{"id":717025,"date":"2026-01-30T17:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T17:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/717025\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T17:26:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T17:26:17","slug":"the-piss-boys-have-a-special-teams-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/717025\/","title":{"rendered":"The Piss Boys Have A Special Teams Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Green Bay Packers might be the team most acquainted with special teams playing a massive role<\/a> in heartbreaking postseason losses, at least in the last 15 years, but they\u2019ve got company.<\/p>\n

Two weeks after Brandon McManus<\/a>\u2018 leg failed to help the Packers reach the Divisional Round, special teams played a big part in the Los Angeles Rams losing the conference championship. Rams returner Xavier Smith<\/a> botched a punt return in the third quarter. The Seattle Seahawks recovered the ball at the LA\u2019s 17-yard line and scored one play later.<\/p>\n

HUGE turnover on special teams. Seahawks take over.<\/p>\n

LARvsSEA on FOX\/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Vfx5g6l8t0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

In a game the Rams lost by four points, special teams costing the team seven points wasn\u2019t a good look. Smith\u2019s muffed return wasn\u2019t LA\u2019s only special teams issue, and this came after they made attempts to fix the unit.<\/p>\n

What does this have to do with the Packers?<\/p>\n

Rams head coach Sean McVay is a close friend of Matt LaFleur and part of the same coaching tree<\/a>. Both of them have historically struggled to field competent special teams units. And wouldn\u2019t you know it, Kyle Shanahan, from the same cavalcade, has a similar issue!<\/p>\n

The Big Three of the Piss Boys \u2014 a nickname<\/a> for the young coaches with the Houston Texans before gaining top positions in the league \u2014 all have an issue when it comes to building that diabolical third phase of the game.<\/p>\n

For the Packers, it means their issues go far beyond Rich Bisaccia, who ESPN\u2019s Rob Demovsky said looks \u201csafe\u201d to be back in Green Bay after four seasons of below-average special teams rankings. The braintrust of LaFleur, McVay, and Shanahan needs all hands on deck to find the solution to their often season-ending special teams woes.<\/p>\n

Rob Demovsky just now with Jen Lada on ESPN Wisconsin
“It is possible Steno ends up in TEN & I would be stunned if there aren’t a couple of current GB staff members on the Dolphins staff.”
Is Rich B safe? “It sure looks like it” pic.twitter.com\/72eQNkDdgk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Packerfan Total Access- Clayton (@packers_access) January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Green Bay\u2019s special teams detonated at the worst times to end the season. They had missed kicks, too many injuries piling up, and a failed onside kick recovery. Still, somehow, the Rams may have had it worse.<\/p>\n

LA\u2019s muffed punt return last weekend was just the icing on the cake.<\/p>\n

The second time the Rams played Seattle in Week 16, they allowed a punt-return touchdown and missed an extra point in a game they mostly controlled until the end. Seattle\u2019s victory gave it the first seed in the NFC, and the Rams never regained momentum.<\/p>\n

In the Wild Card round, a blocked punt almost spelled disaster for the visiting Rams, and they weren\u2019t having a banner day outside of that lone play, either.<\/p>\n

Special teams were an issue all season, just like in Green Bay, and bad special teams played reared its head in their season-ending game. The difference is that the Rams made aggressive moves to address the problem. They simply didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

Sixth-round rookie Josh Karty<\/a> was one of the league\u2019s worst kickers, so they replaced him<\/a> with \u201cThicker Kicker\u201d Harrison Mevis<\/a>, who sealed the victory over the Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round. In December, McVay fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even with these aggressive moves, special teams didn\u2019t improve and directly led to the team\u2019s season ending.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a new trend. The Packers and Rams consistently field below-average special teams, and the Niners aren\u2019t much better.<\/p>\n

Of course, Green Bay\u2019s special teams woes predate Matt LaFleur\u2019s tenure as head coach. Still, the solution needs to start with him.<\/p>\n

Rick Gosselin ranked<\/a> every team\u2019s special teams unit until retiring after the 2023 season. Packers On SI\u2019s Bill Huber<\/a> has done his own version of these rankings the past two seasons. Here\u2019s how McVay, Shanahan, and LaFleur graded out since 2020:<\/p>\n

Rams: 30, 16, 29, 32, 22, 26
\n49ers: 27, 25, 17, 25, 32, 11
\nPackers: 29, 32, 22, 29, 22, 20<\/p>\n

Not a great group of numbers!<\/p>\n

It’s pretty remarkable how much worse the Packers and Rams have been at special teams compared to everyone else in the 2020s (playoff included) pic.twitter.com\/MRhKFMjaUX<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Anthony Dabbundo (@AnthonyDabbundo) January 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, the 49ers and Rams have made Super Bowls during this time period, with the Rams winning the 2021 season. Huber\u2019s 2025 rankings<\/a> found no strong correlation between special teams play and postseason success. The Seahawks won the NFC by fielding a strong unit, while New England was slightly below average and came out of the AFC.<\/p>\n

But, as Bisaccia said of teams, \u201cIt seems we want to dwell on the negative at times around here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Special teams are often ignored except when they lose games. Unfortunately, the Packers et al. have these negative plays occur at the worst times.<\/p>\n

Still, this trend, along with the fact that nothing about special teams seems to improve in Green Bay, shows that this issue transcends coordinators.<\/p>\n

At a fundamental level, Green Bay\u2019s design philosophy doesn\u2019t lend itself to success in special teams. Firing Bisaccia and releasing McManus won\u2019t solve the core issue, even if they\u2019re probably good places to start.<\/p>\n

Something about how LaFleur, McVay, and Shanahan approach the game leaves special teams behind. All three head coaches have choked in the postseason, thanks in part to special-teams miscues. If the Piss Boys want any substantial change, the three offensive geniuses need to get a think tank built to ponder this mystery.<\/p>\n

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