TEMPE, Ariz. -- They may not talk much, but Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians knows just what to say to his kicker, Chandler Catanzaro, and just when to say it.
Bruce can thank his son for that.
Jake Arians kicked for the Buffalo Bills for most of the 2001 season after a four-year career at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Raising a kicker taught Bruce how to handle the fragility of the position, whether it's the psychological or the physical, especially when it comes to the personnel around the kicker.
"It's helped a bunch," Bruce said. "Just dealing with kickers my entire career but having a son that was one, who knows the psyche of a kicker has helped me a bunch – how to handle them, how to speak to them, and what's important and what's not important."
Catanzaro doesn't need daily reinforcement from Bruce to boost his confidence after a rocky season that includes six missed field goals and four missed extra points. Combined, his misses have cost the Cardinals at least three wins this season. Bruce, however, said he still believes in Catanzaro.
"He's a talented guy," Bruce said.
That, coupled with still having a job is enough to keep up Catanzaro's confidence.
"All I can say is I can appreciate the opportunity that he's given me and I appreciate the opportunity to still be here kicking for the Cardinals," Catanzaro said.
Throughout his athletic career, regardless of sport, Catanzaro has experienced the gamut of coaching personalities. Some would curse him out. Some would offer tough criticism. Some would be blunt. Some wouldn't say anything. It's made Catanzaro immune to however his next couch would be like.
That's prepared Catanzaro for Arians, who treats Catanzaro as he does the rest of the locker room.
"He keeps it real," Catanzaro said. "He's going to tell you if you're talent is better than what you're showing on the field, like if you're underperforming. He'll tell you, 'Hey, you're better than that.' He's always kept it real and I appreciate that about him. He's been a fun coach to play for in that regard.
"I draw confidence from it. He's the type of coach I love playing for."
Yet sometimes after a miss or a block, Catanzaro shows the effects of a bad play. His shoulders slump, he walks slow and hangs his head.
"His body language could improve," Bruce said. "That's one thing we've got to work on."
While managing a kicker is part psychologist, it's also part personnel director.
Through Jake, Bruce understands the need for a consistent holder, which he ranks as more important than the snapper. In Catanzaro's case, he's had three holders this season: Drew Butler, Ryan Quigley and currently Matt Wile.
And Bruce said Catanzaro's issues this season can be put more on having different holders than what's going on between inside his head. But it's all related.
"It's mostly three different holders," Bruce said. "That enters the psyche part. I've said it before having a son who had been a kicker in the NFL, the holder is more important than the snapper especially if you're looking at the spot.
"You have to trust the guy. Doing it in practice is one thing but in the speed of the game, everything speeds up a little bit. Give him the benefit of the doubt because in Miami we were working two holders to see who was going to punt. Now we switched the holders on him again. That's not easy for a kicker."
