Tag: punter

Who was the best Bronco to ever wear No. 16?

Jake Plummer has the second-best QB win percentage (.722) in Broncos history, but Tom Rouen won two Super Bowls. Who’s the best No. 16?

Who was the best player to ever wear No. 16 for the Denver Broncos?

There are two obvious candidates and — depending on who you ask — perhaps an obvious answer as well.

Jake Plummer played quarterback for the Broncos from 2003-2006. Denver reached the playoffs in all three seasons that Plummer started a full year, including a trip to the AFC Championship game in 2005.

Before Peyton Manning arrived, Plummer had the best winning percentage (.722) among quarterbacks in franchise history, and he ranks among the best QBs the Broncos have ever had.

Tom Rouen played punter in Denver from 1993-2002. He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos, but some fans argue that any punter could have been along for the ride when Denver dominated the NFL in the late 1990s. Rouen wasn’t just any punter, though.

Rouen’s long of 76 yards ranks third in franchise history and his 182 punts downed inside the 20-yard line rank No. 1 in Broncos history. He was also the longest-tenured punter in franchise history, and that counts for something. Rouen totaled 28,146 punt yards in Denver, most in team history.

Rouen earned second-team All-Pro recognition in 1994. Plummer earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2005.

Both were talented players at their respective positions. Rouen won multiple Super Bowls, but Plummer played a more prestigious position. So, who was the best Bronco to ever wear No. 16? You decide:

Who is the best #16 in Broncos history?
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Saints brought in another Australian punter to compete with Lou Hedley

The Saints are committed to the Aussie punting style. They signed Australian punter Matthew Hayball to compete with Lou Hedley:

The New Orleans Saints are zigging when the rest of the NFL is zagging, at least on special teams. They’re committed to making the Australian style of punting work in the NFL. After signing and starting former Miami punter Lou Hedley (a Mandurah, Australia native) last year, they’ve brought in Vanderbilt punter Matthew Hayball (from Geelong, Australia) to compete with him.

There are some pretty significant differences between the two despite their shared nationality; Hedley is from a smaller town on Australia’s west coast, while Hayball comes from the more populous southern coast 36 hours’ drive away. Hedley is three years Hayball’s senior, too. And as far as their performance on the football field goals, Hayball punts with his left leg, while Hedley uses his right.

What about their performance? Last season, Hedley was criticized for averaging the fewest yards per punt (43.0) and shortest hang time (4.04 seconds) in the NFL. Hayball averaged 47 yards per punt but just 3.88 seconds at Vanderbilt. While he’s been working on increasing his hang time — anything over 4.3 seconds is good, by NFL standards — what matters most is how he’s performed in games. And Hayball will get opportunities to test that training.

But accuracy matters, too. Hedley placed 41.3% of his punts inside the opposing 20-yard line, and only 5.3% of his punts resulted in a touchback. That’s top-10 in each category. Bu just 32% of his punts were fair catches, which was right in line with the league average.

Here’s how Hayball compared at Vanderbilt in 2023: 44.1% of his punts landed inside the 20, 6.7% were touchbacks, and 23.7% were fairly caught. He gave the opposing team more return opportunities, which is probably explained by that poor hangtime.

If Hayball can work on that and continue to work from greater range than Hedley while remaining accurate in his placement, he just might win this job. It says a lot that the Saints guaranteed $35,000 of his contract compared to just $10,000 in the deal Hedley signed last offseason. But the Saints are making a risky gamble with this Aussie style of punting. They’re betting that their coverage unit can get downfield in a shorter time than other teams around the league and limit return opportunities, even if it comes at a sacrifice of yards per punt. That thin margin for error didn’t hurt them too often last year. Let’s see if it pays off again in 2024.

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Texans expected to sign ex-Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend

The Houston Texans have a new punter in Tommy Townsend after Cameron Johnston left for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Houston Texans found their new punter.

After Cameron Johnston left for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston agreed to a deal with former Kansas City Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Townsend’s deal is for two years, $6 million.

Townsend finished the 2023 season with the 17th-most yards per punt this past season with 47.1 and 33.9% of his punts were inside the 20. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022 after his punts averaged 50.4 yards per attempt.

Twitter reacts to Chiefs signing punter Matt Araiza

Users on Twitter reacted to the #Chiefs’ decision to sign punter Matt Araiza on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed free agent punter Matt Araiza on Thursday, marking their first significant move of the offseason since winning Super Bowl LVIII.

Araiza, known to his fans as “Punt God”, was a decorated player as a collegian at San Diego State University, earning All-American honors and the Ray Guy Trophy in 2021.

Initially selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Araiza’s professional career was nearly ended by a lawsuit that was dismissed in December.

His signing may mark the end of Tommy Townsend’s tenure in Kansas City, which made some fans feel uneasy about the signing when news of his acquisition by the Chiefs broke this week.

Townsend had become a cherished member of Kansas City’s special teams unit and, with his future now unclear, users on Twitter were quick to react to Araiza’s signing.

Check out their top posts about the move below:

Chiefs sign free agent punter Matt Araiza

The #Chiefs signed punter Matt Araiza on Thursday, a move that could mark the end of Tommy Townsend’s time in Kansas City.

With the cloud of a lawsuit behind him, the Kansas City Chiefs intend to sign former 2022 sixth-round pick Matt Araiza on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team’s first notable move after its victory in Super Bowl LVIII.

Araiza put together an illustrious career at San Diego State that captivated audiences around the country, earning him the nickname “Punt God.”

He was an All-American in college and won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best collegiate punter in 2021, leading to his selection by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

That summer he was released, however, after being named in a lawsuit alleging the rape of a 17-year-old girl. Araiza was dropped from the lawsuit in December 2023 in exchange for him dropping a defamation lawsuit against her.

All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend isn’t under contract with the Chiefs for the 2024 season, and Araiza’s addition could be an indication that they are moving on.

While it remains to be seen whether Araiza’s golden leg will be as effective as it was in college, his signing on Thursday is a good sign that Kansas City’s coaching staff is comfortable with his ability to at least compete for a starting spot if Townsend re-signs.

No Saints players led their positions in 2024 Pro Bowl Games fan voting

No current New Orleans Saints players led their positions in fan voting for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, but two of their former teammates did:

This is tough. No current New Orleans Saints players led their positions in fan voting for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, but two of their former teammates did while playing for other teams: New York Jets punter Thomas Morstead and Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead both led the AFC in fan votes at their positions.

Maybe the Saints shouldn’t have let them go. Morstead was teammates with Armstead in Miami last year, but he’s continuing to play at a high level in the years since the Saints cut him to open the door for his successor Blake Gillikin. Gillikin was also released earlier this year in favor of Lou Hedley, who has experienced an up-and-down rookie year in the NFL.

As for Armstead: the Saints’ uncertainty at left tackle speaks for itself, though his situation was more complicated. On top of the serious salary cap implications involved, Armstead’s injury history made it tough to justify re-signing him. Even if they had kept Armstead, they would need an expensive insurance policy. Injuries have limited him to just 9 games this season for the Dolphins.

Fan voting is just one part of the process — coaches and the players themselves will also have ballots, so it’s possible some Saints players end up making the cut. And there’s always the possibility they can get in as alternates should starters opt out or are unavailable while playing in the Super Bowl. The NFL announced positional leaders in fan votes on Wednesday, with the AFC and NFC player rosters scheduled for release at 7 p.m. CT on NFL Network and NFL+.

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Riley Dixon debunks cheating allegations with a funny Instagram story

Broncos holder Riley Dixon silenced cheating allegations by showing a nasty turf burn on the back of his hand from Monday’s game in Buffalo.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Buffalo Bills in a wild Monday Night Football game last week thanks to a retaken last-second field goal.

Earlier in the game, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz missed an extra point. Later, punter Riley Dixon mishandled a hold, resulting in a second botched extra point attempt against the Bills.

So after Denver had failed to convert a pair of extra points earlier, a 41-yard field goal on a windy night to win the game was no sure thing. Lutz missed his kick, but the Broncos were gifted a second chance after Buffalo was penalized for having 12 men on the field.

After moving the ball up five yards, Lutz converted from 36 yards out and the Broncos walked away with a 24-22 win. What a crazy game!

The drama didn’t end there, though. After the game, fans on Twitter began accusing Dixon of cheating and using a sticky substance to make it easier to hold for Lutz’s game-winning field goal.

The back of Dixon’s hand had a bad turf burn wound that looked like pine tar. Dixon had the perfect response on his Instagram story this week, sharing a photo of his bruised hand with the caption “Does anyone know how to get spider tac off my hand? Asking for a friend.”

Dixon, of course, was joking. It’s easy to tell from the photo that Buffalo’s artificial turf tore up the back of his hand.

So that should put an end to the conspiracy theories. See a sampling of the accusations below.

Twitter thinks Riley Dixon cheated on Broncos’ game-winning field goal (he didn’t)

Twitter thought Riley Dixon used a sticky substance to help him hold the Broncos’ game-winning field goal, but it’s just turf burn.

Story update: Riley Dixon silenced the cheating allegations by posting a photo of his injured hand on social media. See our original story below. 

After getting a second chance from a Buffalo Bills penalty, Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz converted a 36-yard field goal to secure a 24-22 win on Monday Night Football in Week 10.

After the game, there was some controversy on Twitter from fans who think Denver punter Riley Dixon used a sticky substance to be able to hold the ball for Lutz’s kick. Earlier in the game, Dixon mishandled a snap, leading to a failed extra-point attempt.

On the game-winning field goal, video showed what looked like a Stickum-like substance on the back of Dixon’s right hand. NFL rules, of course, do not allow players to use adhesives on their bodies to help grip the ball.

Here’s video of the play that shows the back of Dixon’s hand:

Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend celebrates 27th birthday

#Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, November 12.

The Kansas City Chiefs special teams unit has been one of the best in the NFL this season, and punter Tommy Townsend’s efforts to flip field position have played a large part in the squad’s success in 2023.

Townsend, now in his fourth year with the Chiefs, celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday, marking yet another trip around the sun for the All-Pro punter.

A consistent presence for Kansas City on Sundays, Townsend has cemented himself as one of the league’s top punters in recent seasons and is known as one of the Chiefs’ most coveted assets on special teams.

In addition to his role as Kansas City’s punter, Townsend also serves as the team’s holder on field goals and has been stellar in his time helping Harrison Butker nail three-point tries since joining the Chiefs as Dustin Colquitt’s successor in 2020.

Though he won’t be on the field in Week 10 as Kansas City takes its bye, fans can expect to see Townsend back in action against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 20.

Dave Toub: QB Patrick Mahomes is the Chiefs’ emergency punter

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub says quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the #Chiefs’ emergency punter.

The Kansas City Chiefs avoided possible disaster before their Week 6 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend was dealing with a sore knee ahead of the game but was well enough to get through the game.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub has never shied away from utilizing any player on the roster for a role. He has gone to place-kicking enthusiast Justin Reid as an emergency backup for Harrison Butker. Toub revealed to reporters on Thursday his intentions to utilize Patrick Mahomes as the team’s backup punter if necessary in games.

“Yeah, we had a plan. We had a plan, and believe it or not, ’15’ (Mahomes) Is our backup punter,” Toub explained. “He could do it. I mean, he shows me all the time. You know he’s out there boom on Saturdays hitting punts. He can do it all, that guy. It’s unbelievable.”

Mahomes has often pushed for doing more outside of the quarterback position, whether in jest or for the team’s betterment.

“If we wanted him to, he could probably,” said Toub, reiterating the real possibility of Mahomes the punter being an emergency option.