For the last decade, the Tennessee Titans special teams have ranged from average to unmitigated disaster, but that has changed this year. The players deserve some credit, but it isn't a coincidence that new special teams coordinator John Fassel has produced an excellent unit everywhere he's been.
The devil is in the details when it comes to special teams. The coverage units have been crucial to the team's success. Coach Fassel has put together some excellent units, and those players are often nameless when it comes to receiving credit for the overall success.
The best way to evaluate the coverage units and how well they are being coached is by looking at the three players who generate production on special teams. That would be the kicker, punter, and Chimere Dike (who fills both the kick returner and punt returner role).
Here are how Fassel's coaching has impacted those positions.
Titans have gone from last to first in special teams thanks to new coordinator John "Bones" Fassel
Joey Slye, Kicker
It was a risk to move on from steady veteran Nick Folk for Joey Slye, but Slye has been a borderline All-Pro so far this season. Slye is 8-for-8 on field goals, which is the second-most made field goals in the NFL. He's also tied for the most 50+ yard makes in the NFL with three.
Twice the Titans have gotten into scoring position with seconds left before halftime, and twice Slye has rushed onto the field and made a field goal to give the team momentum going into halftime.
If the Titans can start scoring touchdowns more frequently, people are going to be surprised to see how much pressure this offense can apply if they can score every time they cross the opposition's 45-yard line.
Johnny Hekker, Punter
Like when the Titans swapped Folk out for Slye, Mike Borgonzi took a big risk by getting rid of fan-favorite Ryan Stonehouse to bring in Johnny Hekker. Hekker is a guy that Fassel vouched for, and considering that Stonehouse is a free agent and the Titans' punter is top-five or top-10 in most punting categories, it is hard to look at this move as anything other than a categorical win.
Some of Hekker's accolades include:
-second-most punts ending in a fair catch (five)
-third-most punts downed inside the 20 (four)
-most punting yards (645)
-10th in average net punt yards (43.4)
Chimere Dike, Kick returner/Punt returner
It seems crazy now, but less than three weeks ago, there were smart, well-informed people who were writing articles about what a big risk it was to let Chimere Dike be the return man instead of James Proche.
How well is Dike doing through two games? Despite a terrible penalty flag against the L.A. Rams that negated a punt return for a touchdown, the rookie leads the NFL in total return yards (punt return yards plus kick return yards). He also has the second-longest kick return of the year and the third-highest punt return average of anyone with multiple punt returns this year.
Dike has dynamic speed, and it is only a matter of time before the Titans figure out how to translate that into offensive production. In the meantime, Fassel has him functioning like an All-Pro return man as a rookie, which is a great consolation prize for Titans fans.