Siposs explains what went wrong on ugly Super Bowl punt originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Punting professionally in the NFL is often a losing proposition, with little chance for upside and a huge chance for downside. In Super Bowl LVII, Eagles punter Arryn Siposs found that out the hard way.
Siposs, who'd just returned from a monthslong stint on the sideline with an injury suffered during a punt gone awry, was involved in one of the more pivotal plays of the Eagles' Super Bowl loss when his shanked fourth-quarter punt was returned 65 yards by Kadarius Toney to set the Chiefs up for an easy touchdown.
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It didn't seal the game, but it certainly put the Eagles in a pinch: down eight points to the best player in the world with the clock decidedly against them.
RELATED: NFL refuses to admit Super Bowl field was deplorable
This week Siposs appeared on SEN Breakfast, an Australian radio show, to discuss many things - including what happened on the punt. Here are the highlights for Eagles fans:
On the punt itself:
"Look, to be honest, I was coming back from my injury as well and working my way into it. The first one went really, really well, and all I wanted to do was kind of continue on with the second one. I actually kind of just tweaked the left ankle on the plant foot, and just kind of didn't get through the ball as well as I would've liked."
On his aim for that play:
"I was just trying to kick a drop punt, trying to kick it high and make him fair catch it to be honest, let them have 70 yards to mess with. It didn't work out in my favor. We still had an opportunity to go and make a play down there, of course, and they just made a better one."
On the poor field conditions:
"In all honesty, it was pretty tough to be out there. It was like golf divots being taken out of the field, things like that. Both teams have to play on it, and that's just the way it is. But I think both teams can certainly say it was pretty tough being out there, trying to get some form of grip. When you did, you'd be taking a fair divot out of the ground. It was pretty tough to play on."
Respect to Siposs for going on a radio show and talking about it. It certainly stinks to learn that Siposs tweaked his ankle during the punt, which couldn't have helped.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni spoke last week about the punt on that fateful 4th & 3 from the Eagles' own 32-yard line:
"'Obviously, you guys saw the punt,' Sirianni said. 'Arryn didn't get the punt that he wanted there. So, there was a low hang time. Toney did a good job of scooping that up and not letting it hit.'"
Sirianni stuck by his decision to punt, despite advanced analytical models suggesting the Eagles should've gone for it:
The decision was the decision, in the end. We'll always have the what-if scenario of his ankle planting okay, the punt sailing high, and Toney fair-catching. Do the Eagles get a defensive stop? Does the clock situation play out more in the Birds' favor and head to overtime?
Alas, you can't go back and undo what happened. It was a great game and the Eagles lost. On to 2023.
