The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of a very successful year. They’ve won with strong defensive play, some much-improved quarterback play compared to previous years, and overall smart, sound football. However, one of the biggest reasons for that record is their kicker, Chris Boswell.
Boswell just earned yet another AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award on Wednesday, and it’s much deserved. The kicker went a perfect 6/6 during the Steelers’ win against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. He scored all 18 of the Steelers’ points and really set himself apart as the best kicker in the division, with Ravens’ kicker Justin Tucker missing twice on the day.
While most kickers remain relatively quiet on the field, Boswell’s got the skill to back up any talking he might get into during the game. His teammate, Cam Heyward, spoke about Boswell’s intensity during Wednesday’s episode of Not Just Football With Cam Heyward.
“When I think about what Boz [Boswell] does, he is automatic,” Hayward said. “He looks forward to those moments where it’s 57-and-out… Boz is ready for the moment. Boz beats to his own drum. There’s nothing that can really rattle Boz. Boz likes to rub it in people’s face, too, when he gets a chance to kick those long field goals… Boz is a talker.”
Chris Boswell has become ridiculously consistent. For a Steelers’ team that leans into winning ugly games by one possession, having an essentially automatic kicker is vital, and that’s the exact thing Boswell brings to the table. Sunday’s win was the third regular season game in Boswell’s career in which he made six field goals.
If you look into his playoff career, he also won a six-field goal game against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016, a game Pittsburgh won 18-16. This is the second time Boswell has accomplished that feat this season. His first came in the Steelers’ 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons to begin the year.
Chris Boswell leads all kickers in made field goals with 29. He’s only missed once on the season. He’s converting 96.7 percent of his attempts, the second-highest rate in the league. Boswell has also made nine of his 10 attempts from 50+ yards. As the Steelers continue down the stretch into their playoff run, Boswell is as important as anybody else on the roster, if not more.
