Something occurred to me today as I was dozing off to sleep. I'm sure many of you realize that because Morstead doesn't take two full steps to kick the ball, he doesn't need to stand 15 yards behind center when punting. I think he's usually about 12 yards back. This got me thinking...

Why do TV announcers always mention hang time when really that's completely irrelevant? Shouldn't the time begin the second that the ball is snapped? After all, if Morstead kicks the ball 0.5 seconds faster from the second the ball hits his hand compared to most other NFL punters (and I do /not/ think this is an exaggeration) then our special teams coverage crew has less time to get downfield and cover the punt. Obviously I love that we rarely have punts blocked and will sacrifice distance with a higher kick. Any special teams coach would love to have a kicker with Morstead's quick kick.
Has anyone ever seen the time from snap to the receiver's catch be used as a stat? I'm going to try and figure this out myself, but my stopwatch hand is a bit slow and inaccurate.

Added thought: his punting distance is from the line of scrimmage which is a net gain for Morstead's stats; if he were a field goal kicker, his kick distances would be reduced relative to the rest of the league.

Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the recent quotes from Astros personnel. I have also provided a translation out of the "We gotta play em one day at a time" cliche, and gave you what they actually meant.

 • Brandon Lyon, who is projected to be the Astros’ closer, is running 10 days behind schedule after having a cyst in his throwing shoulder drained, but manager Brad Mills said there is no reason to be concerned.

What he said: "Not as of right now. After talking to Brandon, he feels good and he feels fine, so that’s not an issue."

What he meant: "We don't expect him to get a save opportunity for at least a month or two anyway, so there's no rush."

 

• C Jason Castro, the Astros’ top prospect entering camp, is excited about his chances at making the opening-day roster.

What he said: "Hopefully I put myself in a good position, preparation-wise, to do my best and have a good spring,"

What he meant: "I only have to beat out Towles and Quintero?! You better BELIEVE I like my chances of making the opening day roster!!" 

 

Continue reading this post »