Midway through the second quarter, punter Blake Gillikin booted a 63-yard kick, tied for his longest of the season.
But as good as the punt was, Gillikin also stepped on Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas and injured his ankle.
That meant kicker Chad Ryland, who had been signed to replace the injured Matt Prater in October, was needed in an emergency second role.
“We’re around the specialists all day,” Ryland said. “I see Blake do it all the time, so just tried to find a way to give the guys a chance to go cover and give the team better field position.”
It had been almost four years to the day that Ryland last punted in a game. That was on Dec. 12, 2020, when Ryland had punted for Eastern Michigan in a game against Northern Illinois.
Ryland had punts of 36, 44, and 37 yards in the Cardinals 30-18 defeat.
In between drives, Ryland was on the sidelines practicing punting into the net. Gillikin was talking with him throughout the process.
“The guys were all super positive, so that’s always good,” Ryland said.
