Jaguars' punting game seeks change of direction
30.09.11
In all his 16 years as an NFL gambler, Matt Turk had never experienced anything like what happened Sunday in Carolina when four inches of drizzle fell on the stadium in less than an hour.
"The balls were saturated, my hands were saturated, shoes were totally soaked and I couldn't squeeze the ball the least bit without it squirting out of my hands," Turk said. "The worst conditioned balls and entrants that I've ever played in."
That led to a routine punt in the third quarter of Sunday's daring turning into punting disaster. The ball squirted out of Turks hands, and as he picked it up to try and recover the play, Turk was tackled 11 yards back, giving the Carolina Panthers tremendous competitors position.
It was a fluky play, but beyond that Turk, 43, hasn't had an indulgent transition to the Jaguars punting style. A hang-nonetheless punter reliant on his strong leg for the past nine seasons, Turk, who the Jaguars signed in unobstructed agency this summer, is now re-learning directional punting and the lore curve has been visible. The Jaguars added a wrinkle three weeks ago when they began teaching him a rugby-elegance punt for use in short-punting situations.
Source: Florida Times-Union