Chad Ryland wins NFC special teams award after six field goals beat Rams

Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday, October 21, after scoring all of his team’s points in an 18-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on October 18. He made all six field-goal attempts, including a 43-yard kick on the final play to give Arizona the victory.

Six field goals secured Ryland’s first weekly award

It is the first NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award of Ryland’s career. His six field goals were the most made by any NFL player in a game this season, according to NBC Sports. The Cardinals said the 18 points and six successful kicks were both career highs for Ryland, whose final attempt came with the clock running down. Every Arizona point in the win came from his kicks.

Cardinals’ second special teams honor this season

Ryland is the second Arizona player to receive the conference’s weekly special teams honor this season. Simi Fehoko won after Week 1, when he blocked a punt against the Los Angeles Chargers. According to the Cardinals, both of the team’s wins through six games have now been followed by a special teams award. The team said Ryland had previously earned the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month award in October 2024 after kicking three game-winning field goals, but had not won the weekly honor before.

Through six games this season, Ryland had made 14 of 16 field-goal attempts and all 12 extra-point attempts, the Cardinals reported. His scoring has helped deliver wins, though he told the team he would prefer fewer field-goal opportunities if that meant more touchdowns as Arizona works through red-zone difficulties. ‘It’s fun to win, and in this league wins are hard to come by,’ he said.