4 reasons the Bengals special teams unit will be top of the pack in 2022

The Cincinnati Bengals’ special team unit improved mightily in 2021 and should be even better in 2022. In fact, it could be the best special teams unit in the entire league. 

Special teams hugely impacted the Cincinnati Bengals‘ run to the Super Bowl last season. If not for the consistent play of the special team’s players, one could even argue that the Bengals would most likely be at home watching someone else play in the game.

Unlike most years, longtime special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons has some tough decisions to make during the preseason. Coach Simmons has been with the team for 19 years and has seen talent come and go, but this is slightly different. There will be longtime veterans challenged and pushed to be the best versions of themselves, or they could be on the outside looking in.

Let’s take a look at why this unit could be vying for the top spot in 2022.

All stats and rankings courtesy of ESPN

Shooter McPherson is a stud

Last year’s fifth-round draft pick, kicker Evan McPherson was a sensation at the kicking game. McPherson finished the regular season with an 85% field goal completion rate and a 96% extra point completion rate. If that wasn’t enough to impress you, he also made an extraordinary 12 field goals of 50-plus yards.

If that still wasn’t impressive enough, he did not miss a field goal attempt in the playoffs helping to lead the team to a Super Bowl appearance. What sets McPherson apart from others is his confidence level and ability to shake off a lousy kick and not let it affect the rest of the season.

At 22 years old, McPherson was the youngest player to win Special Teams Player of the week not once but twice during the season. On the Pat McAfee Show, McAfee explained that what makes McPherson so unique is his ability to get the ball through the net so fast and with such power that things do not affect the kick as much. He makes for an absolute weapon to have on the sidelines.

So, what now, considering he’s done so much as a rookie?

Honestly, McPherson just needs to tweak a few minor adjustments and rest that supersonic leg.

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Chris Evans to the rescue?

Last year’s Bengals special teams found themselves behind the eight-ball early. Return specialist Brandon Wilson was injured and lost for the year, while Darius Phillips struggled fielding punts. With this dilemma, Coach Simmons used experience and made the adjustments. Veteran receiver Trent Taylor ran back punts, while Chris Evans, learning on the fly, returned kickoffs.

Former 49er and current Bengal slot receiver Trent Taylor will likely return as the leading candidate to return punts this season. However, he will have some competition in Pooka Williams and rookie free agent wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter.

Williams has all the natural gifted athletic ability but must improve on holding onto the ball and making decisions. More than likely, the only way he makes the team is if he wins the punt return job. Unlike Williams, Lassiter has experience returning punts in college and averaged 13.5 yards on eight returns this past season. Both players will genuinely have to shine during the preseason to unseat Taylor.

Brandon Wilson has had a pretty stellar career as a kicker returner for the stripes, even leading the NFL in kick returns in 2019. Still, an unfortunate knee injury has possibly derailed his future here. With two new drafted safeties and Wilson being a safety, it will be an uphill struggle to make the team.

Where one door closes, another one opens, and in walks running back Chris Evans, who started returning kicks after Wilson was injured. Being the gifted athlete that Evans is, he performed well at the position.

Coach Simmons will have to work his magic again if Evans plays a more prominent role in the running game and less in the return game. Given Simmons’s track record, I am sure we see different players given the opportunity to return kicks during preseason games.

Solid punting no matter who wins the job

During the two decades that Coach Simmons has been coaching special teams, he has had the consistency of veteran punter Kevin Huber and veteran long snapper Clark Harris for the past 13 years. Unlike in the past, this camp will have an open competition for the punter and long snapper positions.

Simmons demands the best from his players and knows that the head-to-head competition will bring this out of them.

While talking to Dave Lapham on the “In the Trenches podcast,” Coach Simmons was asked what he anticipated the punting competition to be like during camp.

“I expect it to be highly contested. You know, Kevin has certainly, been somebody who has been with us for a long time. He is a big part of these runs that we have made down the playoff stretch. I do not think he punted as well down the stretch, and I think he would be the first to tell you that, and that is why we are even having this conversation. There were some signs that towards the end of the year, he has to punt better. It is not just about the holding part.”

Coach Simmons went on to say, “He is someone I certainly expect to be in full competition mode once we get to training camp; I handle this off-season differently than any other off-season than I have had with him. He punted less. Sometimes less is better, especially with him. I trust him wholly and completely that he will be ready to go, and he will put his best foot forward when training camp comes.”

Former Ohio State punter and challenger Drue Chrisman will have a considerable role in this contest. Hanging around most of the year on the practice squad, he was able to get his feet wet while learning the ropes of being in the NFL.

Unfortunately, Christman was injured and did not get to show his abilities in the preseason games last year, so these preseason games will be crucial in showing his capability during game-time pressures and situations.

This punting competition will be closer than most people believe. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, who was at camp recently, had this to say:

“There weren’t a lot of booming punts, but first-year challenger Dru Chrisman outkicked veteran incumbent veteran Kevin Huber on Tuesday. Chrisman showed his improvement in directional punting and had some decent hang times while Huber didn’t get much length at all ….”

In the end, the experience of Huber and the young desire of Chrisman will make this a battle worth watching in the preseason.

Reliability at the long snapper spot

When deciding which punter is the best fit, you also have to consider the second part of the equation — Who is the best long snapper?

Veteran long snapper Clark Harris has been with the Bengals just as long as Huber has been with the team. More amazing is that Harris has never had an unplayable snap on a punt or placement kick in his career with the team (990 punts and 884 placement kicks).

Some consider rookie Cal Adomitis out of Pittsburgh to be the best long snapper coming out of college last season. A long shot, Adomitis will push Harris for his longtime position at long snapper.

Coach Simmons has been giving Adomitis more opportunities during practice with the kicking unit. He snapped the ball when McPherson kicked his 65-yard field goal at practice—giving him the confidence to push the veteran Harris.

The bottom line will be how well these guys play together under pressure in the preseason games. Simmons said he wants to rotate Huber/Harris and Chrisman/Adomitis in each series of each preseason game to see how they react and to be fair when evaluating them.

I look for this to be a battle worth keeping an eye on.

These four reasons will give the Bengals special teams unit a leg up on the competition.