Raising Zona
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Arizona Cardinals: Special teams creating problems again

By Scott Allen

GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Kicker Phil Dawson #4 of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field afte missing a field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 25: Kicker Phil Dawson #4 of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field afte missing a field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on September 25, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Like a broken record, special teams once again are an issue for the Arizona Cardinals in a loss

The Arizona Cardinals had a number of goals in the offseason to better themselves for the 2017 season.  One of those areas was special teams.  Mission so far is a failure.

The Cardinals went out and got a new kicker.  They replaced Chandler Catanzaro with 42-year old Phil Dawson.  Dawson missed three field goals in all of 2016 for the San Francisco 49ers.

After Monday night’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Dawson has now missed three field goals in the first three weeks.  Is it a reason to worry?  It might be.  Is it a reason to panic?  Not yet.

It is troubling though that Dawson is missing relatively easy kicks.  If these were all 50, 55 yard attempts gone awry, then alright.  That’s not the case.  He missed a 36-yard field goal Monday night.

As for punting, Andy Lee can still boom it at times.  The overall average doesn’t look bad at 45 yards on Monday night.  However pinned deep, he left a couple of kicks short that gave the Cowboys excellent field position.

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The Cardinals punt return team needs improvement as well.  Kerwynn Williams and Patrick Peterson couldn’t generate any returns against the Cowboys.

Again, it comes down to field position.  The Cardinals definitely lost that part of the game on Monday and ultimately cost them on a couple of  Cowboys drives.

Back to the kicking, how long do the Cardinals allow themselves a mulligan?  They chose not to make any changes with the kicker in mid-season  in 2016 when it was clear early on that it was an issue.

Dawson has matched his number of misses in 2017 to that of his 2016 and 2015 totals.  Maybe he goes perfect from here on out.  It is not trending well for Dawson though.

Don’t be surprised if this continues over the next week or so if the Cardinals bring in a couple of guys for tryouts.  That being said, there is a reason kickers without a job right now, don’t have one. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

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