Zak Keefer

zak.keefer@indystar.com

For Tom McMahon, the selling point started with those two right legs. That's what pulled him in; that's what told him that if he did indeed land this job, he could use those two limbs as a starting point to transform the Indianapolis Colts special teams unit into the finest in the NFL.

In one of them, he saw the ageless mastery of Adam Vinatieri, then and now the most clutch kicker in league history. That, of course, was an easy one. What special teams coach wouldn't want to work with a guy like that?

But it was the other leg – the one labeled "Boomstick" by its owner – in which McMahon sensed unpolished potential. It belonged to Pat McAfee, the colorful former seventh-round pick who'd become a solid, if not spectacular, NFL punter during his three years in the league.

Bouncing from small-time college stops to NFL stayovers in Atlanta, St. Louis and Kansas City, McMahon saw it from afar and from up close: McAfee could be more. With the proper scheme, the right coaching and a revitalized approach, that booming right leg could become the most lethal in the league.

Which is precisely what's happened over the first one-plus season of McMahon's tenure as Colts' special teams coordinator. Indianapolis, 6-3 and enjoying a bye this weekend, is reaping the spoils of having two of the game's top specialists – Vinatieri and McAfee – operate at the top of their craft.

McMahon shies away from the credit, but the results are unmistakable. This is exactly what he sought to do when he arrived in Indianapolis two years ago.

"The message came down from the top, from Mr. Irsay to Mr. Grigson to coach Pagano," McMahon said. "We wanted to play half-court offense and full-court defense. Every single thing we're trying to do centers on making the opponent drive the ball as far as we can, and giving a real short field to (quarterback Andrew Luck)."

That was McMahon's overture to Chuck Paganowhen they sat down for an interview in 2012. The Colts had a vacancy at special teams coordinator. The two ended up talking for six hours.

McMahon's pitch hinged on the right leg of McAfee.

"This is a guy we can control field position with," he told Pagano.

They ran through everything in those six hours: Game film, coaching points, schemes and strategy. McMahon laid it all out, listing every last objective and explaining how he'd get it done.

"Strangest interview I've ever had," McMahon said. "I don't get nervous, but I did in the first six minutes I was here, because I really didn't want to screw it up."

Beyond the allure of working with a seasoned veteran like Vinatieri and a rising star like McAfee, McMahon sensed something different the moment he entered the Colts' West 56th Street facility for his interview. It was unlike any feeling he'd experienced in his six seasons in the NFL.

"As soon as I came into the building, I could tell: You're expected to win here," he said. "That's what every coach wants. You're not hoping to win. You step into this building, and you're expected to win."

He got the job. Two seasons later, the Colts' special teams unit is no longer an afterthought. McMahon has made it a weapon.

Start with Vinatieri. No matter that at 41, he's the oldest player in the league. He is an unblemished 20-for-20 on field goals this year, good enough to extend his streak dating back to last season to 26, the longest of his 19-year career.

McAfee is the real story, though: Despite kicking behind the league's top-ranked offense (meaning far fewer punts) he's booted 18 punts that have been downed inside the 20 and is second in the league with a 43.8 yards-per-punt average. Tapped as the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September, he's playing at a Pro Bowl level.

What's more, Colts' opponents have retuned those punts for a combined total of just 69 yards, a paltry average of 4.1 yards-per-return. The longest return allowed? Eleven yards. The longest kickoff return? Seventeen.

McMahon's aim – buoyed by his directional punting scheme – is coming to fruition. The Colts are pinning opponents deep in the corners, allowing them to dominate the field position battle. According to advanced statistics website Pro Football Focus, they are, by a sizable margin, the most effective special teams unit in the NFL.

And we haven't even mentioned the team's three successful onside kicks this season – tops in the league.

"He thinks outside the box, he's innovated, he's a selfless guy," Pagano said of McMahon. "He finds ways to steal plays and get us extra possessions and our special teams have been outstanding. They've been very, very consistent through the course of nine ball games."

McAfee, who admits to not seeing eye-to-eye with former Colts special teams coordinators Ray Rychleski and Marwan Maalouf, wasn't shy about sharing his affection for McMahon and the job he's done.

"I would take a pay cut to keep Tom McMahon in Indy," McAfee said.

"We have the two best specialists in the league," McMahon said. "And you can't forget about our long snapper, Matt Overton. People forget about how big a component that is. He's played a huge, huge role."

So has the coverage team, one flooded with unsung heroes like Sergio Brown (before his promotion to starting safety), Colt Anderson and Dewey McDonald. Outside a return game that has been unimpressive, McMahon's unit – with Vinatieri and McAfee leading the way – has performed like a fine-tuned operation firing on all cylinders.

"In my opinion, Tom's one of the best I've ever been around," said special teams assistant Brant Boyer, a former NFL linebacker and special teams standout who played 129 games in the league. "He's put his stamp on everything we're doing."

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.