TAMPA, Fla. – Blocked punts have been a rare occurrence against the Carolina Panthers throughout their 14-year history.
It wasn’t until 2000 – when the franchise was six years old -- that an opponent first blocked a Panthers punt. The most blocks by Carolina opponents came in 2003, when they knocked away three Todd Sauerbrun punts in the Panthers’ 20-game Super Bowl season.
This season, then, is an aberration of whopping proportions.
When Tampa Bay’s Geno Hayes glided in untouched to block a punt by the Panthers’ Jason Baker in the first quarter of Sunday’s game at Raymond James Stadium, he was the third opponent to do so against Carolina in a season that’s only six games old.
It’s become a troubling trend.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Dante Rosario, who plays on the punt team. “Because for the most part, we’ve had a strong unit (over the years). We’ve controlled returns and it’s too bad when we mess things up for the punter.”
Hayes’ block – which he parlayed into a touchdown -- was the most costly of the three this season. It came on the Panthers’ first possession and Carolina never recovered in a 27-3 loss.
The other two came in victories. The Chicago Bears’ Brandon Lloyd scored after Darren McClover blocked a Baker punt – also on the Panthers’ first possession – but Carolina eventually won 20-17.
Baker dropped a snap against Atlanta two weeks later, leading to a block by John Abraham in a 24-9 Panthers victory.
There doesn’t seem to be a common reason why each of those punts was blocked. McClover’s came from the outside, Hayes from the inside and Abraham’s from Baker’s mishap.
“It was a miscommunication on the protection,” said Panthers coach John Fox of Hayes’ block. “I don’t even believe it was a rush. I think they had a return set up and we made an error in our protection.”
Rosario, who was on the side that Hayes came through, said the Panthers didn’t have Hayes accounted for.
“We had a miscount on the left side,” Rosario said. “The guy popped free.”
Said Nick Goings, another special-teams player who missed his block on Chicago’s McClover: “It’s very tough. In six games to have three blocked punts, it’s something we need to get right and something that can’t continue to happen.”
Blocks weren’t the only problems for the Panthers punt teams Sunday. Taking advantage of an official’s replay, the Buccaneers downed a punt at the Carolina 1 in the third quarter. Returner Mark Jones returned the only punt he fielded 9 yards. Baker, who entered the game with a 46.2-yard average, shanked one that traveled just 29 yards.
Before this season, Baker had just two punts blocked in a seven years.
“I really don’t know, truthfully, what’s going on except what I’m doing with the ball in my hands,” Baker said. “Except for the one I mishandled a few weeks ago, we’ll have to look at the film to tell you.
“My job is just to go out there and punt the ball. I can’t control what happens in front of me, behind me on top of me or on the sidelines. If the (opposing team) came from a helicopter, I wouldn’t know the difference.
“I just go out there and try to get off a quality punt, whatever the environment or the circumstances are.”
Baker was asked if he ever gets gun-shy when blocking appears to be breaking down around them.
“I haven’t and I won’t,” he said. “I could get punts blocked every week and I won’t get gun-shy. It won’t matter, whether I kick it 60 (yards) or get it blocked.”
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