Patterson Departs After Kickoff Struggles
The Miami Dolphins decided to release kicker Riley Patterson on Tuesday. This change aims to fix one of the worst special teams units in the NFL.
Patterson originally joined the team last season when Jason Sanders was injured. During that time, he made 27 of 29 field goal attempts and 34 of 35 extra point attempts. This year, he made seven of his nine field goal tries, but his kickoff execution failed to meet team expectations.
Trouble Defending Kickoff Returns
Miami has struggled significantly on kickoffs this season. The team allowed an 81 yard return on the opening kickoff against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5.
Coach Jeff Hafley spoke about the plan to kick the ball through the end zone. He admitted that the plan simply was not executed properly. He noted that several kicks were supposed to be touchbacks and failed to reach the end zone.
Stats and Next Steps
The Dolphins currently allow an NFL worst 34.1 yards per kick return. They rank fourth in the league with 23.5 percent of kickoffs resulting in touchbacks. Patterson also contributed four special teams tackles.
Reports indicate that the team is bringing back kicker Zane Gonzalez. Gonzalez spent part of training camp in Miami before leaving with an injury settlement in August.
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