There’s help readily available for one of the NFL’s worst punt-return groups if the Arizona Cardinals would elect to use it
The thought process of the Arizona Cardinals’ decision-makers can be mind-boggling at times. If fans didn’t know any better, they would think that some of the team’s choices were designed to sabotage it.
One such blunder has had an effect on what has recently been an Achilles’ heel of the organization, the special teams. The removal of starting cornerback Justin Bethel from the kick-coverage units, the punting group in particular, has had unwanted results.
The Cardinals are currently ranked 29th-overall in the league in punt coverage. Through five games, they’ve already yielded eight returns of 15 yards or more. All the while, Bethel has observed the carnage from the sidelines, unable to offer any assistance at all.
Bethel, after all, is a three-time special teams Pro Bowler. They’ve taken away his much-needed role as a gunner so that he can concentrate solely on being the best corner he can be. It’s not helping.
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The sixth-year pro has already given up four touchdown tosses through five contests. By comparison, the rest of the defense combined has been responsible for six. If Bethel was placed back on the Arizona special teams, could he possibly play any worse as a cover guy?
Senseless decisions such as this may very well be contributing to the club’s disappointing two and three start to 2017. Taking a player away from an area that he has excelled at, so that he can get better at a spot that he’s obviously not cut out for is not proactive thinking. If there’s any logic at all to that, it’s extremely difficult to see it at the current time.
It’s not too late to put Bethel back where he belongs. There’s a beleaguered special teams’ coordinator named Amos Jones who would almost certainly be thrilled to get his gunner back. And that’s one assistant coach who needs all the help he can get.