Fake punts should be back on the menu for Rams under Joe DeCamillis
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
Johnny Hekker has been in the NFL since 2012 and in each season, he’s thrown at least one pass – except for 2020, that is. This past season was the first of his career where he didn’t attempt a single pass.
It’s no coincidence that this came in his first season without John “Bones” Fassel as his special teams coordinator. John Bonamego simply didn’t call any fake punts at all in 2020, choosing not to give Hekker the chance to pick up a first down by fooling the opponent.
That should change next season with Joe DeCamillis taking over as the special teams coordinator and Bonamego transitioning into a new role as a senior coaching assistant. DeCamillis chatted with J.B. Long this week and after being warned that Hekker will be campaigning for some chances to throw the ball, DeCamillis made it clear that he’ll be doing the same.
“He won’t be the only one, because I’ll be campaigning right there with him,” DeCamillis said. “We’ve run some fakes throughout my career and it’s great to have a guy that can do that. If you don’t, your fake menu is way down. But with him, it’s going to be up. Glad to have him. True pro and we just want to put him back in the Pro Bowl as quickly as we can.”
Fake punts aren’t a big part of a special teams unit, as they’re called sparingly. But from 2017-2019, Hekker attempted 10 passes and completed six of them, picking up six first downs. Trick plays can keep drives alive and maintain a rhythm for the offense, while also allowing the defense to rest a little bit more.
It was stunning to see Bonamego call zero fake punts for Hekker in 2020, especially with how desperate the offense was for a spark. It’ll be fun to see Hekker throwing passes again next season, so long as DeCamillis sticks to his word.
