Colts Special Teams Unit is Well Crafted

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Being Professional Grade is all about Craftsmanship. <a href="https://twitter.com/SBNation">@SBNation</a>: How has your team shown it so far? <a href="http://t.co/oPvb3yMpbI">http://t.co/oPvb3yMpbI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GMCPlaybook?src=hash">#GMCPlaybook</a></p>&mdash; Marshall Faulk (@marshallfaulk) <a href="https://twitter.com/marshallfaulk/status/514868150786347011">September 24, 2014</a></blockquote>

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What is the most well crafted aspect of this Colts team?  As much as we criticize general manager Ryan Grigson around here, he has put together some pieces, especially on the offensive side of the ball.  On the defensive side of the ball, the cornerback position has been great this year.  But if we're looking at an aspect as a whole that has been well crafted for the Colts, it's the third and often forgotten aspect of the game - special teams.

So far this season, the Colts special teams unit has been absolutely fantastic.  Let's just start with punter Pat McAfee, who this offseason inked a five-year, $14.5 million contract to return to the Colts.  He leads the entire NFL in average yards per punt with 52.7, a full 1.4 yards per punt more than the second best.  McAfee also leads the NFL in net average yards per punt with 47.8, which is 2.9 yards per punt more than anyone else.  Oh, and Pat also leads the NFL in touchbacks on kickoffs with 17, which is 3 more than anyone else.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri has been great as well.  The oldest player in the NFL also re-signed with the Colts this offseason, on a two-year deal, and he's perfect so far this short season.  He is 6-for-6, including 3-for-3 from beyond 40 yards.  He had a long field goal attempt in week one that just barely missed (it hit the upright), but it didn't count due to a penalty.  Vinatieri is one of 13 kickers not to have missed a field goal yet this season, and he also is perfect on extra points, hitting the second most extra points of any kicker in the league (11).

The Colts return game hasn't been anything special, but it hasn't been bad either.  Actually, get this - Griff Whalen is 13th in the league in punt return average with a 7.6 yard average per return.  And they haven't turned the ball over and it's been better than David Reed - we'll definitely take it.

The Colts special teams have been great all around this year, led by Pat McAfee and Adam Vinatieri.  They're certainly not the unit that gets the most attention by any means for the Colts, but they're probably the best constructed unit on the roster.

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