Jeremy Springer won’t forget October 20, 2024 anytime soon. That day, his special teams unit surrendered a 96-yard punt return touchdown to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Parker Washington.
Even though a lot has changed for Springer and the Patriots since that game two seasons ago, the image of Washington knifing through New England’s coverage unit continues to follow the third-year coordinator.
“That was a tough game. I still have nightmares of seeing Parker Washington back there, taking it 96 yards to the house
on some punt in the second quarter,” Springer explained during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Thursday.
“I’ve watched it every year. I think about it all the time.”
The play in question happened during the Patriots-Jaguars game in London, when the former were still coached by Jerod Mayo and the latter by Doug Pederson. Both head coaches have since been fired, and much of the personnel on and off the field changed.
Springer is still around, though, as is Washington. On Sunday, the two are set to face off again. The Patriots assistant knows about the challenge his team is set to face yet again.
“Parker Washington is elite,” he said. “He’s a top three guy, in my opinion, in the NFL. He’s unbelievable on offense, but he’s also unbelievable on special teams. And he’s not scared. He’s out there for a reason. He’s a starting receiver, he doesn’t have to be out there, but you can tell that mentality that he has for the team — he’s a team guy. I have so much respect for him what he does on the punt return unit, and the guys blocking for him as well. They’re blocking their tails off for him, because they know how dynamic he is.”
This season, Washington’s impact has primarily come on offense. In two games, Jacksonville’s leading receiver has been targeted 18 times with 12 receptions, 181 yards and a touchdown.
As a returner, meanwhile, he has been limited to three runbacks for 7 combined yards. Just don’t tell Springer about it.
“He’s extremely quick and elusive,” Springer said. “He just has a good feel for making guys miss in space. If you’re on an island with this guy, it’s really hard to bring him down. So, you have to be very disciplined in your coverage, because he can take it to the big field, he can stretch and cut, he can go down the sideline. There’s really nothing — like I said, he’s an elite guy in this league and the elite guys can do anything.”
While Springer will be confronted with Washington again on Sunday, he is not necessarily focused on what was but rather what awaits him and his team. Namely, how the Patriots can prevent a similar big play from happening again.
“It’s just another opportunity for us to go out there against a very well-coached team,” he said. “And the past is the past. I don’t really think about the past on that team anymore. I just think about what do we have now? What does this team have in Jacksonville? And what do we need to do to help fuel our offense and help fuel our defense to win the game?”
