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Saturday, September 12, 2009

With all the attention on the offensive line and the rookie free safety and the middle linebacker situation, there has not been a lot of talk this week about special teams.

DeSean Jackson will be the punt returner and Ellis Hobbs and Quintin Demps both could potentially see time returning kicks, although Hobbs seems like the likely favorite.

Here are some of the comments from special teams coordinator Ted Daisher earlier this week:

On whether WR DeSean Jackson is ready to step in as a punt returner despite not returning punts during the preseason: “I think so, he’s a very talented guy. [He’s] very comfortable catching the ball. [He has] very good ball skills, obviously as a receiver and as a returner. I don’t have any problem with him at all going back there on Sunday.”

On how S Macho Harris starting on defense will affect his role on special teams: “It will have something to do with it, obviously. It’s his first game and he’s going to be starting on defense so you have to limit, to some extent, what he does on [special] teams, but I expect him to play well when he is out there.”

On whether CB Ellis Hobbs or S Quintin Demps will be the primary kick returner: “Both Ellis Hobbs and Demps will be available to return kicks during the game. Again, as their role during the course of the game plays out, you could see either one back there depending upon how much either one is playing.”

On why he choose to use Hobbs as the primary kick returner over Demps: “If you look back and I really like Quintin Demps I think he’s an excellent returner and he did a good job a year ago. I don’t have the statistics right in front of me, but I believe over the last four or five years Ellis Hobbs might be as good as a statistical returner as there is in the NFL. I believe his average is around 28 yards and that’s very good. They are both good returners. I am very comfortable with either one.”
 

On how P Sav Rocca can work on his consistency: “We just have to get him back on track. When you kick or punt it’s a matter of rhythm and being comfortable. We just have to get him back into a rhythm this week. I though he had done fairly well. He’s been progressing as a directional punter. [He] did not have a good night against the Jets and he needs to get that squared away by Sunday.”

 

On where he sees K David Akers and his preparation for the season: “David knows what he needs to do. He knows how much work he needs. He’s been through this a few times so he has a good feel about what he needs to do to get himself prepared. I’ve kind of left that to him. You always monitor and make sure he’s taking care of the things he needs to do, but David knows what he needs to do to get ready.”

On whether trying to mix the young players with the veteran players is the biggest challenge for the coverage teams: “That’s exactly what it is. You’re trying to get the new guys to understand exactly where they belong, where they fit, where they need to be and that they bring that enthusiasm and effort that they are going to bring to the game. You have to be in the right spot doing the right thing. That’s the whole thing about the coverage. You have one guy out of his lane and you get a big play against you and that’s what we’ve got to eliminate.”
 

Posted by Daily News staff @ 9:48 AM  Permalink | 3 comments
3
Comments   
Posted 08:02 AM, 09/12/2009
ej610
It drives me crazy when I hear quotes like Daisher saying he needs to get Rocca back on track. Huh???? Back on track???? Why was he off track and what the hell were you doing all summer? The Rocca experiment has been a failure. Let's get a real punter with consistency.
Posted 09:54 PM, 09/12/2009
AussieEagle
Rocca is decent punter dude, steadily improved over the last 2 years. Remember it wasn't long ago that Dirk Johnston was the Eagles punter, miles better than him. We have more things to worry about than Sav!
Posted 11:32 AM, 09/13/2009
tornadoh
Sign Sean Landetta!
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Les BowenLes Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News since 2002. Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.

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Paul DomowitchPaul Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982. He has spent most of his 27 years at the paper covering the Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo came to the Daily News from the Fort Worth (Tx.) Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually wa s boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose two sports coats to blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley, a University of Oklahoma grad and very dangerous to be around following a Sooner loss, have been married 29 years and have raised 2 terrific daughters – Allison, 26, a lawyer and graduate of Boston University School of Law; and Amy, 23, who graduated from Clemson and works in marketing and sales for a professional baseball team.