Matt Haack
Kickers are people, too. If you don’t believe me, just ask teams like the Minnesota Vikings or Cleveland Browns.
Kicking is a vital aspect of the game, and all too often kickers get none of the praise when they save a game and all of the criticism when they blow one. That’s even more true of punters. When was the last time you heard anyone say anything good about a punter more than three minutes after a punt? It doesn’t happen unless you’re Pat McAfee blowing up social media. But today we sing the praises of a punter!
Without the superb punting of Matt Haack on Sunday, the Dolphins don’t walk out of New York with a win. Plain and simple. The Dolphins defense was able to shut down the Jets offense in large part because of the field position they were given. If the Dolphins don’t pin Jets quarterback Sam Darnold deep in his own territory so often, we likely see a different outcome to this game. Haack had six punts on the day, with five of the six landing inside the 20-yard line. That’s the kind of contribution in a hard-fought division game that gets you a “star of the week” designation.
It’s not often you’ll hear me sing the praises of a kicker. It’s even more rare that you’ll hear me say anything about a punter. I may not do it the rest of the season. But today Haack earned the recognition and kept the Dolphins in yesterday’s game.
Honorable mention: Frank Gore for moving into fourth all-time on the NFL rushing list, and for picking up a crucial first down on 3rd-and-long to help seal a Miami Dolphins victory.
