outflank Turpin and Turpin is looking right at him. Hopkins (No. 6) is hoping this isn’t going to be his problem. And Layne sees traffic as he comes from the screen right at the 25-yard line. Already, Turpin likes what is happening. He spies the fine double-team his middle guys have as Ferguson (48) and McKeon (84) are both on top of Chargers safety JT Woods (25). This will be a key in a moment.
Frame 3: This is about the same moment from the sideline to show you that perfect double-team at the 25 on the hashmark. Jefferson (45) also has his guy sealed off and look at this corridor where Turpin already sees the kicker. If the Chargers’ outside contain guys (Sebastian and Layne) cannot shrink that corridor, this will be trouble.
Frame 4: Turpin isn’t just a fast guy. He knows what he is doing. He has speed and vision. He also sets up his blocks. He is going to set up the rest of the return with a simple maneuver. He presses up to the side of that double-team and then uses it as an obstacle for the last few men.
Frame 5: Here it is. He is now even with the double-team at the 27-yard line and if he can jump outside between that block and Sebastian — who is already beaten — it is over.
Frame 6: As he passes the 30, it is over. Nobody is catching a sub-4.3 guy from behind.
It is scary how easy that looked. Let’s check the punt.
2Q – 1:12 – J.Scott punts 54 yards to DAL 14, Center-J.Harris. K.Turpin for 86 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Since this is late in the second quarter, almost nobody on the field is likely to make the team aside from the two tight ends, McKeon and possibly Hendershot. I could be wrong, but the numbers suggest there are a lot of camp bodies on the scene for both sides. … for what that’s worth.
The dots make it look easy, but this punt return was anything but easy.
Frame 1: You can see that the Chargers gunner to the right has a clear run at Turpin and Turpin has to do his job — make that one guy miss to have a chance to make a play here.
Frame 2: As the ball arrives, Turpin plants his left foot …
Frame 3: Turpin jump cuts to the right as Deane Leonard (33) lunges and misses.
Frame 4: Now that he “made the first guy miss”, you can see there is much more work to be done. The Chargers still have to love the perimeter they have set up at this point.
Frame 5: Everyone is in a good spot here, but Turpin needs a lane. He chooses to try to find that alley between Isaac Taylor-Stuart (36) McKeon (84) as they both deal with their guys. He only has a sliver, but he doesn’t need much at his size.
Frame 6: He squeezes through as McKeon attempts to avoid a block in the back.
Frame 7: He made it but is still surrounded. But his instincts are so good. Look at Turpin spy that area to his right. If he can just get there, there is no Charger between the right hash and the numbers. This is the destination he has in mind. He also has Quandre Mosely (39) to have Los Angeles outnumbered if he can just get to the hashmarks.
Frame 8: Here he goes and the Chargers are in trouble again.
Frame 9: This is where the punter cusses and we all know this is where Turpin is smiling. He is at the 30-yard line again and it is over. He has cleared the last guy.
Frame 10: Again, we admire the punter for trying, but this is a wrap before it started. Turpin is a weapon that a punter has no chance against with the entire side of the field to work with.
Since 2014, the Cowboys have played 135 meaningful games and have one punt return and one kickoff return for a touchdown. They have not emphasized or received much assistance from their special teams.
I believe that is about to change.
(Top photo of KaVontae Turpin: Keith Birmingham / MediaNews Group / Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
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Cowboys special teams can elevate them with nights like this: Inside both TD returns - The Athletic
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