Like his punts, Moorman ends up in a good place

By Anthony Bialy  |   Wednesday, July 04, 2007  |  Comments( 13 )

Buffalo Bills
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Has the Bills' most valuable player of this decade been a punter? The fact that it's even a question should be a signal to some regular positional guys to get in gear, but it's also a testament to the golden boot of Brian Moorman. Simply, he's been fantastic. He delivers nearly every time he's sent on field, which stands in contrast to the dismally feckless performance Buffalo's offense has occasionally put on before him in seasons past.

Thankfully for the Bills, such regular excellence will continue to be the standard, as Moorman just inked a three-year contract extension that lasts through 2012. Moorman will have a chance to be in Buffalo through the next presidential election and also the one after that, which means the services of the most important player in the field position battle have been secured for the foreseeable future.

As far as a punter's statistics go, Moorman's performance makes him obviously elite. He's averaged 43.5 yards per punt over his career while toying with obtaining 40 yards net per kick last season, the latter a sign that he excels with both distance and hang time. But more important than the numbers is the way he punts in tough conditions, something only appreciated by those who regularly see him play.

There are some frigid games between Halloween and Christmas in Orchard Park, N.Y., where one wouldn't be surprised to see an average kicker's punt sail out of Ralph Wilson Stadium until it clanked off the adjacent field house's roof, or conversely have it caught by the wind and carry straight up until returning to conk the hapless punter on his own helmet. Instead, Moorman has an uncanny ability to send the ball far, but just far enough. Watching a perfectly struck football soar over a returner's head before it bites about an Altoids tin's length from the goal line amid borderline hurricane winds is the norm when observing the league's best punter.

What's often unacknowledged is that punters have a huge influence on the outcome of any game. One spectacular kick is the difference between an opponent having to march 80 yards to score instead of 60 or 99 instead of 80. That eases a defense's life, which in turn benefits the offense, which then makes Sundays happy for a solid punter's squad.

Re-signing Moorman is further affirmation of general manager Marv Levy's commitment to, and utter understanding of the importance of, outstanding special teams. From coaching Steve Tasker and Mark Pike to signing Moorman to this extension, Levy gets it.

Moorman, a two-time Pro Bowler, can be considered either arguably the greatest Bills punter ever or unarguably one of the two greatest. He may never have a club level in the stadium named after him like the other candidate, Paul Maguire, but, as with the lovable commentator, he is a good athlete who happens to kick.

As every play-by-play man or color commentator points out during some point of every Buffalo game, Moorman starred in track during college at Pittsburg State, winning three consecutive 400-meter hurdles titles at the Division II NCAA championships. That allows him to be at least a subsidiary factor in coverage of his own kicks and provides the threat of fakery because of his athleticism in addition to giving him some much-needed credibility beyond that of a stereotypical fragile punter.

He is a huge asset to the Bills, a great punter especially and particularly under the weather circumstances he is often forced to ply his craft. More importantly, in the big picture this shows willingness by Bills' management to lock in key players ahead of the conclusion of their deals, a lesson that the other Buffalo pro sports team, the NHL's Sabres, should maybe study.

Brian Moorman will be a Bill well into the future, and there's one fewer personnel-related worry for the team over the next few seasons. It's not quite the same as getting production from your linebackers or running backs, but a fantastic punter is invaluable to success. Moorman puts punts right where he wants them, and his new deal guarantees he'll be right where fans want him.

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CommentsComments: 13  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Bleed Bills Blue		07:38 AM
07/04/2007
Well put: "...a good athlete who happens to kick". Yes, he also runs well and can tackle when he has to. Now,if there's one...
No.2
Bills fan in TX		11:11 AM
07/04/2007
While it's great to have Moorman, it's pretty sad we rely on the Punting game for field position rather than dictate it with...
No.3
Nate		12:35 PM
07/04/2007
I think former Bills head coach Gregg Williams candidly once called Moorman the Bills best offensive player. Moorman is a class...
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