Green Bay decided enough was enough this offseason, making a huge philosophical shift to their special teams approach, and the results are already making waves. For years, the Packers operated under a “draft and develop” mentality that put their special teams units in a tough spot. They’d draft players for future roles, stashing them on the roster, which meant the special teams squads were often filled with these developmental prospects. Their historical focus was solely on punt and kick coverage, completely ignoring the return game because signing a dedicated returner would take away a roster spot from a potential draft pick.
The Old Playbook Got Ripped Up
This year, everything changed. Out went coordinator Rich Bisaccia, and in stepped Cam Achord. More importantly, the Packers broke their long-standing rule. They signed Skyy Moore this offseason with the clear intention for him to handle punt and kick return duties. It was obvious early in training camp that he was making the 53-man roster, a complete reversal of their traditional roster-building strategy. Jonathan Gannon also came in as defensive coordinator, and his unit has been solid, but it’s the special teams shake-up that’s really grabbed attention.
Skyy Moore Is Delivering The Goods
That shift has absolutely paid off in the return game. Right now, Green Bay ranks second in the entire NFL for average punt return, clocking in at a fantastic 15.5 yards per return. They are also tied for eighth in average kickoff return, with 27.2 yards per return. Skyy Moore has been electric, boosting that punt return number with a massive 63-yard punt return in Week 2 against the New York Jets. He even added a 43-yard kickoff return in the same game. You rarely saw the Packers rank this high in punt returns under Bisaccia, and they only beat this current kick return ranking in 2022 and 2023 when Keisean Nixon was on the job full-time. While Achord is the new special teams coordinator, it is pretty clear that investing in a quality return man like Moore makes a huge difference.
A Mixed Bag on Coverage
While the return game is absolutely humming, coverage has been a bit of a mixed bag early on. The Packers are handling things well on punts, ranking fifth in average punt return yards allowed at just 7.4 yards. That is a solid number. But kickoff coverage? That is where they are struggling, big time. They rank 31st in the league, giving up an average of 30.1 yards per kickoff return. That ranking absolutely plummeted after they allowed a 61-yard return to the Bears just this past Sunday.
So, while Green Bay’s gamble on a dedicated return specialist like Skyy Moore is clearly paying off and giving them a serious edge in the return game, they have got to tighten up that kickoff coverage if they want their special teams unit to be consistently elite this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
Leave a Reply