Jacoby Jones demoted, Wheaton, Antonio Brown to return kicks

[katmandu]

http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/Steele...uncey-41856282

The Jacoby Jones project lasted a mere four games before a change was made.

After fumbling both a kickoff and punt return in Pittsburgh's win over Indianapolis, Jones has been demoted as the Steelers' primary kickoff and punt returner. Markus Wheaton will serve as the team's top kickoff returner, while Antonio Brown will reprise his former role as the team's primary punt returner.
Simply put, Jones has failed to be a difference maker during his brief time in Pittsburgh. And on Sunday, he became a liability, losing a fumble on the opening kickoff and later fumbling a punt that was recovered by the Steelers. It was at that point where Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin could be seen on the sidelines advising special teams coach Danny Smith to make a change, which led to Brown's 71-yard punt return for a score in relief of Jones that capped off the Steelers' 45-10 win over the Colts.
Jones' numbers with the Steelers are similar to the ones he tallied during his previous time this season with the Charges, who released Jones midway through the season. Jones is averaging 24.4 yards per kickoff return in Pittsburgh after averaging 21.4 yards per return with San Diego. Jones also has six punt returns for 19 yards as a member of the Steelers, and has three fumbles during his short time in Pittsburgh, as he suffered a fumble in Pittsburgh's Week 10 win over the Browns that was recovered by the Steelers.
Wheaton returned 20 kickoffs last season, and averaged 24.7 yards per return. Brown has returned 15 punts this season, and is averaging 12 yards a return. For his career, Brown has returned 153 punts and is averaging nearly 10 yards per return, and has returned one punt for a score in four out of the past five years.
Jones was brought in to replace running back/return man Dri Archer, who was cut by the team after failing to make an impact on offense during his two years with the team. Archer had returned 14 kickoffs prior to being released, averaging 25.3 yards per return, which was top-10 in the NFL for players with at least 10 kickoff returns at the time of his release.

Archer is currently a free agent after declining several offers-including one from the Steelers-to join a teams' practice squad after being drafted in the third round out of Kent State back in 2014.

- - - Updated - - -

The Steelers need to cut Jacoby and not waste a spot on the roster.

[86WARD]

Demoted to what?

It's funny that many of us have been saying this for most of the season...yet the coaches are just figuring it out??

[Count Steeler]

Demoted to what?

It's funny that many of us have been saying this for most of the season...yet the coaches are just figuring it out??

Boykin's spot in the doghouse.

[Craic]

Funny,

We got rid of a top-ten returner in yards per return (Dri Archer) and picked up a horrible returner instead. Now, we're sitting him and playing someone else at the position who still doesn't have as good an average return as Archer, but no one is complaining about the coaching this time. SMH

[86WARD]

Boykin's spot in the doghouse.

He's keeping it warm for Boykin until Boykin screws up...or Blake makes a spalsh play.

[zulater]

Funny,

We got rid of a top-ten returner in yards per return (Dri Archer) and picked up a horrible returner instead. Now, we're sitting him and playing someone else at the position who still doesn't have as good an average return as Archer, but no one is complaining about the coaching this time. SMH

Yeah we are. This is ridiculous. Many of us said when Archer was cut there was no need to replace him off the roster. Especially with an over the hill ( can't catch, though we didn't know it at the time) Jacoby Jones. And claiming Archer was above average as a returner is bullshit. Forget the kick return average and focus in instead on starting field position. Just because the idiot returns it from 8 yards deep to the 17 yard line doesn't mean you've gained an advantage. You've in fact lost 3 yards off a touchback. So no don't try to sell me on a 25 yard return. The fact of the matter is as worthless as Jones was he actually returned a kick further than Archer ever did in his limited time in Pittsburgh. He actually gave the Steelers starting field position past the 40 yard line. Something Archer accomplished not so much as once in his 1 1/2+ seasons returning kickoffs. He was a zero, replaced by a negative. Of course Jones'problem wasn't the same as Archer's. Archer just can't play the game at the NFL level. Period. Notice no one has signed him. Straight line speed but no wiggle. Jones' problem is he can't catch the ball for some damn reason? I don;t know if it's an eyesight issue, or if he's just lost confidence? Whatever the reason it was evident early and often that he couldn't catch the ball anymore. Somewhere on this board I predicted (wrongly of course) that he would be cut during the bye week. When he wasn't I thought maybe they got his problem figured out and he actually did show improvement during the Seahawk game. But still he didn't look entirely sure of himself catching the ball.

Anyway just because Jacoby can't catch and thus needed to be cut doesn't make Archer any less useless.

[86WARD]

Funny,

We got rid of a top-ten returner in yards per return (Dri Archer) and picked up a horrible returner instead. Now, we're sitting him and playing someone else at the position who still doesn't have as good an average return as Archer, but no one is complaining about the coaching this time. SMH

Archer was a "Top-10" returner by accident and by "ESPNs standards." He wasn't a true Top-10 returner when everything is said and done. When you eliminate half the "field" because they haven't returned the minimum amount of kicks because of touchbacks or lack of scoring or what have you, it's a lot easier to become a "Top-10" returner.

He never progressed in the time he was here and no one can sell me that he did. Visually, he was terrible and it showed, as Zu said, by starting field position. To use Zu's example, when he returned it to the 17, that's actually a -3 yard return and Archer had more of those "negative" returns than anyone I can remember. He made poor choices back there.

As for Jones...he looked uncomfortable from day one and I predicted he'd cause a turnover very soon...just didn't think it would be so soon after I said it...lol. He was a better returner than Archer...he just made you nervous that he'd lose the ball...which he eventually did.

Archer is a bum...to go back to that would be taking a step in the wrong direction. There's reasons he's not on a roster. There's reasons he's only been offered a practice squad spot. If he were truly a "Top-10" returner, he'd be on a game day roster.

[Mojouw]

The whole things boils down to the fact that NFL coaches are conservative and tradition bound. No one really likes to be innovative or change things, because they are terrified that it will "not work" or somehow be viewed as a negative. This often leads to fans "seeing" things before the coaching staff.

Having any of the Steelers top 4 wideouts or a few of the DBs returning kicks seems obvious to us, the fans. But that is because we feel no need to be bound by coaching axiom #135 - Any player deemed valuable at another position shall not be exposed to unnecessary injury risk by returning kicks."

Doesn't matter that it isn't true, it matters that NFL coaches believe that crap.

[ALLD]

Or you could say some coaches use more logic than others while others go by feeling despite the fact that intuition is notoriously unreliable when making tactical decisions.

[zulater]

Here's the net results of all of Archer's kickoff returns this season, listed first by Steelers starting field position followed by Archer's listed return yardage on the kick..
1. 17 yard line 22 yard return
2. 31 yard line 31 yard return
3. 23 yard line 30 yard return
4. 28 yard line 32 yard return
5. 14 yard line 22 yard return
6. 14 yard line 15 yard return
7. 39 yard line 35 yard return
8. 22 yard line 24 yard return
9. 33 yard line 38 yard return
10. 24 yard line 23 yard return
11. 23 yard line 30 yard return
12. 16 yard line 25 yard return
13. 10 yard line 15 yard return
14. 16 yard line 19 yard return

So in summary of the 14 times he decided to return the ball 6 times the Steelers started their possession inside their 20. All 6 of those negative plays were returned from inside the end zone. So simply take a knee and you have better field position. Combined those returns netted the Steelers -33 from what they would have taken from a touchback.

Now of the times he returned a ball from inside the end zone for positive yards (plus the 20 yard line) that equals a total of +29.

So if he had simply taken a knee every time the opportunity was afforded the Steelers would have ended up + 4 yards.

What a dynamo! Bring him back please!

[tube517]

http://www.pennlive.com/steelers/ind...n_wheaton.html

How the Pittsburgh Steelers set up punts differently for Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton

[teegre]

Or you could say some coaches use more logic than others while others go by feeling despite the fact that intuition is notoriously unreliable when making tactical decisions.

Such as... a punt/onside kick when up by 14 points???

[ALLD]

That was completely stupid and arrogant.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Jacoby Jones’ Sharp Descent From Return Man To 53rd Man

Steelers Depot | December 24, 2015

It has been a couple of games now since the Pittsburgh Steelers benched Jacoby Jones after he fumbled twice on returns against the Colts. The two fumbles—one of which he lost, on the opening kickoff—gave him three fumbles on about 15 or so returns in four games with his new team, after being afforded virtually every reasonable opportunity to carve out a role for himself...

to read rest of article:

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/12...n-to-53rd-man/

[Shoes]

His sharp descent came before coming to Pittsburgh. Most of us knew that.

[ALLD]

I wouldn't trust Jacoby Jones to return a striped tie I got for Christmas without dropping it.

[tube517]

Jacoby Raven cut

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[Shoes]

Tomlin got his revenge on Jones for that 100k fine. I see no other reason why he was a part of this team. Worse than archer with better players on the team to do the job.

[zulater]

Jacoby Raven cut

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Odd timing? I wonder if he kept him as long as he did strictly to keep him out of Harbaugh's office giving up "state secrets" before our game with the Ravens?

[43Hitman]

Ross Ventrone promoted to active roster with Jones being cut. Wonder if Mitchell is hurt more than we know?

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[Drazo85]

Ross Ventrone promoted to active roster with Jones being cut. Wonder if Mitchell is hurt more than we know?

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I think this is a special team move. With Nix done for the season coverage unit needs a proven commodity.

[43Hitman]

Yeah that's probably it.

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[katmandu]

I think this is a special team move. With Nix done for the season coverage unit needs a proven commodity.

x2.

Ventrone is a helluva gunner!

[tube517]

It is a special team move but I think they are also worried about depth in the safeties. Golden and Sharknado are the current backups. Mitchell is hurt and his shoulder injury goes back to a previous game. If Mitchell cannot go, Golden will start and that leaves only Sharknado as a backup