4.Man, a lot of angry topics tonight. This one: special teams. Nobody draws more negative tweets on the coaching staff than Danny Smith. It’s the nature of the position; if there’s a hold on offense no one calls for Kyle Shanahan’s job. But with so few plays on special teams in comparison, perfection is demanded. I get it. Smith has a good reputation around the league and has been sought after by other teams. All that being said, he deserves whatever heat comes his way right now because his unit has allowed two punts to be blocked after a season in which five field goals were blocked. Each one is explainable, but this is a bottom line business and the bottom line is that this keeps happening. Based on how the roster is put together I’m not sure how much consideration is truly given to special teams – look at how many receivers don’t play it, for example. That’s how you have DeAngelo Hall 'volunteering’ for special teams. Yeah, that deserves quote marks. But that’s not to absolve Smith. This is his unit and he’s paid a lot of money to make it work. By the way, on the punt block, Perry Riley appeared to be the guilty party. Last week it was backup linebacker Chris Wilson who made the mistake. That’s the troubling part, it keeps happening to different players.
5.I’ve never seen a returner get up and slap the ball, as if he were thiiiis close to breaking a long return as Brandon Banks. I admire his confidence but man. It’s almost every time. Need to ask him about this; it’s not a criticism but it is something that’s noticeable. Oh, and you know a game will turn on one of his fumbles, right? It’s happening too much anymore.
