Punters Are People Too - Week 7

On a weekly basis I've compiled a ranking of the best punters in the league. Instead of gross average (atrocious) or net average (better, but ignores some important factors), I use Net Yards Above Average.

Basically if Jon Ryan hits one from his 41, we compare the net distance of his punt to every punt from the 41 in the last 11+ seasons (avg. net 34.9 yards). The total number of yards above the average net is credited to Ryan as Yards Above Average.

The goal is to remove the bias that Net Punting has against punters who are asked to punt a lot in opponents' territory (like the Stampeders Rob Maver).

With that, here are the rankings through Week 7:

Punts of the Week: Hamilton's Lirim Hajrullahu crushed a 62 yarder vs. Winnipeg. With a six-yard return, his change of field position was the most valuable this week.

Winnipeg's Justin Medlock vs. Hamilton. From his own 36, Medlock nuked a 71 yarder, eventually pinning Hamilton to its own 5. That punt is 32.6 yards better than the league average from that spot.