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Matt Haack – September 17, 2018 Download PDF version

Monday, September 17, 2018

Punter Matt Haack

(Your performance yesterday for a punter, is that about as good as it gets for you?) – “Yes, I was happy with the game yesterday. All together, (it was) a big win coming out of New York like that. The offense was moving the ball well. I felt like the whole game was just in a rhythm, in a flow. Once one punt started going, it led to the next one, the next one and the next one. We had great coverage on the field, great snaps from John (Denney), good protection and I think all the way around the special teams was solid.”

(The life of a punter is you played a key role in the Dolphins winning field position the entire day. And yet because you’re a punter, generally speaking, you’re not going to get the credit the same way as a guy who scores a touchdown. Do you just take your satisfaction?) – “The way I look at is, that’s my job. My job is to put the defense in great field position and win the field-position battle every game. When I get a chance to put them inside the 20 and we execute, that’s a huge win for us. Like I said, that’s just something that’s expected of you.”

(What’s something that changed for you between the first and second game?) – “I keep the same routine, the same practice habits, the same everything. I wouldn’t say much has changed, it’s just I felt like I was hitting the ball maybe a little cleaner. I felt like the first game I hit the ball pretty clean outside of one. Overall, I just kind of got in that rhythm and our team, special teams and all the guys around me, played their role too.”

(Where did that rhythm come from? Was that pregame or maybe throughout the week last week?) – “I think it’s … Yes, a little bit of both. Like I said, you just get into that game mindset and start hitting the ball well and trust your teammates.”

(I noticed yesterday, maybe this is something you always do, but I really noticed it watching yesterday. It looked like you were pointing the ball downward a lot of times when you were kicking. Is that something that helps?) – “Yes. We call that a going in punt, or end over end or whatever. I usually use that between the 40s. Otherwise, if you hit a spiral, you never know. It could be a 55 or 60-yard punt that hits and rolls into the end zone. That end over end punt, there’s a better chance or probability or whatever you want to call it that if the returner doesn’t catch it, that it hits the ground and stops or bounces straight up or sideways or something. It just gives yourself a better chance for a good ball.”

(Is there a point in the week … Is your routine the same every week or is there a point in the week where you’re like, ‘I’m good, my rhythm’s good, I got this,’ and then you start shutting it down?) – “My kicking schedule is that I kick Wednesday and Thursday. That’s when we do our punt team reps. I like to kick in team rather than on my own, just to get the tempo and rhythm and stuff. I would say it’s got to be there Wednesday. It’s got to be there the whole week. That’s my job, so if it’s not there, then there’s something I’ve got to fix.”

(How satisfying was it to have the kind of day you did knowing that LS John Denney was going through what he was going through and still able to suit up?) – “It’s very satisfying. I know he’s battling through whatever. He had a great game. He was solid as he always is. You know John. But it’s more satisfying playing that role and helping the team win, being the guy that puts the team in the best position I possibly could.”

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