Steelers Kicker Chris Boswell Receives Huge Honor for Week 1 Heroics

In a narrow two-point victory, the Pittsburgh Steelers needed everyone to step up in Week 1. Taking down the New York Jets by a final score of 34-32 was no easy feat, after all, and one particular player served as the hero.

Kicker Chris Boswell was the man, and now he adds some hardware because of it. Per the league (and the Steelers on X), he’s the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1.

Pittsburgh Star Chris Boswell Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

It’s a fitting award for Boswell, who was picture perfect for the Steelers on Sunday.

Thanks to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Boswell had four opportunities to drain extra points. He converted on all of them, also going 2-for-2 on field goals. Both came from distance, with the first being a 56-yarder and his 60-yarder being a career-long. The latter boot served as the longest for any kicker in Week 1, and hands-down the most important.

Following the triumphant win, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin praised Boswell for a job well done.

“I can’t say enough about Boz. Our kicker is a serial killer,” Tomlin said. “Man, he’s got a low pulse rate. He can’t wait to deliver.”

This is the fifth time Boswell has been named Special Teams Player of the Week. It’s the most such acknowledgements for a Steeler, passing Jeff Reed. Boswell’s awards in 2015 (Week 6), 2017 (Week 13) and last season (Weeks 1 and 11) now have some company. Among all Pittsburgh players dating back to his debut in 2015, Boswell trails only quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (seven) and pass rusher T.J. Watt (eight) for most Player of the Week wins.

Starting all 17 games for the Steelers last season, Boswell thrived. He made all 35 of his extra point attempts, also going 41-for-44 on field goals. Those 41 makes led the sport, contributing to a sparkling 93.2% accuracy rate. All of those marks netted Boswell his second career Pro Bowl berth, in addition to his only first-team All-Pro nod.

Boswell ‘Not Worried’ About New Contract From Steelers: Report

Of course, with excellent performance should come excellent pay. That’s no foreign concept to Boswell, who is soon due for a raise from the Steelers. According to Over The Cap, his average annual salary of $5 million currently ranks 10th among active kickers. Even at the age of 34, he remains an elite player.

There’s a case to be made that Boswell is the best in the business. Will he be compensated as such? That remains to be seen, as he’s under contract through the end of next season. Experiencing another signature moment like Week 1’s thriller of a kick certainly doesn’t hurt.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk documented Boswell’s latest thoughts on an extension. The two spoke on the phone following Sunday’s win. Even without a new deal in place, Boswell is worried about controlling what he can control.

“I kind of just look at it you know, my kicking will take care of all that,” Boswell said. “I’m not worried on it. I’m not focused on it. You know, that’s why we all have agents and stuff like that. It didn’t get done and, you know, they have a business to run, too. I mean, just like I gotta look out for myself. I didn’t come to — nothing came about it so just move on, and figure out another time.”

If Boswell’s string of performances keeps being positive, achieving a league-high salary or something close to it won’t be a problem.

Lions' worst fears about Week 1 play calling confirmed by this one stat

In the aftermath of the Detroit Lions' brutal 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, one of the many places of blame by fans was directed at new offensive coordinator John Morton.

Heading into this season, many Lions fans and critics of the team were concerned with how Detroit would be without the services of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who both left in the offseason for head coaching gigs.

Those fears were realized at Lambeau Field last Sunday afternoon as the Lions fell flat in all phases of the game against their bitter NFC North rival from Green Bay. It was the offense, particularly the performance of the Lions' interior offensive line, that turned heads, and this stat from John Morton's debut as offensive coordinator will leave Lions fans with an even more sour taste in their mouths.

Lions offense records least yards per play in more than three seasons

In John Morton's debut as offensive coordinator for the Lions, Detroit averaged 3.8 yards per play. This was the lowest yards per play average by the Lions in a game since the 2021 season, when Anthony Lynn was the offensive coordinator for Detroit. It was also the first season under head coach Dan Campbell, a year where the Lions finished with the worst record in the NFC at 3-13-1.

Having your worst offensive game since your last losing season is not a good sign for a Lions team that is looking to win their third straight NFC North division title and compete for a Super Bowl. Despite the optimism from the players after the Green Bay loss, fans have the right to feel the way they want, and this stat justifies their worries.

Despite the criticism, Morton has a chance to redeem himself and earn the trust of Lions fans as they face off against the Chicago Bears in their home opener at Ford Field this Sunday. A win against the Bears on Sunday, especially with it being against the man that Morton replaced, will help him to slowly earn trust with Lions fans.