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So, what about Cleveland Browns special teams this season?

By Elliot Kennel

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: Dontrell Hilliard #25 of the Cleveland Browns returns a kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: Dontrell Hilliard #25 of the Cleveland Browns returns a kickoff against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – 2005: Mike Priefer of the New York Giants poses for his 2005 NFL headshot at photo day in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – 2005: Mike Priefer of the New York Giants poses for his 2005 NFL headshot at photo day in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Getty Images) /

Special teams, especially Cleveland Browns special teams, in particular, are often ignored by fans and media, but they are vital to success.

Consider that last season the Cleveland Browns made  65 punts for 2,950 total yards, that’s a lot of real estate. Thus, making yards with returns and holding the opposition are vitally important, and very interesting to study since special teams plays (punts, kickoffs, field goals) are so different from “normal football.”

Perhaps Browns fans have been spoiled by years of watching the likes of Josh Cribbs, Cube McNeil, Eric Metcalf, Greg Pruitt, and Leroy Kelly. It seems natural to us that the Browns score on punt returns, and the opposition does not. But it’s not really that easy.

In 2019 an unsung hero was special teams coach Mike Priefer. By all rights, special teams should have been a disaster last year, but they were actually very respectable. Priefer had a rookie punter, rookie kicker, rookie holder, and still managed to have a respectable performance on a team in which the offense and defense were both weaker than the NFL average. The Browns did not score a touchdown on special teams last season, but they also kept opposing teams out of the end zone.

Jamie Gillan was thirteenth in net punting average with 42.3 yards per punt (total 46.2 yards). He had one blocked versus Seattle.  Gillan, the fearless ex-rugby player, has an unusual skill set. For one, he is threatening to bring back the dropkick, which he can carry out with either foot, and may give the Browns an advantage for on-sides kicks as they learn to take advantage of what Gillan can do. In addition, he is fast and hits like a ton of bricks, and gives the Browns an extra capable defender on punt coverage.

Overall, the Browns averaged 7.1 yards per punt return, compared to 7.7 yards per return for their opponents. Hilliard led the team with fifteen returns for 107 yards and 7.1 yards per punt return, followed by Jarvis Landry who averaged 10.5 yards per return on five returns. D’Ernest Johnson (2) and Odell Beckham, Jr. (1)  also returned punts, though OBJ turned the ball over. The Browns would just as soon find another returner to lighten Landry’s load.

Fortunately, there are some intriguing candidates, as shown in the next frame.

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