Lost in all the hubbub after beating the Green Bay Packers in a genocidal effort to cause all Bengals fans to have a collective heart attack, Bengals punter Kevin Huber isn't just fulfilling all of the accolades he earned in college. He's actually making a difference. A fifth round draft pick, Huber was selected higher than Bernard Scott and Morgan Trent, two guys that have a decent future in the NFL as, at least, backup role players. Huber, isn't a backup role player. He's helping the Bengals dictate games. Such as his 61-yard punt against the Packers that denied Green Bay field position and eventually set up Quan Cosby's 60-yard return; thanks to a tough defense.
More specifically, Huber has one hell of an ability to punt the football inside the 20-yard line.
His five punts inside-the-20 against the Denver Broncos (his first five career punts) ranks second in franchise history in a single game. He's on pace to shatter the NFL single-season record for most punts inside-the-20, dating back to 1976 when the record was kept. San Francisco's Andy Lee kicked 42 punts inside-the-20. Huber is on pace to do it 56 times. Franchise record? Forget about it. He's already a quarter of the way there. Kyle Larson set the franchise mark in 2008 with 28. Huber is on pace for 56 punts inside-the-20. He's so adapt at dropping the football inside the 20-yard line, that 63.6% of his total punts this year have fallen inside the 20; in 2008, Larson dropped 28% of his punts inside the 20.
Yea, yea. We're talking about a punter. And in truth, the Bengals have moved the ball well enough on offense in both regular season games to allow Huber to make these punts. We're also only talking about two regular season games. On the other hand, Huber is the type of punter that will make it very hard for opposing teams to win field position. When Huber shanks a punt, it'll probably be longer than Kyle Larson's career average. Oversimplification. I know. I'm trying to make a point here. Did you know that on the four punts that Huber didn't place inside the 20, he's actually averaging 52.3 yards per punt? Look at the starting position by the opposing team's offense after Huber punts the football.
- DEN-16
- DEN-16
- DEN-18
- DEN-14
- DEN-5
- DEN-34
- DEN-35
- GB-10 (originally a touchback; Packers were called for holding)
- GB-4
- GB-16 (originally kicked to the GB-26 yard-line; Packers were called for holding)
- GB-15
Say what you will about blabbering about a punter. However, if you really wanted change with this football team -- and I mean real change -- then the Bengals needed a punter like Kevin Huber, who will make it very hard on the opposition to win field position. This also just proves that Cincy Jungle leaves no stone left unturned.