Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid called the special teams the best phase among the three in the team’s 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4. On Wednesday, punter Matt Araiza represented the unit’s performance when he earned an accolade from the NFL.
Araiza was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. As the Chiefs noted in a Twitter post, Araiza had five (out of five) punts land inside the 20-yard
line, including a late-game punt downed at the one-yard line by rookie safety Xavier Nwankpa, with help from rookie running back Emmett Johnson.
He also executed the fake punt perfectly, not overthinking it by trying to pass to safety Jaden Hicks out on a route, as Jesse Newell of The Athletic pointed out on Twitter.
Through four games, Araiza leads all NFL punters in yards per punt (52.3) and has allowed the seventh-fewest return yards (40). He also has the highest rate of punts that land inside the 20-yard line (75%); 9 of his 12 punts have pinned the opponent more than 80 yards away from the end zone.
Four punters have launched a longer punt than Araiza this year, but the long of 69 yards is still a top-5 mark.
Araiza has been one of the team’s most underrated difference makers in the 4-0 start to the season.
