Matt Prater named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Sometimes a season just moves in the right direction.

One of the big moves that the Arizona Cardinals made that helped get them off to the 6-0 start they are on is the signing of veteran kicker Matt Prater.

After his stellar performance against the Cleveland Browns, he was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

From the team:

Arizona Cardinals kicker Matt Prater has been named the “NFC Special Teams Player of the Week” for his performance in last Sunday’s 37-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Prater made all three of his field goal attempts and all four extra points, scoring a season high 13 points in the win. He now has 1,510 career points, becoming just the 24^th player in NFL history – and just the third active player – to reach 1,500+ career points.

Three of Prater’s 13 points on Sunday came on a 51-yard field goal in the second quarter. He now has 62 career field goals of 50+ yards, further extending his NFL record. It was his third field goal of 50+ yards this season.

Prater (56) leads the NFC and ranks third in the NFL in points scored this season. He trails only Buffalo K Tyler Bass (63) and Tennessee RB Derrick Henry (62).

This is Prater’s 13th career “Special Teams Player of the Week” selection, trailing only Adam Vinatieri (19) for the most “Special Teams Player of the Week” awards in NFL history by a kicker. It is his first selection with the Cardinals after winning the award twice with the Lions in 2020 (Weeks 3 and 10). Prater becomes the eighth kicker in team history to be selected as the NFC “Special Teams Player of the Week” and the first “Special Teams Player of the Week” for the Cardinals since Phil Dawson in 2017 (Week 12).

Prater is the fourth different Cardinals player to be selected as “Player of the Week” this season and the first as “Special Teams Player of the Week.” Byron Murphy was selected as “Defensive Player of the Week” after Arizona’s Week 3 win at Jacksonville, Kyler Murray was named as “Offensive Player of the Week” after the Cardinals win vs. Minnesota in Week 2 and Chandler Jones was chosen as “Defensive Player of the Week” following the Cardinals Week 1 victory at Tennessee.