When discussing Tennessee Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse’s rookie season, it’s not hyperbole to say it was one of the greatest ever for a player at his position.
The Titans’ star punter is coming off a record-setting season in which he set the single-season records for most games averaging 50-plus yards per punt (14), and gross average yards per punt at 53.1, which was tops in the NFL.
Stonehouse also recorded the rookie record for the highest net average yards per punt with 44.0, a full 1.36 yards more than the old record. That was good enough for fourth in the league.
However, as great as the Colorado product was in his rookie season, one area where he noticeably could’ve improved was his ability to keep the ball in the air a little longer so he doesn’t out-kick his coverage.
Special teams coach, Craig Aukerman, discussed this issue during Tuesday’s press conference with coordinators, saying that the next step in Stoney’s development is for him to master the situational kicks.
“It’s not always hitting the ball 70, 75 yards, which looks pretty by the way,” Aukerman said, per Paul Kuharsky. “But we also need hangtime, so he’s really tried to focus in on that. Depending on where we’re at on the field, it could be a ball that goes 70 yards, but he’s got to know the situation that we’re in, where we could want a ball that’s 50 yards with over five-second hang time. So, he’s really honed-in on that, and he’ll continue to improve.
“The best part about Ryan is, he’s never satisfied, whether it’s his holding or whether it’s his punting, and he’ll continue to work on that and I’m excited for him this year.”
Another area Stonehouse could use improvement is with his directional kicks. Aukerman noted earlier this offseason that Stonehouse has been making progress there, also.
“Ryan has been unbelievable this offseason,” Aukerman said in June. “We’ve seen improvement and consistency from him with hangtime and distance, direction.”
“We’re not asking him all the time to be the directional punter that Brett Kern was, because there’s not many guys that have ever done that like Brett Kern,” he added. “But if he can get it in the vicinity of what we’re looking for, we’re happy about that. So, he’s been really focusing on that, and doing a good job, too.”
If Stonehouse can master the two things Aukerman explained above and combine that with the elite leg strength he’s shown, the 24-year-old has the chance to be the very best in the league for a long, long time.
