PHX Reporter

Jeff Rodgers, the special teams coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, did not initially realize how many field goals his team attempted during their recent game in Minnesota. "I didn't realize it was as many as it was," Rodgers remarked.

Chad Ryland, the team's kicker, successfully made five field goals but narrowly missed a sixth attempt. This marked Ryland's second miss in two games. Rodgers commented that Ryland felt he didn't strike the ball as cleanly on the missed kick and noted there would be adjustments in practice to prevent future misses.

Rodgers acknowledged that occasional misses are part of the game. "The general expectation league wide -- players, fans, coaches -- is that you are surprised when a ball doesn't go through," he said. He emphasized that various factors must align perfectly for successful kicks and that human error is inevitable.

Ryland stepped in after Matt Prater injured his knee. Prater had been perfect with six field goals before being placed on injured reserve. With only five games remaining, Prater's return seems unlikely. As a replacement, Ryland has achieved an 85.7 percent success rate by making 18 out of 21 field goal attempts.

This performance places Ryland ahead of 20 other teams this season, although 11 teams have recorded better percentages than his impressive figure.