The coffin corner is dead. Long live the punt that lands inside the 20.
Almost overlooked in the Broncos’ 23-20 overtime victory was Todd Sauerbrun’s 53-yard punt that was downed at the Oakland Raiders’ 1-yard line. It was the 252nd time Sauerbrun placed a punt inside the 20, moving him past John Kidd for 17th all time.
In case there was doubt, they keep track of everything in sports.
“That stat does nothing for me,” Sauerbrun said. “I mean, maybe if I was first or third or something.”
Next up for Sauerbrun are Darren Bennett and former Bronco Mike Horan, who are tied for 15th with 262 punts inside the 20. Jeff Feagles of the New York Giants is the all-time leader with 484 punts inside the 20 – 103 more than runner-up Sean Landeta.
Horan, a left-footed punter, didn’t have the strongest leg, but he may have been the best at placing the ball in the “coffin corner.” Do any punters bother with the coffin corner anymore?
“It’s a lost art,” Sauerbrun said.
During the coffin corner fad, punters seeking to avoid a touchback would turn diagonally toward an end zone pylon and aim for the sidelines. The closer to the 1-yard line the better, but anything inside the 20 was considered a success.
These days punters prefer booting the ball high and down the middle and allowing their coverage team to down the ball near the goal line.
One reason for the change was the diagonal kick created a greater risk of a shank.
“That’s my theory,” Sauerbrun said. “You mis-hit a coffin corner kick and the ball winds up at the 30 or 40, whereas, if you boot it high, it’s easier to control. It used to be, if your punt went out at the 15, you’d get a pat on the back.
“Now, even if you get it down to the 10, it’s like, ‘OK, we won’t cut you this week.’ You have the returners catching the ball at the 6 now. That never used to happen.”
