Punter Riley Dixon came up big when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed him most, and now he has some hardware to celebrate the occasion.
On Wednesday, the NFL named Dixon its NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 13. It is the first such award in Dixon's 10-year NFL career and the third won by a Buccaneer this season. Wide receiver and punt returner Kameron Johnson took the honors in Week One and kicker Chase McLaughlin was the NFC choice in Week Eight.
Leading the Arizona Cardinals 20-17 but facing a fourth-and-five at their own 37 at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers sent out Dixon to punt it away. He blasted a 59-yard kick that was filed by return man Greg Dortch at the Cardinals' four-yard line and returned to the nine. Tampa Bay's defense then sealed the victory with a stop on fourth down moments later.
That capped an excellent outing for Dixon, who punted five times for 240 yards, averaging 48.0 yards per kick with an outstanding net average of 46.8 yards. Three of his five punts were downed inside the Arizona 20-yard line, including two inside the 10-yard line, and none went for touchbacks. The Cardinals' average drive start following Dixon's punt was their own 12-yard line.
Dixon, who was signed by the Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent in March, has stabilized a punter position that was in turmoil in 2024, with three different players filling the position. He has averaged 45.5 yards per punt on 49 attempts, with a net of 39.2 and 20 kicks downed inside the 20 versus just four touchbacks. Dixon played four seasons for the Denver Broncos in two different stints, four for the New York Giants and one for the Los Angeles Rams before joining the Buccaneers.
Dixon is the first Tampa Bay punter to win a Player of the Week award since Jake Camarda in Week Two of the 2023 season. This marks the first time in franchise history that a Buccaneers punter, kicker and return man have all won a Player of the Week award in the same season.
