Not a player you generally want to brag about...
Posted: Wed Dec 23, 2009 4:36 pm
But when you need him, this guy is nails.
Especially with Stephens-Howling on coverage.
Especially with Stephens-Howling on coverage.
Unappreciated position, but come playoff time, a guy like this could be the difference in a close game.With the announcement of the Pro Bowl teams in a week, Cardinals punter Ben Graham has stated his case to be in Miami pretty clearly all season.
Now he has an extra honor as ammunition for his argument.
Graham was named NFC special teams player of the week Tuesday for his huge day in Detroit last weekend, averaging 50.3 yards a kick on seven punts, netting 45.4 yards a punt and landing three inside the 20-yard line.
Graham has a franchise-record 37 punts inside the 20 this season, and is working on a remarkable streak of 62 straight punts without a touchback – with 32 of his punts inside the 20 coming in that span.
The NFL record for punts inside the 20 is 42, set by San Francisco’s Andy Lee in 2007.
Graham’s punting average of 47.5 per kick is third in the NFL, behind Oakland’s Shane Lechler (51.5) and Lee (47.9). Graham is the only punter in the NFL to rank among the top five in punts inside the 20, gross punting average and net punting average.
It’s the seventh weekly honor the Cards have collected this season. Quarterback Kurt Warner has won twice for offense (Week 9 at Chicago, Week 13 versus Minnesota), running back LaRod Stephens-Howling (Tennessee, Week 12) and defensive end Calais Campbell (Jacksonville, Week 2) won for special teams and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Houston, Week 5) and safety Adrian Wilson (Giants, Week 7) won for defense.
