Basisphilosophie » Ravens’ Sam Koch discusses consistency

Ravens’ Sam Koch discusses consistency Youth Michael Crabtree Jersey , Justin Tucker and the punt return battle Sam Koch is one of the more unheralded players for the Ravens. Being a punter, fans and coaches alike are usually displeased when he trots out onto the field in the event of a stalled drive. When he does boot ball, Koch often makes the most of a negative situation.Koch has played in 12 NFL seasons for the Ravens, averaging 45.2 yards per punt. The consistent veteran punter hasn’t missed a game during that span and is part of one of the most prolific special teams staffs headed by coordinator Jerry Rosburg and it’s main attraction, kicker Justin Tucker. The trio of Koch, Tucker and long snapper Morgan Cox have continued to work on being a cohesive unit to begin the 2018 campaign.“Me and [Justin] Tucker — each year we come out here, it’s like starting over,” Koch said. “We go out there and try to focus on the fundamentals that we had from last year and build upon those. And from punting, to the timing of the snap, to the timing of the whole operation with the punt team and the rest of the guys — it takes a lot of time to build that up and with these preseason games Youth Tony Jefferson Jersey , it’s been very helpful.“It’s one of those things with Tucker and Morgan [Cox] on field goal snaps, it’s all that timing and building up that foundation.”The 36-year old punter has had a lot of experience with witnessing battles for the kick return and punt return jobs with the Ravens over the course of his career. This preseason, Tim White and Janarion Grant have been the focus of the battle with Willie Snead IV and Chris Moore respectively taking in punt and kick return duties. “We’ve got a lot of athletes out there and a lot of guys that have a lot of potential to be a great punt returner or kick returner for us,” Koch said of Baltimore’s return men. “We have a lot of guys with a lot of skill and it’s just one of those things that we keep on practicing. I show them various balls, so when they go out there on game day, they’re not surprised by certain ones and keep focusing on the fundamental aspects of that.”Koch was one of the most prolific punters inside the 20-yard line last season, averaging 47.6% of his kicks there. He trailed only Johnny Hekker (50.0%) and Chris Jones (51.5%) in that stat in 2017. To continue his dominance in the punt game, Koch has continued to practice different types of kicks and added more to his arsenal as time has gone on.“I think it’s more so just kind of refining what I have and making little tweaks from there and stuff that we can get better at in certain situations,” said Koch on practicing different kicks. “Whether it’d be with the win variables or grass versus sod, versus turf type of stuff. “One of those things with the new grass out here [Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills] Cheap Ronnie Stanley Jersey , things are playing a little different with it being so new. It’s one of those things where we’ve kind of adjust to and kind of make it somewhat like a game. Miami has new turf this week that they just put down — it’ll be very similar to this. It’ll be nice to practice on something like that and learn that before we go down.”Kaare Vedvik has been the latest specialist that Baltimore has brought into camp. The Norway native has impressed, showing off the leg strength and accuracy to be a good punter or kicker in the NFL. Vedvik could follow the likes of Will Lutz and Graham Gano who have gone on to have successful careers after departing from the Ravens after the preseason. Koch has been delighted with Vedvik through camp. “Kaare Vedvik is probably by far one of the most impressive guys that I’ve seen come through here,” Koch gushed about his fellow punter. “Whether it be through his punting or kicking, he’s done a great job. His ability to go out there and perform the way that he has, has been truly phenomenal. “He has a great leg — which you have to have a great leg in this league to begin with, but his ability to pay attention to the details as a rookie, has been one of those things that you don’t see from a lot of people. He truly wants to get better and he’s taking all of the information that whether me or Jerry [Rosburg] or Randy [Brown] or Tucker is giving him and he’s taking it and using it. It’s been a delight to see him grow in just these very few weeks that we’ve had him and the way he continues to grow each day.” Baltimore RavensAfter a 27-14 win over the Denver Broncos, the 2-1 Ravens now travel to Pittsburgh to face the 1-1-1 Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Baltimore is looking to break their three-game losing streak against their arch-rivals and prove to the league that they are true contenders. The Ravens defense is ranked first in yards per game and second in passing yards and has yet to allow a second half touchdown. However, the same unit did allow three receiving touchdowns to A.J. Green in a loss to the Bengals in Week 2, and they now face wide receiver Antonio Brown. Top cornerback Jimmy Smith is still suspended for Baltimore http://www.ravenscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-brandon-carr-jersey , so second-year corner Marlon Humphrey will have to rise to the occasion to stop Brown. Pittsburgh remains without star running back Le’Veon Bell. The Steelers are still ranked second in total offense in the league, but their rushing game is ranked 23rd, even with the emergence of running back James Conner. The Ravens have the 13th ranked run defense, but the hopeful return of both C.J. Mosley and Michael Pierce will help to greatly strengthen the unit. With a win against the Steelers and a Cincinnati loss, Baltimore could take first place in the AFC North at 3-1. Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh secured it’s first victory of the season with a thrilling 30-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. The Steelers now play host to the Ravens in what should be another prime time thriller. Pittsburgh’s defense has struggled so far this season, and they currently sit at 29th in total yards per game. Baltimore boasts the league’s ninth best passing attack heading into this game. The Steelers 28th ranked pass defense will have to find a way to stop quarterback Joe Flacco through the air in order to win.On the other side, Pittsburgh’s passing attack will be tested against the Ravens strong pass defense. Second-year receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster will have an opportunity to make his presence felt if Baltimore’s defense focuses too heavily on stopping Brown in the passing game. Smith-Schuster is off to a great start to the season with 365 yards and one touchdown. Tight ends Jesse James and Vance McDonald could also play big roles against the Ravens. It is also worth mentioning that the last time these teams met without cornerback Jimmy Smith, Brown had 11 receptions for 213 yards.The Steelers will put themselves right back in discussion for the AFC North crown with a win over their divisional foes.Cleveland BrownsCleveland won their first game since the 2016 season against the New York Jets last week. The 1-1-1 Browns now travel to Oakland to face the 0-3 Raiders. Can Cleveland get it’s second win in a row on Sunday?The Browns defense currently leads the league in turnovers. Cleveland rookie cornerback Denzel Ward has certainly impressed with his play thus far, meeting expectations as the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft. Defensive end and former first overall pick Myles Garrett has started his second year on a strong note, recording four sacks through the first three games. Oakland’s sixth ranked passing attack will test the opportunistic defense of Cleveland.The number one overall pick Baker Mayfield made his first regular season appearance last week Brent Urban Jersey , sparking a comeback win. Mayfield looked poised and sharp throwing the football against the stout Jets defense on Thursday Night Football. If Mayfield can continue this success, then Cleveland could develop a deadly offense. Wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Antonio Callaway are legit targets through the air and running backs Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson and Nick Chubb combine for a solid three-headed monster on the ground. Cincinnati BengalsAfter a 31-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, the Bengals now travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons. Rookie receiver Calvin Ridley has emerged as a true threat and compliment to star receiver Julio Jones for the Falcons, so the Bengals could have a hard time containing the duo. Atlanta and Cincinnati boast the leagues’ 11th and 12th best passing attacks respectively, while both passing defenses are in the bottom 10. Wide receiver A.J. Green looks likely to play on Sunday after suffering a minor pelvis injury last week. However, running back Joe Mixon and center Billy Price are both expected to miss the game. Starting cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick could also be sidelined, which is concerning when facing an explosive offense like the Falcons.The Bengals would improve to 3-1 with a win over Atlanta, increasing their chances of winning the AFC North.