NFL sees a surge in blocked kicks, impacting games significantly

Kickers and punters have never been more dangerous in the NFL, with long field goals becoming routine and booming punts launched with regularity. None of that matters, though, if the kicks are getting blocked. And that's been happening at a staggering pace in the first month of the season. There have been 16 blocked kicks — on punts, field goals and extra points — for the second most through four weeks since at least 1991. The only season with more came in 2014, when there were 19 blocks in the first four weeks. It's not just the number of blocks, but also the impact they have had on games. That was very evident this past week. It started with the Philadelphia Eagles, who opened their game at Tampa Bay by getting a punt block by Cameron Latu that Sydney Brown returned 35 yards for a touchdown. That came after the Eagles got a win in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams when Jordan Davis blocked a potential game-winning field goal and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown. Philadelphia became the fourth team to score on a blocked field goal or punt return in consecutive games since 2000, with the Eagles also doing in 2014, San Francisco in 2008 and Baltimore in 2002. Philadelphia also blocked a field goal earlier in the fourth quarter against the Rams to become the first team since at least 1978 to have a blocked punt or field goal on three straight possessions, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Chicago sealed a win this week with a block of its own. Josh Blackwell blocked Daniel Carlson's 54-yard attempt to preserve a 25-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. That was the third block in the final minute of regulation on a field goal that could tie or give a team the lead in the past two weeks, with Cleveland also getting one in a Week 3 win over Green Bay. That's tied for the most such blocks in the final minute of regulation in any entire season since 2011, when there were four. The week's most thrilling game also had a consequential block. Dallas blocked an extra point by Green Bay and returned it for a 2-point score in the first half of a game that ended up in a 40-40 tie — the second-highest scoring tie ever. That was just the 10th blocked extra point returned for a score since the NFL changed the rules in 2015 to allow them. Before that, a blocked extra point recovered by the defense was a dead ball. The last time it had happened was by Houston against the Chargers in last season's playoffs. Rattler remains winless Spencer Rattler is still seeking his first NFL win 10 starts into his career with the New Orleans Saints. Rattler became the ninth quarterback since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to lose his first 10 career starts, but that doesn't necessarily means all is lost, as two of the other players on that list ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Troy Aikman began his career in Dallas 0-11 before leading the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles. Warren Moon lost his first 10 starts with the Houston Oilers following a successful career in the CFL. He went on to make nine Pro Bowls, win Offensive Player of the Year in 1990 and throw for 49,325 yards in a career that ended in Canton. The quarterback with the most consecutive losing starts to begin a career is DeShone Kizer, who went 0-15 for the winless Cleveland Browns as a rookie in 2017 and never started again. Two other players lost their first 10 starts without ever winning, with Zach Mettenberger doing it for Tennessee and Brodie Croyle for Kansas City. The other players on the list are Jack Trudeau (12 straight losses), Stan Gelbaugh (11) and Derek Carr (10). Tennessee rookie Cam Ward has started his career with four straight losses. He became the fifth quarterback picked No. 1 in the common draft era to start and lose in each of the first four weeks of his rookie season, joining Trevor Lawrence (2021), Peyton Manning (1998), Drew Bledsoe (1993) and Troy Aikman (1989). Dual-threat backs Bijan Robinson and Ashton Jeanty showed off their dual-threat ability on Sunday. Robinson had a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in Atlanta's win over Washington, while Jeanty gained 155 yards and scored three TDs for Las Vegas against Chicago. Robinson had 106 yards receiving and has topped the century mark twice in the first four games, joining Alvin Kamara (2018), Thurman Thomas (1991), Paul Palmer (1988) and Paul Hofer (1980) as the only running backs to do that. Robinson has 314 yards rushing and 270 yards receiving so far this season, joining Matt Forte (2011) and Marshall Faulk (2001) as the only players with at least 300 yards rushing and 270 yards receiving in the first four games of a season. After a slow start to his rookie season, Jeanty broke through in a major way in the loss to the Bears. Jeanty ran for 138 yards with a 64-yard TD and caught two touchdown passes to join De'Von Achane and Kareem Hunt as the only rookies with at least 100 rushing yards, a touchdown run and two TD catches in a single game. Jeanty also joined some illustrious company in Raiders history, becoming the first rookie to score three TDs in a game for the team since Bo Jackson did it in his memorable Monday night breakthrough performance on Nov. 30, 1987, against Seattle. Houston's offense has a problem The Houston Texans are putting to the test the theory that defense wins championships. The Texans (1-3) got their first win of the season on Sunday when they beat Tennessee 26-0. They lead the NFL by allowing only 12.8 points per game. They are the first team since the 1974 Dallas Cowboys to have a losing record after four games despite allowing fewer than 13 points per game. Since the NFL implemented rules to open up the passing game in 1978, the Texans are the 91st team to allow fewer than 13 points per game in the first four contests. The others combined for a 300-60 record and an .833 winning percentage.