Week 7 was a rough outing for the Green Bay Packers special teams unit. Despite the terrific punts coming from the right leg of Daniel Whelan and the acquisition of a veteran kicker in Brandon McManus, the return game and rapid accumulation of penalties have affected the Packers ability to become a polished and well-rounded football team.
To approach fixing the mistakes that the Packers special teams have committed on a consistent basis, where does Green Bay need to place blame and take action?
Should There Be Concern Had With Green Bay Packers Special Teams Coach?
The Green Bay Packers special teams continued to make poor decisions and failed to execute on multiple punt return opportunities against Houston that could have helped Green Bay walk away with the victory early on. From Keisean Nixon’s choice to let the punt bounce deep in their own territory to Jayden Reed attempting to return a punt from inside the five-yard line, there were too many instances in which special teams coach Rich Bassacia was giving the Texans offense chances to capitalize.
So is it a problem of Bisaccia’s strategy or a lack of player experience? There is reason to say that Bisaccia is the issue in this particular problem within the punt return unit.
Packers Special Teams Coach
Bisaccia has been one of the more established minds in the NFL when it comes to special teams. He has a reputation for drastically improving many areas of concern for struggling special teams units, particularly coverage and kick returns.
The Packers special teams are the youngest unit on the youngest team in the NFL, putting Bisaccia in a less advantageous position to prepare his guys for game time. But every special teams unit in the league is also the youngest unit on any NFL team, making the excuse of players lacking experience an unviable one.
There are underlying schematic issues going on within Green Bay’s punt returns, and Bisaccia needs to address one particular issue quickly as Green Bay looks to face tough opponents that will make the Packers pay for their mistakes.
Staying Consistent Necessary for Packers Special Teams Coach
Consistency in Kick Returns
In Basaccia’s three NFL seasons as the Packers special teams coach, he has excelled in many facets of the game while also failing to improve certain aspects of the unit. One example of Bisaccia’s scheme coming to fruition has been in the kick return department, where Green Bay has been ranked in the top 10 each season Bisaccia has been in charge. In each of those seasons, Keisean Nixon was the primary kick return specialist, logging 70 of 79 returns total since both Bisaccia and Nixon came over from Las Vegas.
Lack of Consistency in Punt Returns
As far as punt returns go, that is a prime example of a weakness in Bisaccia’s strategy. In the last two seasons, Green Bay’s punt return team has ranked in the bottom quarter of teams in the NFL. Keisean Nixon and Jayden Reed have nearly split the returns in half, as Nixon recorded 18 returns to Reed’s 16 in 2023 and 2024 combined.
In Nixon and Reed’s only full season together, Nixon led Green Bay to the most kick return yards of any team that season while Nixon and Reed were third worst in punt return yards collectively.
Make The Punt Returns Like The Kick Returns
Bisaccia’s solution to poor punt return team results may be as easy as letting either Reed or Nixon handle 100% of the team’s punt returns. While Nixon has shown to flourish under Bisaccia’s scheme in Green Bay, the raw talent and athleticism that come with Reed make this decision quite difficult if this is the issue.
If Green Bay wishes to thrive in their punt returns this season, Bisaccia may need to look into this issue from a personnel perspective and stay consistent with one athlete as the punt return specialist. While Nixon may be a good choice in the short term, elevating Reed’s return skills is crucial for a successful Packers future in the area.
Whatever Bisaccia decides to do to resolve these blunders the Packers have been having, it needs to happen in a rapid fashion. Nixon or Reed needs to take over in order for this problem to begin seeing improvements. Otherwise, Bisaccia may need to leave Green Bay in a rapid fashion.
Main Photo Courtesy of Tork Mason/Green Bay Press-Gazette via the USA Today Network – Imagn Images
