Cardinals Flunk Basic Math: The Seahawks Punt Block

[IdiotKicker]

http://soshcentral.com/nfl/cardinals-flunk-basic-math-seahawks-punt-block/
 

 
Math is an important skill for a number of professions. Some vocations require the use of trigonometry, calculus, or more complicated disciplines;  Others involve simpler concepts such as percentages.
 
For a personal protector on an NFL punt unit, mastery of only one basic computational skill is necessary: the ability to count from one to eleven. And unfortunately for the Arizona Cardinals, their personal protector Justin Bethel (#28) received an F in arithmetic on Sunday.

 

[LondonSox]

Great piece Chuck, enjoyed this one a lot.
 
Anyone else having the GIF load  s l o w l y ?

 

[crystalline]

Cool stuff.
Also the fault of the ST coach, right?

 

[IdiotKicker]

Cool stuff.
Also the fault of the ST coach, right?

 
At some level, but the person who actually gives the go-ahead for the snap is the personal protector.  He has the final call to snap the ball after counting off his players.  The ST coach probably should be counting too, but it's generally left up to the guy on the field to make sure everything checks out.

 

[Super Nomario]

 
At some level, but the person who actually gives the go-ahead for the snap is the personal protector.  He has the final call to snap the ball after counting off his players.  The ST coach probably should be counting too, but it's generally left up to the guy on the field to make sure everything checks out.

Great stuff, as always, Chuck. I don't know of anyone doing the kind of stuff you're doing with special teams play breakdowns.
 
My question is: why would something like this happen? I would think there's a punt team, and if you're on the punt team you're on the field. Was someone on Arizona hurt and his backup didn't realize he was supposed to be in the game? Are there multiple punt units (like, a protection-heavy unit and a unit set up to stop returns) and there might have been confusion as to which unit was supposed to be out there? Was Arians or the OC reaming out a player for a failure and that guy was supposed to be in the game? 

 

[IdiotKicker]

Was someone on Arizona hurt and his backup didn't realize he was supposed to be in the game?

 
This appears to be the case.  After taking a look at video this morning, the left wing on Arizona's punt unit is Kenny Demens. Demens suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the first half, and most likely either didn't tell the next guy on the depth chart, or the next guy was told and forgot what he was doing in the heat of the game.