5 things to look forward to with the 2021 Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Respected veteran arrives to stabilize kicking situation
When all was said and done last season, the Redbirds came up one victory short of a postseason appearance. Many factors contributed to that heartwrenching failure, with former placekicker Zane Gonzalez certainly qualifying as one of the most obvious culprits.
Gonzalez missed three late-game field goals last season that could’ve resulted in victories. To avoid that nightmare scenario from happening again, Keim went out and got a much more reliable kicker during free agency. Matt Prater, a veteran with 14 NFL campaigns on his resume, was inked to a two-year contract back in March.
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The 37-year-old has converted 321 of his 386 field-goal tries during a pro career that began back in 2007. Most importantly, Prater is no stranger to pressure kicks. It feels like the issue that plagued the team in 2020 has been taken care of in impressive fashion by the front office.