Colts Punter Pat McAfee Named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month

Pat McAfee has had a terrific start to the 2014 season, without a doubt.  The NFL has taken notice, and this morning McAfee was named the AFC's Special Teams Player of the Month for September.

McAfee ranks first in the league in net punting average (45.6) and third in the league in gross punting average (49.6).  He leads the NFL with 24 touchbacks on kickoffs and also leads the NFL in successful onside kicks, converting two of them so far this year.  The rest of the league combined?  Zero.  In addition to his punting and kickoff duties, McAfee serves as the holder for kicker Adam Vinatieri, who has yet to miss this season (8-for-8 on field goals and 16-for-16 on extra points) and who is tied for the league lead with 40 total points.

McAfee's week two game against the Eagles ranks as the second best game of his career in terms of punting average, as his four punts averaged 55.3 yards per kick.  In week three against the Jaguars, McAfee set a Colts franchise record with eight touchbacks in a single game on kickoffs - a number that he came close to the following week against the Titans, notching seven.

He currently holds the Colts franchise records in kickoffs (413), kickoff touchbacks (188), gross punting average (45.7) and net punting average (38.6), while ranking fourth in Colts history in punts (380) and punting yards (17,380) and third in punts pinned inside the 20 yard line (122).

This is the first time McAfee has been honored with the Special Teams Player of the Month designation, and it's well-deserved.  McAfee has been tremendous this season and has been a huge weapon for the Colts.  McAfee isn't just dangerous as a punter, but he's also dangerous on kickoffs - meaning that unless a Colts drive ends in a turnover, McAfee will come on the field in some manner, and he's helped the Colts out a lot this year.  Huge congrats to the Boomstick on this honor, and it's incredibly well-deserved.