Life as a special teams coach can be unpredictable, according to Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith. On Sunday, the Steelers faced two consecutive onsides kicks late in their three-point game against the Vikings. Both attempts were recovered by Roman Wilson, helping secure the team’s 24-21 win in Dublin.
“We looked smooth Sunday,” Smith said, emphasizing the team’s performance during those crucial moments.
The Steelers initially called a timeout before the first onsides kick. Smith explained that this decision was strategic due to the inexperience of the Vikings’ kicker. “Here’s the deal,” Smith said. “This (Vikings kicker) had no onside kicks in his career. None. Played three games in the National Football League, in his fourth. This kid was a kicker at Alabama. How many times do they onside kick? OK? I watch all the tape. Everybody, everything. I’ll tell you every number of onside kicks everybody has that we play, what his percentages are, where he’s going with the ball, what his movement is, everything. We had nothing on this kid. So, it was very smart that Mike Tomlin suggested we take a timeout. It was a great move on the head coach’s part. We took a timeout, took a look. We got the exact same kick – because the kid is inexperienced – and we were able to recover. So, there is so much science and so much thinking that goes into these things that people have no clue about. That’s our job.”
Smith noted how much luck can be involved in recovering an onsides kick: “It’s amazing, really,” he said. “We play the game 59 minutes and 30 seconds, or whatever it is. There’s a minute left in the game, 30 seconds left in the game, and really we’re working on the bounce of the ball. There are some people that don’t get that recovery, and it’s simply the bounce of the ball. I mean, it really is the bounce of the ball, and it’s sad to come to that. But really, it comes down to the bounce of the ball, because if we didn’t get that, y’all be ripping me about it. And that just comes with the territory. I get it. But it’s really the bounce of the ball. We made the play.”
Wilson’s successful recoveries reflected regular practice routines for such situations: “We work it every Friday,” Smith said of practicing onsides kicks during team sessions at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex near Pittsburgh’s South Side headquarters.
Smith also addressed other special teams moments from Sunday’s game:
When asked about Chris Boswell’s blocked 30-yard field goal attempt by Minnesota’s defense: “It was just a lack of technique by a player,” Smith said.”It was a good jump by an opposing player.He had great speed coming off edge and he did a good job,m ore power to him.But it was lack of technique on our part.”
Regarding Corliss Waitman’s punt into end zone for only netting 20 yards late in game: “I’m not worried about his net punting at that time.I’m worried about winning a game.They’ve got returner back there?We’re gonna win game.They got one timeout starting at 20?Win game.”
The Steelers’ attention to detail and routine preparation contributed to their victory over Minnesota.
