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JP and BMitch preview what fans can expect form the Commanders special teams group in 2026.
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00:00We've been breaking down all things commanders position groups for over a week now
00:04as we get ready for training camp next week.
00:07And today, I think this one will be kind of fun.
00:10Stan wants to do the special teams.
00:14Let's start with what we know.
00:16Tressway is great.
00:17Tressway is great.
00:18Yeah.
00:19So we start there.
00:20They're good at punter.
00:22I think Tyler Ott is a really good long snapper.
00:25They're good at snapper.
00:26They haven't had snapper questions.
00:27He can snap punts and extra points equally.
00:32Dude, of so many relatively bizarre.
00:37He can also smash a golf ball.
00:38He can.
00:39Relatively bizarre Ron decisions.
00:41The decision to cut Sundberg and draft Cheeseman.
00:44What was my man's name?
00:47Cheeseman.
00:48Was it Cheeseman?
00:48Yeah.
00:50Okay.
00:51Yeah.
00:51Cheeseman.
00:52Cheeseman.
00:52The Cheeseman.
00:54Was just so unnecessary.
00:56And that was for no damn reason.
00:59That was personal stuff.
01:01Yeah.
01:01Because coaches can't allow stuff to get personal.
01:04You know, I mean, I feel like we can tell some stories now.
01:07We're years removed.
01:08You know what that was all about?
01:11Vermillion.
01:12Sundberg and Vermillion didn't see eye to eye on Sundberg's back rehab.
01:17And those two.
01:19Well, like we.
01:20And the dude ended up getting busted by the feds for pills.
01:23Yes.
01:24Like.
01:24So, should that fall in the lap of the dude that defended him?
01:28It's just crazy.
01:30It's just crazy.
01:31But, regardless.
01:32I mean, we're looking ahead, not backwards.
01:34And special teams feel very strong about the punter.
01:40Very strong about the long snapper.
01:41I'm strong about the punt returner.
01:43That's what I was going to say next.
01:44Hell yeah.
01:44Jalen Lane last year was very good on punt return.
01:47And listen.
01:47Like, the thing for me is this.
01:49Okay.
01:50I don't.
01:51For the life of me, I don't understand why NFL coaches feel like one guy got to be just a
01:57punt returner.
01:58Or just a kick returner.
02:00How about they do both?
02:01That's what I was going to ask you.
02:02So, Jalen Lane last year had a lot of success as the punt returner.
02:08I got it here.
02:09He returned 23 punts for 314 yards with two punt return touchdowns.
02:14As long was 90.
02:16But, you would know these metrics probably better than anyone on the planet.
02:20What is a solid, like, running backs, you want to make sure the yards per carry is north of four.
02:27Right?
02:28If you're at four or a little bit above, that's fine.
02:32If you're at five, that's great.
02:33You know what I mean?
02:34Yeah.
02:34What is that metric for a yards per return?
02:37On punt return?
02:38On punt return.
02:38Oh, man.
02:39Eight?
02:39No, no, no, no.
02:41It's got to be double digits or more.
02:42When you start hitting 10 on up, that's when you're starting to make it.
02:45If you hit 11, 12, you're starting to really talk.
02:49Kid averaged almost 14.
02:50He's really talking.
02:5113.7 yards per return.
02:54I did that one year, like, 13.6, 13.7.
02:59That was close to my best, I think.
03:02What's crazy, if you think about the way the NFL is structured now, where the kickoffs are,
03:07the way these kickers can kick field goals from real distance, you're basically only punting.
03:15Like, where the punt zone for most teams is probably inside their own 40, because teams
03:23have gotten way more aggressive on fourth down.
03:25These kickers can kick from way farther out.
03:28And anytime you get north of your own 40-yard line, odds are you're going for it on fourth
03:34down when you get into that middle-of-the-field territory, right?
03:37Yeah.
03:38So if you're generally punting, and maybe you can find numbers that support this, but I'm
03:42just thinking, generally, where modern NFL is, you're punting inside your own 40, which
03:49means you're probably generally receiving the punt at your own 25-30, and if you're averaging
03:57almost 14 yards a return, it's almost an immediate flip of the field position.
04:03Yeah.
04:04And that's the main thing about it.
04:05Like, the thing about him, he showed, he had two last year, right?
04:08Two.
04:09He showed you really.
04:10First two, but two, I think since you.
04:11Two, how he can, he gets up and down.
04:14And the reason I say is because when you are a punt returner or a kick returner, whatever,
04:19you have a certain way of running it.
04:22You watch some guys where they go to cut, then they cut.
04:26Those extra two or three steps, whatever, four, you've allowed another guy to get closer
04:31and that hole closes.
04:31You want to get in and out of those holes quicker.
04:34And I've always felt he can try it, you know?
04:36Luke was good at it.
04:38He started to get better at it early on.
04:40I thought he had some way missed, but he was getting better at it.
04:45But when you already have that natural running tendency, you're way more aggressive and successful.
04:53So, I like Lane as a punt returner.
04:56I can't, we can't give him quite the same grade as Tress and Ott because they've done it year
04:59after year after year.
05:00Totally.
05:01But I think at the punt return situation right now with Jalen Lane, you view that as a plus
05:06for sure.
05:07Like, if it's, if we're talking about wins over replacement, he's at a two and a half or
05:11something.
05:12So, I think there's real excitement with Lane as a punt returner.
05:15Now, you mentioned why can't he return kicks?
05:17And it's an interesting discussion because, to their credit, Debo was really good as a
05:23kick returner last year.
05:25He was, Debo was really good in that role.
05:27Luke McCaffrey was also really good in that role prior to his injury when he broke the collarbone.
05:33So, I ask you this year, B, do you think the return men on kicks will be Luke and Lane?
05:46Possibly.
05:46Possibly.
05:47Yeah.
05:48To start with, for sure.
05:50But I, I'm, the reason I'm saying by Jalen, I mean, because, Lane, because you watch him
05:58on the punt returns, foot in the ground gone.
06:00Yeah.
06:01That, right now, with his speed, he hit a few kick returns like that, he's going the distance.
06:08Because those holes open.
06:10Yeah.
06:10They all, they have a lot of holes.
06:11There's a lot more space.
06:12Right.
06:12They close, but if you get through them and get out there, he's going to run away from
06:16the kickers.
06:17You know, I just think that he has a better feel of returning than the other guys.
06:24And Debo did have, but Debo don't run like he does.
06:26He does.
06:27Not the speed.
06:28Yeah.
06:28But that kick return has turned into a different play now.
06:32You know what I mean?
06:32I mean, it's a different play, but still, it's for the guy, what did Jalen Lane do in college?
06:39Reverses and all that type of stuff.
06:40Yeah.
06:41He understands how to run the ball amongst big guys.
06:44You know what I'm saying?
06:45Just looking at the raw numbers from last year, Debo Samuel returned 15 kicks for 452
06:51yards, had a 69 yarder.
06:53He, Debo averaged 30 yards per return.
06:55Then teams kind of stopped kicking to him.
06:57Then he got a little beat up.
06:58They probably took him off the kick return unit.
07:01Luke McCaffrey led this team with 26 kick returns, 769 yards, averaged 29.6 per return,
07:10had a 58 yard return.
07:14I would think Luke absolutely steps back into that role.
07:19It's kind of interesting looking at how they spread this out after Luke went down.
07:23Chase Edmonds finished the season with 11 kick returns for 242 yards, averaged 22 yards
07:29a pop.
07:30Trey Burks returned a kick.
07:31I don't even remember that happening.
07:33Chris Moore returns a six kick.
07:36I think that happened in Kansas City.
07:38Did he?
07:39The squib or something like that.
07:40Okay.
07:42Lane only returned three kickoffs last season at 56 yards, averaged 18.7 yards per return.
07:50It's remarkable.
07:51He almost averaged as much on punt returns as he did on kick returns.
07:55It's totally different.
07:56The kicks that he returned were not just banging it out there and going with it.
08:01Sure.
08:02Noah I, Noah Igbenogany, had seven returns for 190 yards along a 46.
08:09And Jeremy McNichols had two kick returns for 29 yards, averaged 15 a pop.
08:16I think it's going to be Luke again.
08:18Do you agree with that?
08:19You're going to have two guys back there primarily.
08:20I think one will be Luke.
08:22It sounds like you'd like to see the other one be late.
08:25I'd like to see him get some chances.
08:28I would think he will.
08:30I just think that when you are that guy, if you're doing both of them, the chances of hitting one
08:38is going to be, it comes quicker.
08:44Well, and the other part of it is if we don't know what's going to happen, right?
08:49But if Luke or Lane emerge as really important pieces offensively, if they emerge as, you know, guys tracking towards
08:581,000 yards or something, I don't know that they're – in years past, you'd say their kick return duties
09:05will probably shrink.
09:08But Debo was playing a ton of snaps and they had return kicks.
09:14This coaching staff values special teams in a way that organizationally this team hasn't in some time.
09:21And that's what I mean.
09:22Like if you are very, very effective at the return game and then you're not the one or two receiver,
09:30I don't think it hurts.
09:33Hell, I was a third down back for most of my career.
09:36I didn't stop returning kicks and punts or covering kicks and punts.
09:43It's like when you have a certain ability, you're on the field.
09:48Like when you watch a McNichols and a Revo, if they pick up some offensive stuff, they ain't getting rid
09:54of their special team stuff.
09:55Right.
09:56It's just you want guys with that mindset and that type of person out on that football field.
10:02By far, the least settled position of the commander's special teams group is the kicker.
10:11Yeah.
10:12We've got two people in camp.
10:14We've got a real competition.
10:16Jake Moody kicked for six games last year.
10:20If I give you the raw numbers, they look pretty good.
10:23Six games, he made 10 out of 11 extra points.
10:28He made 10 out of 11 field goals.
10:31Okay.
10:32Oddly enough, the field goal he missed was a shorty.
10:36He was three of four from 20 to 29 yards.
10:39He was three of three from 30 to 39.
10:42Two of two from 40 to 49.
10:45And two of two from 50 plus.
10:48His kickoffs, I don't think seemed great.
10:52Maybe they want those dirty kicks.
10:55He got the job.
10:57He got the job after they released Matt Gay.
11:00I believe they released Matt Gay following the Dolphins loss when Gay missed a bad one.
11:05Gay played 10 games, was 13 of 19 on field goals.
11:10But five of those misses were from 50 plus.
11:14Gay had a big leg, but couldn't rein it in deep.
11:17He also missed a shorty.
11:19I think he missed a, I think the Dolphins kick was like a 38-yarder.
11:23Gay had all the yardage on the actual kickoffs, though.
11:28Gay also made all of his extra points.
11:3222 and 22.
11:32He's gone.
11:34Moody is here, as is the rookie, Drew Stevens, who's got a cannon of a leg.
11:43Like, you can hear the difference in Moody versus Stevens kicking when you're out there.
11:49But I don't know that he has the accuracy.
11:51How do you feel about the kicking position?
11:54I feel like we've been having this conversation for a long, long time.
11:58I look at it like this.
12:00They want a guy that could be a little bit more of a weapon with the deeper kicks.
12:05But I think he's going to have to be, he's going to have to improve his accuracy if he's going
12:09to win it.
12:11You know what I mean?
12:13If you're, a big leg is cool.
12:16But you know what a big leg also does?
12:19You go for longer field goals.
12:20And if you miss it, guess what?
12:22The other team has a great field position.
12:23Sure.
12:24So he has to improve his accuracy if he's going to take that thing and win it.
12:28Who do you think ends up winning it?
12:30Don't have a clue.
12:32I don't know, because both of them have shown to be inaccurate at times.
12:38It could be somebody else.
12:40We don't know.
12:41Yeah.
12:41That's the thing about it.
12:43I mean, you're not wrong there.
12:46Stevens is interesting.
12:48And I don't mean this in a bad way at all.
12:53I can't say it on the air, but there's a phrase I like to describe people.
12:57They've got some S to them.
13:00Stuff.
13:01Yeah.
13:02Like, confident young man.
13:04He, when he explained.
13:06If you're in that position and you don't have confidence, you should not be in that position.
13:09When he explained that he had multiple teams call him after the draft and why he wanted to go to
13:17Washington, he basically explained it that I thought I could win this job.
13:24Like, he didn't say as much, but the Bills apparently called him.
13:28The Bills, who's the Bills kicker, WB?
13:30He just got a massive contract extension.
13:33Like, he's been a, Tyler Bass, well established.
13:36Well, the man is smart.
13:36I think he also said Tennessee called him.
13:40And I don't know, the Titans kicker off the top of my head, but like, he was like, I looked
13:46at this opportunity as one I can go take.
13:48And I just was like, I like that.
13:52He's putting it out there.
13:54You know, and the thing about it is, you can say all that, but you better be on point when
14:00the opportunity presents itself.
14:02Totally.
14:03That's when it, when it really matters.
14:05Like, I know a lot of people say a lot of stuff, but if you're not ready when the moment
14:10comes, then why were you talking?
14:13Totally.
14:14And I think it's going to be really interesting to watch that kicker battle.
14:18And dude, like, there's going to be, there's going to be fans there.
14:26Yeah.
14:27Like, and the kicker battle is binary.
14:33Like, the fans are going to be watching it and you're either going to make them or miss them.
14:37Yeah.
14:37And I asked Izzo, when we had the special teams, when we had the day with all the coaches, like,
14:45at the kicker position, is there something that fans or media don't realize that maybe you're looking for more than
14:52anything else?
14:53He's like, nah, man.
14:54You just got to make kicks.
14:55Make kicks.
14:55I mean, it's that position where when you walk out on the field, every eye is on you.
15:04And you make it or you miss it.
15:06And if you make a lot of them in the bigger moments, people remember it more.
15:11But if you miss them, they definitely remember that.
15:15100%, man.
15:16Just like being a cornerback.
15:18When you're out there and it's one-on-one and you're out, you may have covered the guy perfectly.
15:24The quarterback threw a perfect ball and the guy ended up coming up with it.
15:27No fan go, oh, fans really don't say, oh, he was covered.
15:31They say, man, he got burned.
15:34Kicker miss it?
15:35Oh, that dude no good.
15:36And kickers don't care if the snap was a little low, the hold was a little off.
15:40I mean, fans see you miss it?
15:43They don't know that the timing was off because of the snapper or that the holder put it in the
15:49wrong place.
15:49Or that it's pouring rain or the wind's howling.
15:54And in essence, nobody really cares.
15:57Make the damn kick.
15:58Corner gets burnt.
15:59Nobody cares if he was supposed to have safety.
16:01I've seen guys kick field goals through the upright that was laying down.
16:05Not the ball standing up.
16:06The ball fell and he still kicked it and got it through the uprights.
16:10One word answer only, Stallion.
16:13Moody or Stevens?
16:15Who is the kicker this fall?
16:17Stevens.
16:18One word answer only, Jeffrey.
16:19Moody or Stevens?
16:22Stevens.
16:23I think there's a groundswell.
16:25I think people are rooting for Stevens.
16:27I think people, Moody made you nervous last year when he was lining up for kicks.
16:33That's what I was about to say.
16:34Moody messed up his social value amongst the fans.
16:41Stevens is inheriting social value, though, that he hasn't earned just because he's the next guy.
16:46Yeah.
16:47Yeah.
16:47So, it's going to be a fun battle to watch.
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