Harbaugh Makes A Change At Kick Returner

[PhillyPhreak54]

No, not the one most of us have been hoping for (Moats) but Rod Hood is off of the KOR team and has been replaced by Dexter Wynn as the primary returner.

Eagles' Wynn to return kicks in place of Hood

By Bob Brookover
Inquirer Staff Writer

The Eagles have made a change.

Now returning kicks in relief of Rod Hood is Dexter Wynn, who will assume that role Sunday when the Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.

By his own admission, Hood is coming off "probably the roughest game I've ever played."

His most notorious play came in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium after the Kansas City Chiefs had kicked a field goal to take a 10-0 lead in the opening quarter. Hood fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Chiefs recovered, then converted the miscue into a touchdown. It didn't help Hood's confidence that he was covering Eddie Kennison when the Chiefs' No. 1 receiver caught the touchdown pass.

"Even though I felt like I was in real good position on the throw, that's not in character for me to give up touchdowns, and I was really disappointed," Hood said. "I had guys on the team who kept encouraging me to keep making plays, and during the second half I made some plays out there."

Hood returned the second-half kickoff 28 yards to set the Eagles up at the 43-yard line. The good field position helped lead to a field goal. He had a crucial third-down stop in pass coverage on the Chiefs' second offensive series after halftime, and the Eagles responded with a touchdown and game-tying two-point conversion. Finally, Hood's tight coverage on Kennison in the fourth quarter led to a tipped ball that landed in Sheldon Brown's hands. The Eagles' offense cashed in on that turnover with another field goal that put them up by 13 points.

Though Hood, like the Eagles, recovered nicely from his first-half disaster, the coaching staff has decided that the team and Hood will be better served by reducing his special-teams responsibilities.

"I had a hamstring strain," said Hood, who is still listed on the injury report as having a hamstring problem. "They've seen how much I've been playing and they think that's been contributing to it."

Hood, who estimates he averages about 30 to 40 defensive plays a week as the nickel cornerback, was removed from the punt-return team last week. He said he probably will not be returning kicks or be part of the kickoff team this week.

"The thing Rod is doing right now is playing a lot of football," special-teams coach John Harbaugh said. "He's playing all four special-teams phases, and he's playing a lot of snaps on defense. So we tried to lighten his load a little bit last week. Maybe we need to lighten his load up a little bit with some of those special-teams things."

During Andy Reid's first six seasons as the head coach, the Eagles always have had one of the best special-teams units in the NFL. That, of course, has not been the case this season.

Thanks in large part to David Akers' hamstring injury that forced Mike Bartrum into kickoff duties in Weeks 2 and 3, the average starting position after kickoffs for Eagles opponents has been the 35-yard line. That's the worst kickoff coverage in the league.

The Eagles' kickoff receiving team has been giving the offense an average starting position at the 25-yard line, which is tied for 19th in the league. During the last six seasons, Harbaugh's kickoff return units have ranked in the top five in five seasons and were seventh one other time.

Hood is ranked 22d in the league among kick returners with a 22.7-yard average.

Wynn, who already returns punts for the Eagles, is faster than Hood and has no responsibilities on defense.

"I like to have my hands on the ball, and this is a great opportunity," Wynn said. "I think as a kick returner you have to be strictly north and south."

Wynn has not had all that much success returning punts, and he actually mishandled one badly in the third quarter last week against the Chiefs. Harbaugh sent Reno Mahe out to catch a punt around the Eagles' own 10-yard line with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.

Harbaugh gave Wynn a vote of confidence yesterday.

"Oh, Dexter is definitely the guy," the special-teams coach said. "But Reno is definitely the sure-hands guy. There's no question that Reno can go in those situations and catch a punt on the 10-yard line."

But the primary punt returner remains Wynn, and his role will be expanded to kick returner Sunday against the Cowboys.

I like the change. Dexter is more elusive than Hood and it does appear that Hood was stertched a bit thin with playing on all 4 phases of the STs and playing a ton of defense.

We all saw that Wynn can return a punt for a TD and I think the blocking has to be better there obviously. But on KR's I like Dexter there because he is smaller and can get behind the wedge and not be found right away and then slip out for a big gain.

I hope this jump starts the return game. And the blocking HAS to get better. I know there's a lot of young guys on the teams, but after 4 games it is time to bow up and get it done.

I wonder how much the loss of Ike is playing into this. He was the guy on those units. They were his teams. Someone needs to step up and replace him.

[Diomedes]

Hood has become a decent nickel corner.  Since Wynn "has no responsibilities on defense," the move is obvious.  But I'm not exactly enthused.  This is hardly a shake-up.  ST needs a swift kick in the ass.  Not sure this is it.

[mussa]

agreed. im not impressed with hood at all and never have been.

[Sgt PSN]

"Even though I felt like I was in real good position on the throw, that's not in character for me to give up touchdowns, and I was really disappointed," Hood said.

I thought this was kind of funny.  Didn't Hood give up the td to Gabriel against the Raiders too? 

[Tomahawk]

"Even though I felt like I was in real good position on the throw, that's not in character for me to give up touchdowns, and I was really disappointed," Hood said.

I thought this was kind of funny.  Didn't Hood give up the td to Gabriel against the Raiders too? 

Yes, and it was around a 25 yarder too.

[MURP]

I think the blocking has more to do with the Kick returning than Hood.  Either way, something needed to change on kick return.   

[PhillyGirl]

I think the blocking has more to do with the Kick returning than Hood.  Either way, something needed to change on kick return.   

Agreed. Hood really had nowhere to go on those returns.

[PhillyPhreak54]

"Even though I felt like I was in real good position on the throw, that's not in character for me to give up touchdowns, and I was really disappointed," Hood said.

I thought this was kind of funny.  Didn't Hood give up the td to Gabriel against the Raiders too? 

Wasn't really Hood's fault though. Mike Lewis was supposed to be over-the-top help and was late getting over.

[rjs246]

Does this mean they will finally cut Mahe?

[Wingspan]

I think the blocking has more to do with the Kick returning than Hood.  Either way, something needed to change on kick return.   

Agreed. Hood really had nowhere to go on those returns.

if it had more to do with blocking, hood would still be there and the blockers would have been changed. maybe hood just isnt very intuative on KO returns.

[MURP]

who said the blocking wouldnt be changed. 

[MadMarchHare]

So, how'd that hammy affect his ability to hold onto the farging ball?

Blocking has been zesty, admittedly, but you got hold on to the ball.

[Wingspan]

who said the blocking wouldnt be changed. 

no one.

[henchmanUK]

Team Hood welcomes the move. Hopefully getting off ST will see his coverage improve.

[Rome]

Wynn sucks too.

Put Moats in there.  He might be as thick as a Kansas City steak but it doesn't take much brain power to catch the ball and run forward.  Hell, even Forrest Gump could do it.