NFL Special Teams Report: Week 1

Each week through the 2026 NFL season, I'll be taking a closer look at the special teams players making an impact around the NFL.

But this won’t just be about the kickers, punters and returners who typically get the attention. We’ll dig deeper into the players who can decide games without touching the ball, from gunners and vices to snappers and members of the kick return and coverage units. I’ll also highlight my favorite special teams plays of the week.

Here is the Special Teams Report for Week 1.

The play design for the Arizona Cardinals’ blocked punt against the Los Angeles Chargers was excellent. As soon as the long snapper put his head down to prepare to snap the ball, the Cardinals shifted linebacker Cody Simon from one side of the formation to the other. After the snap, Simi Fehoko stunted over a gap. The result was an overload, leaving the Chargers with too many players to block. Fehoko was left unblocked and got to the ball as it left the punter’s foot.

Cardinals blocked punt yesterday was awesome.

Shift Cody Simon late (as soon as the long snapper's head goes down) then stunt Semi Fehoko who gets the block 👏

Darius Cooper of the Philadelphia Eagles, Tyler Owens of the Washington Commanders, and Tay Martin and Khalil Dorsey of the Detroit Lions each recorded two tackles without a missed tackle when lined up as gunners.

No rep was more impressive than Owens', who went viral after beating two blockers, knocking them both to the ground, before making the tackle.

On the other side are the players responsible for trying to slow down gunners. Four players who were on the field for three or more snaps as a vise/jammer recorded a 33.3% vise win rate, tied for the league lead: Kamal Hadden of the Green Bay Packers, Chris Blair of the Atlanta Falcons, Jordan Howden of the New Orleans Saints and Christian Braswell of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Howden’s successful block for the Saints helped spark a 16-yard punt return.

Long snappers earn high PFF grades by limiting bad snaps and by recording tackles in punt coverage. Six long snappers earned PFF grades above 80.0 in Week 1. Tucker Addington of the Miami Dolphins led the league at 90.6, with no negatively graded snaps and a pair of tackles.

Long Snappers: NFL WEEK 1

Players earn high PFF grades by not only making tackles but also by defeating blocks to influence kick returners. Of the players on the field as part of the kick coverage units for at least five snaps, seven earned PFF grades above 80.0

Kick coverage units: NFL WEEK 1

Players earn positive and negative grades as part of the kick return units based on how well players block the kick coverage units. This week, seven players earned PFF grades above 85.0 when on the field for at least five snaps as part of the kick return unit.

kick-return unit: NFL WEEK 1