Arizona Cardinals special teams turns in uneven performance

The special teams unit of the Arizona Cardinals experienced both highs and lows during this past weekend’s opening-day victory

Things were not going well for the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday. With 7:05 left in the first quarter, head coach Kliff Kingsbury‘s bunch trailed the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 10 to nothing. Their division rival had gotten off to a quick start, and the Cards needed something that could turn the momentum in their favor.

Just when things were looking dim, Arizona’s special teams unit delivered a huge play. Ezekiel Turner, one of the squad’s most unheralded players, raced in and blocked a punt by San Francisco’s Mitch Wishnowsky. On the spot to recover the smothered kick was linebacker Dennis Gardeck, another of the Cardinals special teams aces.

The tremendous effort by Turner put the Cards in business, setting the offense up at the 49ers 10-yard line. It took quarterback Kyler Murray and company just one down to take advantage of the gift bestowed upon them by the special teams. Running back Chase Edmonds took a Murray pass and dove for the end zone, just nipping the pylon for a much-needed Arizona touchdown.

Suddenly, the Cardinals had made it a 10-7 game. Turner and Gardeck had combined for a tide-turning play that had ignited a fire under the behinds of their teammates. Not every member of the special teams crew had a memorable day, however.

Placekicker Zane Gonzalez, who’s contract will expire at the end of the season, was inaccurate on two of his three field-goal attempts. Sure, the 25-year old’s 56-yard boot right before halftime was the longest of his young career. But on the other end of the spectrum, the two additional tries that were botched by Gonzalez (52 and 49 yarders) were a bit concerning.

While the Cards placekicking was a tad shaky, punter Andy Lee started off the 2020 campaign on the right foot (no pun intended). The 38-year old punted four times against San Francisco, averaging a solid 47.75 yards per boot.

On another note, what happened to Arizona using wide receiver Andy Isabella as their kickoff and punt return man? Edmonds assumed the kickoff-return duties, breaking away for an impressive 42-yard jaunt on his one and only runback of the contest. Wideout Christian Kirk did not fare as well as the punt returner, however, averaging just four yards on his two attempts for the Cardinals.

Special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers has done a fantastic job since he was hired by the organization back in 2018. This past weekend’s clash with the 49ers was filled with ups and downs by his current group. You can be sure that Rodgers will be looking for a more consistent performance out of his contingent in the coming weeks.