Westhoff on His Kickers. Punters..........and Kerley

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Westhoff on His Kickers, Punters … and Kerley

Posted by Eric Allen on August 11, 2011 – 3:59 pm

The Jets released a depth chart this week and K Nick Folk and P T.J. Conley were placed atop their respective positions. But both K Nick Novak and P Chris Bryan are getting long looks as well and there is plenty of time left before the ball kicks off at NMS on Sept. 11.

“How are the kicker and punter going to do? That is a major concern,” special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff told newyorkjets.com today. “We know that they all can do it. We have two punters competing for a job. They’ve both had pretty good camps thus far, but it’s like we’ve been in camp for a half-hour. We’re just getting started and that’s a big question.”

Steve Weatherford departed crosstown for the Giants in free agency. Last season the Jets tied an NFL single-season record for punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

“I liked that part of it, but I was not very happy with the rest of it. I just don’t think it was good enough, so I’m trying to get better,” Westhoff said. “ We have a couple of guys and hopefully they’ll work. If not, then we’ll continue to explore.

“I want to get everything better. I thought our snapper [Tanner Purdum] did a heck of a job, I thought our coverage was very good and our base punting was below average. So I’m trying to get better there.”

Folk hit on 30 field goals in 2010, which tied him for third-most in club history, but he missed a few makeable attempts as well.

“We know that he can do it. He goes out and kicks the overtime kick against Detroit and kicks the game-winner at Indianapolis, but at the same time he finished 27th in the National Football League,” Westhoff said of Folk’s 76.9 connect percentage. “Now in the past two years, the New York Jets have attempted the most field goals in the NFL. That has to be a positive part for us.”

Footwork is essential to every kicker’s fortune and Folk has struggled at times in camp in terms of lining himself up.

“We’ve tried everything and we’ll continue. A lot of it with Nick is his technique, to be consistent with his steps,” Westhoff said. “When he’s not lined up sometimes, there are some little quirks and he’s not exactly perfect. One step will be a little long, and then his plan foot gets his above and now his body doesn’t get through and he’ll push it. He’s actually having that problem in camp right now, but it’s about boiling that down and seeing if we can’t get that.”

Folk, whose 56-yarder in Denver last October set the franchise distance record, has to improve his accuracy. The 6’1”, 222-pounder has connected on 94 of his 120 career FGA for a 78.3 percentage.

“Here’s the thing that I know. When he goes on the field, I know he can make the kick. What I don’t know, what I’m not 100 percent sure of, is will he miss it?” said Westhoff. “There are guys I’ve had that I was shocked when they missed it and I want to get the feeling with Nick. It’s not that I doubt that he can make it, I just want to believe there is no way he is going to miss that one. That is going to come from when we get him as consistent as we can.

“If he’s consistent and solid with his technique, he’s a very, very good kicker. But that has to develop and we have to see that and that’s what’s been the issue with him. We’re trying, but he has to step up and deliver.”

Excited About Kerley

You’d have to go a long way back to find the last time a Jets fifth-round pick had caused such a stir so early in his first pro training camp. But Jeremy Kerley continues to impress and Westhoff likes what he sees of the dynamic return man.

“I believe in the system and I really like what I see of Jeremy,” Westy said. “He reminds me of O.J. McDuffie, who I had years ago at Miami. O.J. was really good and this kid reminds me of him in that he has that quickness, that toughness and things like that.”

In an effort to enhance player safety, the NFL will move kickoffs from the 30 to the 35 and Westhoff estimates you’ll see 35 percent of kicks result in touchbacks.

“There will be more touchbacks and maybe there won’t be as many opportunities to run back the kickoffs that we did. Last year we had the best starting field position in the NFL after kickoff returns,” he said. “Maybe that will be diminished some this year with the new rule, although I still plan on running them out. You’d better kick it in the damn bleachers for us not to come out.”

Even if Kerley starts the season as the primary kick and punt returner, the Jets have other attractive options, including Joe McKnight, Kyle Wilson and Antonio Cromartie. It was Cro’s 47-yard kickoff return in Indianapolis that set the Jets up for their dramatic wild card victory in January.

“A lot depends on how he’s doing. He has to practice and read it. As explosive as he is, he has to learn to read things a little better,” Westhoff said of Cromartie. “The opening kickoff against the New England Patriots in the playoff game, he exploded and ran up to almost the 35-yard line and did a good job. If he had read it properly, by now he’d be in Nova Scotia.”

[nj meadowlands]

Gotta love this guy. What a lifer.

[Jetsfan80]

“There will be more touchbacks and maybe there won’t be as many opportunities to run back the kickoffs that we did. Last year we had the best starting field position in the NFL after kickoff returns,” he said. “Maybe that will be diminished some this year with the new rule, although I still plan on running them out. You’d better kick it in the damn bleachers for us not to come out.”

I love it.

[Bleedin Green]

Westhoff is just beyond awesome. It tells you something when the guy keeps getting retained through three sets of coaches and two GMs. It honestly makes me sad to think this is his last year with the team, because the guy is clearly just amazing at what he does, and literally makes it so that one entire unit of the team is pretty much no concern whatsoever (outside of the occasional shanked field goal kick, which there's only so much he can do about). Getting that guy his ring is only one more reason onto the long list that I'd really love to see the Jets to win it all this year.

To see a guy like Westhoff to be impressed with Kerley as he clearly has been tells you a lot about this kid. He's the furthest thing from Rex when it comes to giving out praise, so you know he's absolutely earned it. Can't wait to see him hit the field.

[flgreen]

Westhoff is just beyond awesome. It tells you something when the guy keeps getting retained through three sets of coaches and two GMs. It honestly makes me sad to think this is his last year with the team, because the guy is clearly just amazing at what he does, and literally makes it so that one entire unit of the team is pretty much no concern whatsoever (outside of the occasional shanked field goal kick, which there's only so much he can do about). Getting that guy his ring is only one more reason onto the long list that I'd really love to see the Jets to win it all this year.

To see a guy like Westhoff to be impressed with Kerley as he clearly has been tells you a lot about this kid. He's the furthest thing from Rex when it comes to giving out praise, so you know he's absolutely earned it. Can't wait to see him hit the field.

We'll see if he actually retires. He's doing it for his grown children. I just can't see him being happy out of football.

[HessStation]

Win one for the gipper.whatayasay.