The Arizona Cardinals’ special teams unit is undergoing some drastic changes after costing the team victories last season
It’s hard to recall a worse Arizona Cardinals’ special teams unit than the one that took the field in 2016. Botched snaps, poor kick coverage, terrible punting, and missed field goals contributed heavily to some Cardinals’ losses. Those defeats ultimately cost the club a trip to the postseason.
All throughout the year, special teams coach Amos Jones consistently escaped blame for the unit’s horrid play. When pressed by the media about the situation, head coach Bruce Arians chose to fault the players for the mishaps and blown assignments. Consequently, Jones will once again be the special teams’ head honcho for the upcoming season.
While Jones kept his job, players got the axe. The first one came after the third regular-season game of ’16, when long-snapper Kameron Canaday was released. A botched snap resulted in a Buffalo Bills’ touchdown, contributing to a Cards’ loss. Just two weeks prior, versus the New England Patriots, another errant snap cost the squad a potential game-winning field goal attempt.
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Kicker Chandler Catanzaro was awful last year, missing seven field goals and four extra points. His worst failure was a shanked 24-yard field goal attempt at home against a division rival, the Seattle Seahawks. Arizona had to settle for a heart-wrenching, 6-6 tie, and the “Catman” is now with the New York Jets.
General manager Steve Keim finally had mercy on Cardinals’ fans when he sent punter Drew Butler packing last December. Butler was ridiculously bad in 2016, ranking 35th in yards per punt (42.2) and 35th in net yards per punt (35.6). How he kept his job as long as he did is anybody’s guess.
Brittan Golden and Andre Ellington split the kickoff-return duties last season. Golden was just adequate, averaging 24.18 yards on 11 returns. Ellington, however, was underwhelming to say the least, averaging just 16.3 yards on 10 returns.
Changes were obviously needed for 2017, and Keim obliged. Reliable veteran kicker Phil Dawson has arrived to replace Catanzaro. Dawson missed just four kicks last year, compared to the 11 shanked by the former kicker.
The punting job for the upcoming campaign is currently up for grabs. The candidates are Matt Wile (the Cards’ punter for three games in ’16) and newcomer Richie Leone. While neither player has a Pro Bowl between them, the fact that their last name isn’t Butler has to have fans optimistic.
North Carolina’s T.J. Logan may be just what the doctor ordered for the kickoff-return game. The fifth-round draft pick had five kickoff-return touchdowns during his college career. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash at February’s Combine for running backs (4.37 seconds), an indication of his amazing breakaway speed.
Justin Bethel remains one of the NFL’s best gunners. He finished tied for third in the league in 2016 with 12 special teams solo tackles. While he struggles as a cornerback, Bethel is a three-time Pro Bowl special teamer.
Aaron Brewer, the long-snapper brought in to replace Canaday last season, did well enough to be back again in ’17. The punt-return game needs to improve. Patrick Peterson hasn’t been good at it since his rookie year, and John Brown isn’t the answer either.
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After such a dismal performance last year, the special teams can go nowhere but up. Additions like Dawson and Logan could even propel the group to an elite level. Cards’ followers can only hope.