After a strong start to the season, Falcons punter Cameron Nizialek is in a high-pressure situation to get the job done.
Nizialek shanked two punts Sunday, which led to the Falcons signing veteran kicker Dustin Colquitt. Nizialek’s shanked punts led to great field position for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers offense in the Falcons’ 48-25 loss.
Meanwhile as Colquitt comes in, he brings veteran leadership, having last played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020. In that season, he averaged 43.6 yards per punt on 26 punts in six games.
As the Falcons prepare to travel to New York to face a 0-2 Giants team, the stakes are high as they search for their first win of the season. Special teams will play a huge factor if the Falcons expect to win a game that players such as defensive back Isaiah Oliver believe it is a “must win” game.
Even with all of the pressure on Nizialek, coach Arthur Smith said he believes in his punter.
“I want to see him take another step, and we’ll see how this week goes for Cam,” Smith said. “You let them work through it and they either swim or sink.”
Depending on Nizialek’s performance Sunday, Colquitt could see some action later.
It has been a tale of two games for Nizialek, who played at Columbia and Georgia. He has shown the potential to get it done while also struggling to pin opponents deep in their own territory. In the Falcons’ season opener against the Eagles, he finished with six punts, averaging 46.5 yards per punt. Last Sunday against Tampa Bay, he finished with four punts for 157 yards an average of 39.3 yards per punt.
While Smith has the utmost confidence in Nizialek, he knows that this cannot happen again as the season goes on.
“I can go there and yell at him and tell him don’t shank it, (but I don’t),” Smith said when asked about what he tells his punter. Smith states that it’s about evaluating where he is mentally when Nizialek has tough games like he did Sunday.
“We have to look down to see where his mind-set is, technique-wise,” Smith said. “That’s what you have to fix. (He) drops the football, you don’t want it to happen. That’s the challenge of coaching, you go to be fair and let guys play through and see if they can improve. If they don’t then you have to make those tough decisions.”
When things are not going well for Nizialek, Smith understands that mistakes happen and that there is a bigger picture.
“I don’t believe all of a sudden something is catastrophic,” said Smith when Nizialek makes a mistake. “You can feel crappy when bad things happen.”
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