One step up, one step back for Packers' special teams under Ron Zook

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Here’s how Green Bay Packers special teams coach Ron Zook summed up his units shortly after the regular season ended last month:

“I feel we’ve made progress,” Zook said as the Packers prepared for the playoffs.

At least one set of rankings says differently.

Zook’s units finished 29th in the NFL in the Dallas Morning News’ annual special teams rankings. That represented a significant slide from where the Packers were in Zook's first season, 2015. Zook replaced Shawn Slocum, who was fired following the 2014 season. In Slocum’s last year, the Packers finished 32nd -- or dead last -- in those same special teams rankings, and that didn’t include the meltdown in the NFC title game…