Punters are people, too. Or so the merchandise reads.
And that means they take losses just as hard as the rest of the roster.
"You always look back on a game and say there are plenty of places I could have helped the team win," Rams punter Riley Dixon said following the team's fifth consecutive defeat. "And losing is never fun for anybody, including (the specialists). We take it just as hard."
The 29-year-old is in his first season in Horns, and is coming off perhaps his most impactful performance of 2022.
He dropped one kick inside the Kansas City five-yard line, while another was muffed by the Chiefs and recovered by the Rams coverage unit. Dixon also converted a fourth-and-five in the second quarter with a six-yard completion to Jacob Harris, the first reception of the receiver's NFL career.
Dixon is now 2-for-2 on the season throwing the rock, good for 18 yards and a pair of first downs. And since I looked it up, his 118.7 passer rating would lead the league (if he qualified).
"I've always loved the fakes," the Syracuse product said of the best feeling a punter can experience in the course of a game. "(But) for me the biggest thing is being able to pin an opponent deep. Making the Chiefs go first-and-96, there… Seeing the reaction from the team, seeing the energy that puts into the defense and the special teams, just giving the guys a spark is what I've always loved."
On this week's Rams Revealed, we take a deep dive into the art of punting with Dixon. From load management to game ball preparation. From filling Johnny Hekker's shoes within the organization to the team-wide My Cause, My Cleats effort this Sunday against the Seahawks.
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