#will lutz

NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (5)

Special Teams–Thomas Morstead and Wil Lutz

Stud punter Thomas Morstead is the only other active Saints player not named Drew Brees to sport a New Orleans Saints Super Bowl ring. Since being selected in the 5th round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Morstead has been a perennial fixture on this team. As punters go, it may surprise you to learn that Morstead is #3 all-time in the yards per punt category with a career 46.8 yards per boot. He trails only current active Los Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker (47 yards per punt) and the great Shane Lechler (47.6) for ownership of this category. While there likely isn’t enough games left in 2019 for Morstead to close even this small of a gap, this will be a fun and interesting record to follow going forward.

The other special teams man to mention here is Wil Lutz. You may already know Lutz set an NFL record back in October against the Chicago Bears by converting his 35th consecutive road field goal. What you may not know is that Lutz (in only his fourth season as a pro) is the #5 all-time in career field goal percentage. The margins both on the field and in the stats books are so razor thin that stat trackers use a thousandth decimal place to differentiate kickers for this distinction.

Will Lutz nails it!

The final minute of the Texans-Saints game was insanely fun to watch for anyone who is not a Houston fan. It was also one of the best things we’ve seen in sports for some time now.

Deshaun Watson made two of the best throws under pressure you’ll ever see and tied the game on a touchdown pass to Kenny Stills. Then, Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed the extra point, only to get a second chance due to a penalty. He made the kick, putting the Texans up by one point with just 37 seconds remaining in the game.

That’s when Drew Brees marched the Saints 35 yards down the field in 35 seconds, setting up a potential game-winner from 58 yards out.