Maynard aging like fine wine

At 34, Bears punter Brad Maynard is quietly having what could be the best of his 12 NFL seasons.

Maynard's current net average of 38.0 yards, if maintained, would be second only to the 38.7 yards he averaged in 2004, his fourth year with the Bears after signing as an unrestricted free agent following four seasons with the New York Giants.

But that doesn't fully explain Maynard's value. He is tied for the NFL lead with 18 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, nearly half of his 38 kicks. Maynard also leads the NFL with 14 forced fair catches and has just 2 touchbacks. He has allowed only 89 returns yards, helping the Bears rank seventh in the league in punt-return average allowed.

Of all those numbers, it's clear which are the most important to Maynard.

"Inside the 20, that's the big one, but the net, also," said Maynard, who thinks he and his coverage team can make a run at his 38.7-yard personal best.

"I think we have a good enough team this year to beat that," he said, "so I'd like to do that, too."

When Maynard says, "too," it's because he's also focused on dropping 40 punts inside the 20 this season, and he's on pace for 41. His career best is 36, which he accomplished in 2001, his first season with the Bears.

But why 40?

"It's just more than 39," he said, only half-joking. "It's the next number. No, I just want to get out of the 30s. I've been in the 30s (five) times. I just want to get into the 40s."

Asked if he knew what the NFL record was for punts inside the 20, Maynard answered almost before the question was finished.

"Forty-two," he said.

Another goal?

"Heck yeah it's a goal," he said. "If there's anything that I've got going in my career, it's the inside the 20s. It's definitely not going to be anything in gross (average), but net's pretty good."

Maynard isn't the kind of punter who can routinely launch the ball 70 yards in the air, but that's really not the point. A 50-yard punt with a 20-yard return isn't as effective as a 35-yard punt with no return. Maynard considers himself a directional kicker, but that doesn't mean he's lacking in leg strength.

"I think people know who I am and what I do," he said. "They know I'm not going to average 46 or 47 (gross yards), but I can handle the wind and the cold pretty well.

"I think I've proven this year that I can hit it long," he said. "But at the same time, who cares? We're not giving up many yards in returns, and besides that, I try to look at the game like a chess match. The situations are different in every game."