When Offense Falters, It's Lee To The Rescue

John Crumpacker, San Francisco Chronicle

It's usually not a good thing when a football team's punter is having a hell of a year, but let it be said: Andy Lee is having a hell of a year for the 49ers. No punter in the NFL has been called on to practice his craft as many times as Lee, who is at the top of the list with 36 punts after five games. That's life on a team with the league's worst offense. Once he puts his right foot to the ball, though, good things happen. Lee is No. 3 in gross average at 50.1 yards per kick (the Broncos' Todd Sauerbraun leads with a 51.3 average, but has only punted 12 times and his net average is merely 36.0; the Rams' Donnie Jones is second at 50.6 with 12 fewer punts) and is No. 2 in the much more important category of net average at 43.8. The Raiders' Shane Lechler is at 44.1, with 23 fewer punts. "That says a lot when you've had to punt as much as he has," coach Mike Nolan said. "Andy right now is in a groove. He's got his swing down like a golfer. He feels good about the (punt coverage) unit he's working with."

Lee's punt coverage guys have downed 11 of his 36 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, second-best in the NFL. A week ago against Baltimore, Shawntae Spencer downed one of Lee's boomers at the 1-yard line, and Marcus Hudson downed a 74-yard beauty at the 2. Lee also has had eight touchbacks, three more than any other punter. Lee was particularly happy to talk about the punt in the Baltimore game that Spencer downed at the 1, since he's a college teammate from Pitt. Beyond old college ties, though, there's nothing that gets a punter more pumped up than seeing one of his kicks downed at the 1.

"It's all about what I can do to help the defense," he said. "If I can put it inside the 20, the percentage of (the opponents) going down the field and scoring goes down because of the plays they have to call. It's a good feeling."