David F.
Posts: 10862
Joined: 12/31/2007
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From an Oct 7, 2011 Fox Article: ''It's football, not tiddlywinks, so I'll play through it,'' Kluwe said. The mere mention of a punter's status for a game being in question is unusual, particularly for Minnesota, where specialist stability has been a rather underrated plus. Since kicker Ryan Longwell signed with the team before the 2006 season, Kluwe, Longwell and long snapper Cullen Loeffler have taken part in every game together. According to STATS LLC, that's the longest tenure of any such trio in the league. The next group is punter Shane Lechler, kicker Sebastian Janikowski and long snapper Jon Condo, who've been with the Oakland Raiders since 2007. The Vikings (0-4) have a lot of issues on both sides of the ball this year, but special teams at least aren't a problem. The kick coverage units have been mostly effective, Marcus Sherels has shown some flash returning punts and Percy Harvin has a kickoff return for a touchdown. Longwell has not missed a kick. Kluwe is 10th in the league with a 46.7-yard average per punt. Loeffler hasn't had any bad snaps. ''When you've been through the pressure kicks and those situations when you know how each other is going to react, that's huge in a league where games come down to kicks a lot,'' Longwell said. Kluwe is just as critical to the Vikings as a holder, and the sync that Loeffler, Kluwe and Longwell have found together is a direct cause of this special-teams success. ''I think when guys see the field goal team going out they feel good about the three of us and our chances of putting it through,'' Longwell said. The timing from snap to hold to kick is critical, and the trust the three of them have in each other is also important.
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I wouldn't give ANY qb $30-50+ mil unless that QB had won me a Super Bowl. Did you win a Super Bowl on your rookie deal? Yes? Great! Here's your hugenormous contract. F it let's just run victory laps and love life. No? Good luck. Next!
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