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My theory is that when you're returning kicks, anything you can fair catch, or let go through the end zone, is a winner for your team. Starting on the 25 is a darned good guarantee that you can move the ball at least far enough to swap field possession. Even if you move it, and punt it into the opposite end zone, you've gained 5 net yards. It all adds up.
I'm a strong believer that you always play to the need of having strong field advantage. It means that mistakes by the other team can translate into points for your team easier than if you go on a long march down the field.
Look at the length of that last Cardinal drive, and the fact that over 90 yards of offense on it still left them short of the end zone, and allowed the INT to happen.
Just my opinion, but it's what I always emphasized with my teams. I always felt the opponents would eventually make a mistake, if we gave them enough short pieces of rope to hang themselves.
There was one year when Jeff Janis finished either in the top 5 or top 10 in KO return average and he never took one out of the end zone.