2020 Dallas Cowboys vs Super Bowl Champ Kansas City Chiefs
Punter
Field position is an important part of football. A punter’s job is to make sure that the opposition gets the ball as close to that team’s endzone as possible. In this sense, the opposition has more yardage to cover to score, and starting inside five yards puts more pressure on the opposition.
The Cowboys punter for the past five seasons has been Chris Jones. In the 2019 season, he averaged 41.6 yards per punt and had 18 of them land inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. Also, one of Jones’ 48 punts were blocked.
In his nine-year career, Jones averages 44.4 yards per punt. That alongside averaging 20.2 punts being inside the 20-yard line per season. The 2019 season was a drop from his usual steady play.
The Chiefs have Dustin Colquitt punting the ball away for them. In 2019 he averaged 44.3 yards per punt and had 21 of them land inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. One of the 48 punts was blocked.
In 15 seasons, Colquitt averages 44.7 yards per punt, while averaging 30.8 punts landing inside the 20-yard line. This shows that his leg is still as strong as it was booting the ball away, but just not as accurate.
Even with Colquitt dropping in play, he is still a better punter than Jones. The 37-year-old still has a strong boot but is slipping with controlling where the ball is going to go. Jones played well from 2013 to 2017, but it looks like he is slipping now.
With under 20 punts inside the 20-yard line, he ranks 30th in the NFL. Colquitt is not too far off, tying for 26th in the league, but his highs are better than Jones’ are.