The impact of each phase of the game for the Kansas City Chiefs can be the difference between a disappointing season and a Super Bowl run. A key component is a field-position advantage driven by punter Matt Araiza.
"Yeah, this is his third year. He's improved on his touch on his pooch punts. He is really bombing the ball now. You will see a lot of kicks over 5.0 hang time." Toub told reporters last week, "If he can hang the ball up 5.0, it doesn't matter who we have at gunner; they're going to be able to cover. He cleans up a lot as far as that goes. He is really having a great camp right now. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the game, too."
Araiza has continued to tweak his punting approach during his three seasons with the Chiefs after a brief
tenure starting his career with the Buffalo Bills.
"It's like two completely different swings. It's like in golf, like your driver vs your 60 degree." Araiza told reporters last week, "I mean, there's different thought processes on both of them because there's different outcomes that you want, so, really, it's kind of completely keeping them separate that's helped me."
Last season, Araiza had 56 punts for 47.6 yards per punt. He finished the preseason opener last Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams with five punts for 222 total yards with a long of 57 and three inside the 20-yard line.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs' special teams standout earns praise for consistent improvement
