It isn’t often that a rookie punter makes one of the most sensational plays in a preseason game, but Bills punter Matt Araiza did.
In Saturday’s preseason game, with the Bills punting from their own 18-yard line, Araiza boomed an 82-yard punt into the end zone, for a 62-yard net.
Araiza had a lot of sensational punts in college at San Diego State and was also the team’s kicker -- which means that unlike most punters, he has no experience as a holder. After the game, Araiza seemed as excited about holding on Tyler Bass’s game-winning field goal as he was about his 82-yard punt.
“That was awesome,” Araiza said. “The first game holding, the game winner. Tyler is an awesome kicker, so I think he makes all of us look good. It’s awesome to be holding for such a good kicker.”
The Bills have a punting competition, and veteran Matt Haack punted first in Saturday’s game, a 38-yard punt that was downed at the Colts’ 12-yard line. That and Araiza’s 82-yarder were the Bills’ only two punts, so we have an incredibly small sample size to observe of this punting competition. But it’s hard to believe a rookie who can punt an 82-yarder on his first try won’t end up the Bills’ punter in Week One.
