Special teams coach Tabor staying BROWNS Jackson pursues Horton for his defense, Hamilton, Wilson for offensive posts from B1

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor begins work under his fourth Browns head coach in six years. Few, if any, NFL assistants have survived as many regime changes.

(Associated Press)

BEREA, Ohio - Chris Tabor recently nicknamed his most painful moment in coaching.

As a Cleveland resident, the Browns special teams coordinator naturally chose a two-word description beginning with "The."

Tabor calls it The Scar. It's not as famous or as consequential as The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot and The Decision. But every Cleveland fan and viewer of year-end sports highlights knows the play he's referencing. In the Browns' first Monday Night appearance in six years, they had a game-winning field goal attempt by Travis Coons blocked and returned for a 64-yard touchdown by the Ravens' Will Hill on Nov. 30.

Social media erupted. Video of cursing, jersey-shredding Browns fans inside FirstEnergy Stadium went viral. The dramatic play took its place alongside Aaron Rodgers' two Hail Marys as indelible images of the NFL season.

Tabor, a good coach and better man, vows it will make him and his unit stronger for the upcoming season.

"It's hard to let it go," he said Thursday afternoon as Browns coordinators met with the media. "It's painful, but you can't let it wreck you. ... The Scar drives me, it motivates me to be better."

The stunning turn of events in an otherwise forgettable 3-13 season reminds us why special teams still matter despite our best efforts to marginalize them. The Vikings' post-season run ended on a missed chip shot. A botched PAT by the sensational Stephen Gostkowski hung over the Patriots' defeat in the AFC title game.

Think the kicking game is trivial? My guess is Jim Harbaugh and his Michigan punter would offer a slightly different take. It's why the Browns' braintrust asked new coach Hue Jackson to consider retaining Tabor after its latest house cleaning last month.

On a franchise known for instability - 134 coaches since 1999 - Tabor begins work under his fourth head coach. No other Browns assistant can make such a claim. It's hard to recall another NFL assistant who's survived as many regime changes. Only Joe Thomas, Joe Haden and the Terminal Tower have been here longer.

"I feel blessed, I really do," said Tabor, who remains with the Browns alongside his assistant Shawn Mennenga. "I truly believe deep down in my heart the good Lord always has a plan for you. You never question the plan."

Tabor's longevity is a testament to his coaching ability, especially in the transient world of special teams. The Browns have finished 19th and 17th the past two seasons in the comprehensive Dallas Morning News special teams' ratings, which take into account 22 categories of the kicking game.

Imagine where they might rank if Browns' management didn't outsmart itself in 2013 and let Phil Dawson walk in free agency. Tabor accepted the unenviable challenge of grooming a young kicker last season and Coons converted 28 of 32 field-goal attempts with all four misses coming on blocks.

Coons made his first 18 kicks before the fateful block of the 51-yard attempt against the Ravens. The debacle was the result of dreadful clock management by Mike Pettine, porous blocking by Danny Shelton and Cam Irving and a low kick from Coons. Special teams' breakdowns - including an 82-yard punt return - helped contribute to 21 Ravens points in Tabor's worst game on the Browns' sidelines.

Such performances have been few on Tabor's watch. When it goes bad, however, everyone remembers.

Tabor was coaching Western Michigan in 2007 when the Broncos took an intentional safety and just needed to cover the ensuing punt on the final play to beat the University of Akron. One lateral later, the Zips were in the end zone celebrating a stunning 89-yard touchdown.

Dubious moments probably make the former small-college quarterback wonder why he allowed himself to be talked into coaching the most unappreciated of the game's three phases. Coordinating special teams is like becoming a bobsledder. Few American kids grow up dreaming of it. You just stumble into the profession.

"I tried to avoid coaching special teams like the plague," Tabor said. "I was an offensive guy, and I tried to stay out of the special teams world. ... I started really getting into it and studying it, and it helped me grow as a coach."

Fans and media members alike don't think much of special teams until calamity strikes. Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt equates quality kickers with divorce attorneys - you dislike them until you need one. In fairness, Dawson was beloved in his time here despite the team's annual struggles. Same with kick returner Josh Cribbs.

There's no question Tabor wants the Browns to re-sign potential free agents Travis Benjamin and gunner Johnson Bademosi. The club should lock up both players. It already possesses one of the NFL's elite punters in Andy Lee.

Tabor's biggest decision involves Coons. Do the Browns develop him or turn to a veteran next season? Coons must increase his leg strength, Tabor said, and generate more "lift" on his field-goal attempts.

Dawson spoke highly of the Washington product late in the season.

"Missing kicks is never fun, but he's having a great year," Dawson said. "Way better than my first year here. Everybody just needs to remember that."

Tabor will work hard to improve Coons' shortcomings throughout the spring. The football lifer who wanted nothing to do with special teams has emerged as one of the Browns' most passionate coaches on the practice fields.

He loves his adopted home and wants to be here when it finally turns for the franchise that parity forgot.

It's a cliche to say Tabor bleeds orange and brown. Then again, he has The Scar to prove it.