ASHBURN — Since sustaining a 17-10 loss against the Miami Dolphins after Jarvis Landry’s 69-yard game-winning punt return touchdown on Sunday, Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden has been adamant this week about improving the special teams play.
When the Redskins host the St. Louis Rams this Sunday, the special teams unit will quickly find out what type of strides they’ve made towards improving.
Tavon Austin, the Rams’ lightning-quick receiver that hails from Baltimore, returned a punt for a 75-yard score against the Seattle Seahawks in a 34-31 overtime victory on Sunday.
Landry earned AFC special teams player of the week honors after his return touchdown against the Redskins. Austin earned the same honors in the NFC.
It doesn’t get any easier against the Rams and Austin, as the Redskins know first-hand. Last season, in a 24-0 loss to St. Louis, Austin returned a punt 78 yards for a score.
“You’ve got the practice squad guys out there trying to get the exact look with the speed and tempo that the Rams are going to give you,” Gruden said on Wednesday. “It’s difficult, but we just have to hold our guys accountable and make sure we challenge them. We’ve got to do a better job in all phases of special teams, no question about it.
“Tavon took one back last year, we all know that. He took one back last week, in fact. He’s a dangerous player both as a returner and as a receiver and as a running back. So, we have got to do a good job with the hang-time. First of all, we have got to protect out punter then get the proper hang-time and then get the coverage.”
Landry’s return was impressive in that he used his raw speed to dart through the middle of the field, untouched, as he scampered for the score. Redskins punter Tress Way admitted to out-kicking the coverage. One of the Redskins’ gunners got pinned out of bounds on the right side line.
Against the Seahawks, Austin — whose speed is equally as dangerous as Landry’s — patiently waited for his blocks to materialize in front of him. With no middle lane available, Austin headed for the left sideline and weaved through a few Seahawks tacklers before reaching the end zone.
“You have to credit the group that’s around him,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “I think they’re very well coached. They understand where he is going to be. We drill every single day on the field as far as blocking concepts and things like that. He’s got such great acceleration and vision. It separates him from a lot of returners in the league. That was an outstanding return. When he gets a chance, we know every time he touches the ball he’s got a chance to go.”
Austin is the first player in NFL history to have a punt return touchdown of over 75 yards in each of his first three seasons.
On Sunday, he could be running loose for No. 4 if the Redskins don’t improve on the punt return coverage that was deployed Week 1.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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