Five Reasons to be Optimistic About the Arizona Cardinals
By Jeremy Meek
The Cardinals special teams was terrible in 2016, so the team set out to fix it
One of the biggest issues with the 2016 team was the special teams. If it could go wrong, it generally did. The punt team consistently set the defense up poorly, the kicking game was inconsistent, and directly cost them games, and the return team lacked impact.
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Kicker Chandler Catanzaro made just 75% of his field goals last season, and missed four extra points. His replacement is Phil Dawson, who continues to be really good, in spite of his age. Punter Drew Butler will also be replaced.
Patrick Peterson will likely continue to return punts, but rookie TJ Logan will get a shot at being the team’s primary kick returner. He’s a dynamic runner who could provide a big impact. Overall, the special teams is almost certain to be better in 2017, which will have a direct impact on the win column.