What’s a donut without a hole? A Danish. And what’s a punter without a coverage unit? Strudel. That’s the problem Pittsburgh has with new punter Cameron Johnston, an issue we’ve discussed several times already. With the preseason in the books, it’s worth taking one last review of an underlying problem. Pittsburgh’s poor punt coverage was an eyesore through their three exhibition games, and the numbers tell that story.
Johnston punted 16 times this summer. His gross average, the distance the ball travelled until it was downed or fielded, was good. A healthy 48.6 yards, which would easily be a Steelers’ record if that numbers holds over the course of a regular season, and the 10th-best figure around the NFL.