Can You Identify the NFL Team if We Give You Their Kicker and Punter?

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By: Gavin Thagard

6 Min Quiz

Image: Keith Allison via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

Depending on where your team is on the field, fourth-and-long usually means one of two players is about to come to the field: the kicker or the punter. After all, few offenses are going to try their luck against a good NFL defense when they weren't successful for the first three downs. That means they're either going for a field goal or punting the ball to change field position.

Of course, even when the kicker or the punter takes the field, most people don't think much of it. The kicker is only adding three points to the score instead of the desired six, and the punter just shows how stagnant the offense was on that possession. Then, there's always the pressure of making a mistake. A missed field goal can easily lead to a loss, and a blocked punt is one of the worst scenarios in any NFL game. That means these special teams players get no credit and all the blame.

Are you ready to see if you value the kickers and punters across the NFL by identifying the teams they play for? Sure, you might know whose leg talent is used in your own city, but what about for the other 31 NFL teams across the league? If you think you know your NFL rosters down to the last player, prove it by tackling this quiz!

Will you be able to place Tress Way and Dustin Hopkins on the team they play for?

With a mediocre offense, the Washington Redskins definitely needed the leg of Tress Way to change field position throughout the 2019 season. He didn't disappoint, finishing the season with a league-high 49.6 yards per punt attempt.

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With a high-powered offense, what team didn't have to rely too much on Sam Koch and Justin Tucker to win games?

Averaging 33.2 points per game, the Baltimore Ravens scored more points throughout the 2019 season than any other NFL team. Justin Tucker contributed to their success, hitting 28 of his 29 field goal attempts.

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Match J.K. Scott and Mason Crosby to the team they currently play for.

The Green Bay Packers clearly believe in Mason Crosby because they've had him signed to their active roster since 2007. To put that in perspective, Brett Favre was still the starting quarterback for the Packers when Crosby joined the team.

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Rigoberto Sanchez and Chase McLaughlin are two young special teams players on which NFL team?

Chase McLaughlin played for both the Los Angeles Chargers and San Francisco 49ers in 2019 before he was claimed off waivers by the Indianapolis Colts. He was brought in to replace Adam Vinatieri, one of the greatest kickers in NFL history.

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Match Logan Cooke and Josh Lambo to the team they play for.

Josh Lambo finished the 2019 season with the highest field goal percentage of any kicker with at least 20 attempts on the year. His leg wasn't enough to help the Jacksonville Jaguars reach the playoffs, though, as the team finished with a 6-10 record.

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Can you identify the team that struggled to start the season but still stuck with Jason Sanders and Matt Haack for their kick game?

The Miami Dolphins finished the 2019 season near the bottom of the league in both offense and defense. However, the Dolphins did have more success in the second half of the season than the first, winning three of their last five games to finish the year strong.

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Where do Aldrick Rosas and Riley Dixon compete for wins?

As the New York Giants try to rebuild their team, placekicker is one position they will have to improve if they want to win a championship. Aldrick Rosas wasn't bad in 2018, but he took a step back in 2019, making only 70.6 percent of his field goal attempts and was particularly bad beyond 40 yards.

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Can you identify the team that gave Michael Palardy and Joey Slye their first active job in the NFL?

Undrafted out of Tennessee in 2014, Michael Palardy went two seasons without making an active NFL roster. The Carolina Panthers finally added Palardy to their active roster in 2016, where he's been ever since.

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Even if they feel secure on special teams with Brandon McManus and Colby Wadman, what team needs to find a quarterback to get back in championship contention?

The 29 field goal attempts made by Brandon McManus in 2019 weren't enough to help the Denver Broncos improve their scoring total from 2018. While the Broncos averaged 20.6 points per game in 2018, they only averaged 17.6 points in 2019.

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Are you familiar with Jordan Berry and his kicking partner Chris Boswell?

After the departure of several key players prior to start of the 2019 season paired with an injury to veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers were inconsistent all year. However, Jordan Berry and Chris Boswell started all 16 games for the Steelers, ensuring their special teams remained solid.

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Select the team that has been a huge surprise in 2019 with players like Brett Kern and Greg Joseph on the roster.

Between 2016 and 2019, the Tennessee Titans went 9-7 during each regular season, which resulted in two playoff appearances. Brett Kern was on each of those teams, as he waited for an opportunity to make a deep playoff run with the Titans.

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Have you seen enough football recently to place Bradley Pinion and Matt Gay on the correct team?

Through 16 regular season games in 2019, Bradley Pinion had kickoff responsibilities for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to go along with his job as the team's punter. In 97 kickoffs, Pinion had 88 touchbacks and averaged 65 yards per kickoff.

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A veteran in the league, Andy Lee has been a great mentor for Zane Gonzalez. Who do they play for?

Zane Gonzalez certainly had his work cut out for him in 2019, as he was tied for the third most field goal attempts in the NFL. He didn't disappoint, hitting 88.6 percent of them, including two from beyond 50 yards.

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Where did Pat O'Donnell and Eddy Pineiro compete during the 2019 season?

Pat O'Donnell is one of only three NFL punters with at least 80 punt attempts on the season. He also had the second-longest punt in the 2019 regular season, which was a booming 75-yarder.

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Bryan Anger changes field position while Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks field goals for which NFL team?

Even though Bryan Anger averaged 46.5 yards per punt attempt, it wasn't enough to help the Houston Texans defense that gave up 388.3 yards per game, which was fifth-worst in the league. Despite their defensive play, the Texans' high-powered offense was able to get them to the playoffs.

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How well do you know the team that found success in 2019 behind the legs of Dan Bailey and Britton Colquitt?

The Minnesota Vikings didn't have to change much in 2019 to have success in the kicking game with their punter and kicker. Both Dan Bailey and Britton Colquitt started all 16 games, where their consistency was a major reason for the Vikings' success.

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How familiar are you with the team that utilizes the kicking talents of Ty Long and Michael Badgley?

Even though Ty Long was the punter for the Los Angeles Chargers, he occasionally stepped in for placekicker duties, as the Chargers struggled at that position all season. Long was seven for nine on his field goal attempts and a perfect nine for nine on extra points.

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Have Dustin Colquitt and Harrison Butker been on the field enough for you to select the team they play for?

No placekicker had more field goal attempts in the 2019 regular season than Harrison Butker, who made 34 of his 38 attempts. Butker was particularly great between 40 and 49 yards, where he made all 13 of his attempts.

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Are you familiar enough with Kevin Huber and Randy Bullock to place them on the correct NFL team?

The Cincinnati Bengals didn't score a lot in 2019, averaging only 17.4 points per game. However, once they did get the ball in the end zone, Randy Bullock was pretty reliable with his extra point attempts, hitting them 24 out of 25 times.

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Are you a big enough football fan to identify the team that found success in 2019 with Robbie Gould and Mitch Wishnowsky?

Robbie Gould hasn't been the greatest kicker in the NFL throughout 2019, but his mediocre production did not slow down the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers finished the season first in the NFC with a 13-3 record.

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Do you know the team that's trying to finally build a championship roster with players like Sam Martin and Matt Prater?

Matt Prater is a veteran in the NFL, which is why the Detroit Lions were happy to acquire him in 2014. Prater has exceptional skills from a distance and even holds the NFL record for the longest field goal ever made at 64 yards.

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What team still couldn't find much success even after adding Jamie Gillan and Austin Seibert to special teams in 2019?

The Cleveland Browns acquired Jamie Gillan as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He immediately put the NFL on notice in the preseason when he kicked a booming punt 74 yards, which only further solidified his nickname "The Scottish Hammer."

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Camera Johnston's booming leg pairs well with Jake Elliott's accuracy as they helped which team reach the playoffs in 2019?

The Philadelphia Eagles had to play smart football to reach the 2019 NFL Playoffs because of a tough race in the NFC East. That's why they relied on Cameron Johnston to maintain good field position, as he punted the ball 71 times for an average of 46.4 yards per attempt.

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Do you know the team that placed its faith in the hands of two young kickers: Daniel Carlson and A.J. Cole?

A three-time All-American in college, Daniel Carlson clearly had a top-notch leg coming into the NFL. However, he struggled in his first season with the Minnesota Vikings, who eventually released him, before he found a home with the Oakland Raiders.

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Will you be able to match Johnny Hekker and Greg Zuerlein to the team they play for?

Both Johnny Hekker and Greg Zuerlein joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2012 and have been on the roster ever since. They were part of the team when they reached the Super Bowl at the end of the 2018 season, though they didn't ultimately win a title.

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Thomas Morstead was the longtime punter for which team when Wil Lutz joined the roster as a kicker in 2016?

Wil Lutz was perfect on his field goal attempts inside the 40-yard line, finishing 16 of 16 on attempts within that range. For his play, Lutz made the first Pro Bowl of his young career in 2019.

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Have Chris Jones and Kai Forbath seen enough action on the field for you to identify the team they play for?

The Dallas Cowboys didn't start the 2019 season with Kai Forbath, as Brett Maher was their kicker before being released on December 9, 2019. Maher had a powerful leg, and he even set the Cowboys franchise record with a 63-yard field goal. But he struggled with accuracy, completing only 66.7 percent of his attempts.

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Michael Dickson and Jason Myers helped which NFL team reach the playoffs in 2019?

Each season, the Seattle Seahawks seem to be in rebuild mode, but they always exceed expectations by being solid in all phases of the game. That's especially true on special teams, where they aren't afraid to sign top-level talent to ensure their success continues.

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Can you identify the team that utilizes the legs of Younghoe Koo and Ryan Allen to win games?

Ever since making it to the Super Bowl in 2016, the Atlanta Falcons have headed in the wrong direction. They made it to the playoffs in 2017 but lost in the Divisional Round. Since then, the Falcons haven't had a winning season.

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The lights are bright for Lachlan Edwards and Sam Ficken because they play in one of the biggest markets for what team?

The New York Jets struggled mightily to move the ball on offense in 2019, even after adding running back Le'Veon Bell to the roster. That means Lachlan Edwards had to come in to punt the ball 87 times, the most in the league.

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Corey Bojorquez helped which team's defense throughout 2019 while Stephen Hauschka added points for their offense?

The Buffalo Bills had a top-three defense in 2019, giving up only 16.2 points per game. With a stout defense, the Bills needed their special teams to be solid to make a playoff run, and it was just that, as the Bills went 10-6 to make the playoffs for only the second time since 2000.

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What team relies on the kicking precision of Jake Bailey and Nick Folk?

The New England Patriots are used to being excellent in all phases of the game, including special teams, but that wasn't the case in 2019. After an injury to Stephen Gostkowski, the Patriots went through several changes before finally settling on Nick Folk, who made 14 of his 17 field goal attempts.

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