After kicker Chad Ryland earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his play in the month of October, an Arizona Cardinals specialist has received weekly player of the week honors.
The team and league announced Wednesday that punter Blake Gillikin was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his play in the Cardinals’ 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
Gillikin punted four times against the Bears, averaging 46.8 yards per punt. Three of the four landed inside the 20-yard line and the fourth returned to the 21.
One was downed at the one-yard line by safety Joey Blount, which set up the Cardinals’ safety in the second half.
He was the only punter in the NFC to average at lead 45 yards per punt and have three inside the 20 in Week 9. Four in the entire league did so.
During the team’s current three-game winning streak, he has averaged 47.7 yards on his 11 punts with nine ending inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Arizona’s opponents had a combined 38 punt return yards in those three games.
On their 11 possessions following Gillikin punts over the last three games, Arizona opponents have started at their own 1, 1, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 19, 21 and 25-yard lines. On 29 total punts this season, Gillikin has 13 punts landed inside the 20-yard line and just one touchback (in Week 6 at Green Bay).
