Buffalo Bills punter Sam Martin has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his performance from Weeks 14-18, in which the Bills went 5-0 and secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC and won their fourth consecutive AFC East title.
Martin led the AFC in percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line (64.75 percent), 10-yard line (29.4 percent) and 5-yard line (11.8 percent).
In his second year in Buffalo, Martin has continued to pin opposing offenses deep in the windy atmosphere of Highmark Stadium, in which specialists are known to struggle.
It's nice having a year under my belt and being able to practice in there and get a better understanding of how it works," Martin said during training camp before the 2023 season. "Every punt is different, every situation is different on the field. So it's nice going into it with a little bit of knowledge of it know and having a better idea and more confidence in there."
Martin's situational awareness played a pivotal role in the Bills' Week 17 win against the New England Patriots.
With Buffalo up six points late in the first quarter, Martin punted from the New England 46-yard line, booming the ball high in the air to give Siran Neal a chance to down the ball at the New England 5-yard line. Shortly after, Rasul Douglas returned an interception for a touchdown, capitalizing on the short field he faced as he ran the ball into the end zone.
The award is Martin's first of his career. He has been won a Player of the Week award three times in his 11-year career.
