King James wrote:There's no coach we would find right now to get the same level or better from our special teams than priefer.
I have to disagree. Priefer has been blessed with good return men and in turn, it makes him look good. I can bet money that you could put Patterson and/or Harvin on any other team and they would be just as good or better in the return game. Harvin showed he could do it in one game this past Sunday. He almost burnt his own team/coach this year when we played them. I've never been a Priefer fan and I'm not sure I ever will. His lack of making adjustments in games is very tiresome to watch. For example....
-Week 2 vs Chi- We allowed 263 return yards!!! We have watched Hester burn us for years now and Priefer was dumb enough to kick to him that entire game including the final seconds that put them in good field position to win the game.
-Week 3 vs Cle- At the time, it was pretty clear that Cleveland was tanking at this point and it was pretty clear that Priefer didn't prepare accordingly. On the 4th and 1, I literally stood up out of my chair and yelled, "THEY ARE GOING TO FAKE IT!!!" What happens? They fake it. Then, we somehow have nobody guarding Cameron, who at the time, was their best offensive player on a field goal. It might have been the easiest touchdown ever scored by a TE. Those are two, bonehead special teams plays that technically cost us that game. That led to 10 points I believe and we lost by 3. It was pretty obvious that when they traded away Richardson...they didn't give a crap about their season. You have to expect fakes and such from a team like that.
Week 11 vs Sea- Granted, I don't know if we could have ever beat them but Jarius Wright scores with 55 seconds left before half. So at the time, we have the momentum. What does Priefer do??? Kick to Percy Harvin with 55 seconds left before half. Yes, Percy Harvin, the guy we use to have, the guy Mike Priefer use to coach, the guy that returned his fair share of kicks for us. We should know better than anyone else what Harvin is capable of back there. Priefer legitimately made us look dumb by kicking to him.
Week 13 vs Chi- Somehow, we were lucky enough to pull this one out. But once again, we decide to kick to Hester at the end of regulation, with the game on the line (tied). Luckily, out defense came up with a big stop and Gould missed the FG. Even the announcers kept saying...."WHY??" Then when we kickoff overtime, he decides to kick it to the corner of the end zone

Oh and FWIW, Priefer said in the press conference that the reason he kicked to Hester was because his "ego" got to him. Are you kidding me??? Your "ego"?? The game was on the line. If we were in the playoff hunt and we ended up losing that game (which we should of), I would have personally flew to Minnesota.
....There were MANY times this year, after teams started figuring out how good Patterson was, where they kicked FAR AND AWAY from him on a line drive so it was very difficult for him to return. However, we RARELY do this against guys like Harvin and Hester. I just don't understand it, especially with Walsh's leg. You can't sit there and tell me Walsh couldn't kick a line drive FAR AND AWAY from those guys. I won't ever believe that he can't do that. I've wanted Preifer gone since mid-year but unfortunately we still have him. Harvin and Patterson MADE Mike Priefer, he did NOT make them. So he can thank them for his success in the NFL.