Analysis: Chris Boswell's bounce-back season encouraging sign for Steelers special teams

The width between NFL goal posts is 18 feet, 6 inches. If that distance looked smaller than a parking space to Chris Boswell in 2018, it had to look wider than the Allegheny River last season.

The biggest special teams question mark for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the season, Boswell put the ball through the uprights at a pace reminiscent of his first three NFL seasons, when he was one of the NFL’s top kickers.

After missing five extra points in 2018, Boswell converted all 28 attempts last season. After connecting on 13 of 20 field goals the previous season, Boswell made 29 of 31 tries. His only misses came after a bobbled snap and a career-long 54-yard attempt.

Boswell’s 115 points were the second most in his career and accounted for nearly 40% of the Steelers scoring. His consistency and accuracy were such that, if not for outside linebacker T.J. Watt, Boswell could have stated a case for being named team MVP.

And so it is that Boswell will enter 2020 with a measure of job security he rightfully lacked heading into training camp last season. It’s also safe to say the $1 million roster bonus Boswell is due this season won’t be an issue like it was in 2019 when the Steelers moved a $2 million roster bonus from March until August so he would have to earn it based on his preseason performance.

While Boswell’s contract isn’t in danger of becoming a salary cap casualty, the same can’t be said for his holder, punter Jordan Berry.

Berry will enter the second year of a two-year contract he signed last offseason, one that will count $2.175 million against the cap. The Steelers would save $1.8 million by moving on from Berry, their punter the past five seasons.

Because of a stagnant offense following the season-ending injury to Ben Roethlisberger in Week 2, the Steelers called on Berry a career-high 74 times. And while Berry finished with a career-high 40.9-yard net average on his attempts, he placed a career-low 24 punts inside the 20, a total that tied for No. 20 in the league.

The way Berry finished the season is the reason his job security is under question. The miscommunication on a fake attempt resulted in Berry being tackled for a big loss at Arizona, and the gaffe nearly cost the Steelers a 23-17 victory.

The next week, against Buffalo, Berry’s 22-yard punt set up the Buffalo Bills for a 40-yard touchdown drive. He followed up with a 24-yarder against the New York Jets, and the capper to his season came at Baltimore when he couldn’t handle a snap — albeit in a driving rain — and the Ravens recovered the fumble for a touchdown.

The final component of the field-goal triumvirate also could be new in 2020. Long snapper Kameron Canaday is an unrestricted free agent, although the Steelers likely will try to re-sign him for the NFL minimum.

Special teams coach Danny Smith’s return units produced mixed results. On kickoff returns, the Steelers finished next-to-last in the NFL by averaging 18.1 yards per return. Only four teams had a shorter “long” return than Kerrith Whyte’s season-high 34-yarder.

The punt return unit, however, was buoyed by the emergence of rookie Diontae Johnson in the second half of the season. Johnson averaged 12.4 yards on 20 returns, and his 85-yard return for a touchdown against Arizona was the highlight of the season for his unit and helped earn Johnson a second-team All-Pro selection. The Steelers’ average of 9.8 yards per return tied for third in the NFL.

The Steelers also could see some changes to core members of their special teams. Tyler Matakevich, who led the fan vote in Pro Bowl balloting, is an unrestricted free agent. Jordan Dangerfield is a restricted free agent, and Anthony Chickillo could be a salary-cap casualty.

One constant, though, heading into 2020 will be Boswell, something the Steelers couldn’t say with any degree of certainty a year ago.

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