New England Patriots Report

Special teams: Gostkowski gets it done

January, 23, 2012

1/23/12

9:30

AM ET

By Mike Reiss | ESPNBoston.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A look at the Patriots players who appeared on multiple special teams units -- kickoff coverage, kickoff return, punt coverage, punt return -- which adds to their value on the 46-man game-day roster:

Four units
Sergio Brown
Niko Koutouvides
Matthew Slater

Three units
Dane Fletcher
Tracy White
Malcolm Williams

Two units
Patrick Chung
Julian Edelman
BenJarvus Green-Ellis
James Ihedigbo
Antwaun Molden
Rob Ninkovich

NOTES: Because of kicker Stephen Gostkowski's strong leg on kickoffs, coverage wasn't a big factor. On six kickoffs, he had five touchbacks. Zoltan Mesko only punted twice, so the Patriots' coverage teams weren't tested much. ... Units charted were the first to take the field. Personnel can sometimes vary based on a situation, such as Vince Wilfork playing on the punt return unit, at the line of scrimmage, perhaps if the team was anticipating a possible fake.

Mike Reiss

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com

Covered Patriots since 1997
Blogging on Pats since 2004
Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Mike Reiss

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter (@MikeReiss).

Mike Rodak

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010. A native of Grafton, Mass., Mike attended Providence College. Follow him on Twitter (@mikerodak)

Field Yates

Field Yates begins his contributions to ESPNBoston.com in 2012 after having written for a number of football-related sites around the web. Field began his professional career after college with the Kansas City Chiefs, working in both the scouting and coaching departments of the franchise before redirecting his focus to a career in media. He also interned for four summers in the coaching and scouting departments with the Patriots. Follow him on Twitter (@FieldYates).