He'll find out just how much improvement can be done in one week Sunday when his team faces off against the Buffalo Bills, who tout the league's most explosive special teams squad. (photo: Matt Britt, Flickr)
As he has for the entire season, Bills returner Leodis McKelvin leads the league in punt return average, and thanks to last Thursday's return against the Miami Dolphins, he leads all returners with two touchdowns.
McKelvin's punt return average is an astounding five yards more than any other player in the league, and if he can continue that trend, he'll be the first player to average more than 21 yards a return since 1961 and could perhaps break the all-time, single-season record.
That's a mighty dragon to slay for the Colts, who are currently the league's third worst squad when it comes to punt returns, allowing nearly 14 yards a try. Arians told reporters Wednesday that injuries have played a factor to a certain degree, but his group will need to be at its best this weekend if it wants to shut down McKelvin.
“We've had a lot of different guys playing over there, but it's still no excuse, and now we're facing the two best returners in the NFL,” Arians said. “We have to kick the ball better, too. We didn't kick the ball as well as we're capable of kicking it (against New England). We have to cover with our hair on fire because these cats will take it back in a minute.”
The Colts' kick return coverage is slightly more efficient than its punt return coverage, with the team allowing just over 25 yards a return. But the effectiveness of the Bills' return squad doubles on kickoffs, however, and Indianapolis will have to watch out for Brad Smith as well as McKelvin, who also has a touchdown to his name and has averaged nearly 29 yards in his seven attempts. Comparatively, McKelvin is averaging just over 28 yards on kickoffs.
Smith, who has been struggling with injuries throughout the season, may see some limited action this weekend, according to Bills' coach Chan Gailey. That's exactly what the Bills are hoping for, as they have won two of three when either Smith or McKelvin score a touchdown, the loss being a disappointing, late-game meltdown against the Tennessee Titans.
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