TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona Cardinals' special teams woes in 2016 weren’t Amos Jones’ fault during the season, and they’re still not his fault as offseason practices approach.
On Dec. 12, coach Bruce Arians said he wouldn’t be making any offseason coaching changes, including with Jones. During the NFL annual meetings late last month, Arians again threw his support behind Jones, the Cardinals’ special teams coordinator, and explained why.
“When you take away your five best cover guys and your kicker doesn’t have his best year and your punter doesn’t have the year he is capable of having, it ain’t got a damn thing to do with coaching,” Arians said. “He doesn’t kick. He doesn’t snap. The young snapper had the best offseason anybody ever had. The first [missed field goal against New England in Week 1], Cat [kicker Chandler Catanzaro] just missed. That wasn’t a terrible snap. It got down on the spot. We just missed it. The one in Buffalo cost us the ability to come back in that game. It didn’t have no damn thing to do with a coach.
“If I thought it was something to do with a coach, we’d address it.”
Arians also pointed out the Cardinals were without the core of their special teams unit for part of the year. By the end of the season, Alani Fua, Ifeanyi Momah, Gabe Martin, Tyvon Branch and Jaron Brown were all on injured reserve. Arians said they’ll all compete for special team reps next season.
To bolster their special teams, the Cardinals made one significant move during free agency. They let Catanzaro walk as a restricted free agent and signed veteran kicker Phil Dawson. Adding Dawson, along with getting those five injured players back, will make a difference next season, Arians said.
Special teams played a role in at least five Cardinals losses and one tie last season: Week 1 against New England, Week 4 against Los Angeles, Week 7 against Seattle, Week 11 at Minnesota and Week 14 at Miami. The Cardinals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013 with a 7-8-1 record.
But Arians still supported Jones, who coached with Arians at the University of Alabama from 1981-1982, then joined him at Temple University from 1983 to 1988 and was reunited with Arians in Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2011.
“I’ve been around him for so long,” Arians said. “I know how good of a coach he is. I watch him coach.”
