Things to look for on the Cowboys special teams unit in 2021

Kicker

Greg Zuerlein, kicker, faired well for the Cowboys in 2020.  He converted roughly 83 percent of his field goal attempts.  The splits are a bit interesting. Under 49 yards, Zuerlein was nearly automatic as he converted 97 percent of those kicks. Attempts above 50 yards got a bit dicey with his success dropping to a concerning 33 percent.

While it isn’t entirely fair to judge a kicker on his performance on kicks from 50 yards or more, I would like to see that number stabilize a little bit. In today’s NFL the distances kickers are hitting from is ever-increasing.

Zuerlein gave no reason to believe he can’t be the guy for the job in the 2021 season and all signs point to his leg scoring points for the Cowboys.

Punter

An often forgotten position, punter had been a bit of a headache for the Cowboys the last few years. Chris Jones had been struggling the last few years as his punt average declined, ultimately leading to his release this offseason.

Welcome Bryan Anger to the equation. Anger, the highest-drafted punter in the last 25 years, appears to have the inside track to the job. He has a connection to Cowboys’ special teams coach, John Fassel, as they met prior to the 2012 NFL draft and seems to already have a firm grasp on this job.

Should anything go sideways with Anger, the Cowboys have punter, Hunter Niswander, on the roster.  Niswander filled in for the Cowboys down the stretch last year and proved serviceable. While he did some good things for Dallas, all signs are pointing to Niswander sporting a new jersey in the near future.