Kicking Some Thoughts Around

Training camp usually is a good time to form competition amongst one another.  Two positions in particular that competition is usually healthy and in good form, is one at kicker and one at punter.  For the Arizona Cardinals this summer though, the competition isn’t against someone else on the roster, however someone who may currently be sitting at home watching the Game Show Network or selling insurance door to door in your neighborhood. 

Kicker Neil Rackers and Punter Dirk Johnson both went into camp as the only individuals in their positions at camp.  Coach Ken Whisenhunt said it was mainly due to the roster limitations and being short at other critical positions, why the Cardinals are only carrying one player at each position.  Whisenhunt made it clear however that neither player should feel their job is completely safe, although he was quick to point out both have done well so far in camp. 

Neil Rackers enters his six season in the desert while Dirk Johnson is in his first as a Cardinal.  Check out the story on how their relationship has progressed this summer on the Cardinals website.  It should be interesting to see how they work together as the season progresses.  There will be the missed kicks and the occassional shank from Johnson I’m sure; however it seems the two are getting a long nicely and are on track for a great season.  Hopefully Rackers can get back to his 2005 Pro Bowl form, when he made 31 consecutive field goals before missing in late November of 2005. 

I think fans will get a kick out of both of them this season.  Let’s hope they can kick us into the playoffs!

Go Cards!

Scott Allen

AZScott