“With the onside kick, you’ve got to start with Coach Hightower — he does a phenomenal job each week drilling that play and making sure we’re prepared,” Johnson said Monday. “All of our guys were dialed in. They knew what they were doing. Cairo had an excellent kick, made it very difficult on their side. I thought we executed at a really high level and blocked well [and were] able to recover it.
“[We were] talking as a staff yesterday, where does Blackwell look like relative to the league? We feel like he’s one of the best special teams players in the NFL right now/ Whether he gets that recognition or not publicly, I don’t know. Yet, he’s a part of our success as a team, our special teams unit as a whole, he’s really found quite a niche there.”
Over the past several weeks, the special teams unit has approached each game with the same mindset, which is, according to Blackwell: “Creating momentum and sustaining momentum. When you make a play, let’s make another play.”
That’s a mentality that Blackwell has embodied, including dating back to last season. From a punt return touchdown at Lambeau Field in last year’s season finale to a game-winning blocked field goal against the Raiders Sep. 28 to downing a punt at the 1-yard line last week versus the Browns, Blackwell has exceeded each special teams role given to him.
Those moments are exactly why general manager Ryan Poles signed Blackwell to a two-year contract extension during the offseason.
“He’s helped us win multiple games,” Hightower said. “I like to call him ‘All-Pro Black’ because I want him to think that way. And to me, a Pro Bowl player or All-Pro player is someone who that affects the game in several different phases.
“And personally for him, I’m ecstatic, because he’s able to reach a dream that, even he has said publicly, sometimes he didn’t know if he could achieve. But for him to constantly have the mindset of getting better and never settling, that’s kind of like what our rally cry is after games. Just never settling, continuous improvement, trying to get better, never thinking that you made it. That has allowed him to continue to make more and more plays.”
Aside from the extra point to officially tie the game following Williams’ touchdown pass to rookie receiver Jahdae Walker, the special teams unit had finished its job. If they were called upon again in overtime, Hightower’s group would, of course, be ready, but they didn’t anticipate they would be needed.
“When I saw Blackwell get that ball, I knew in my head, we’re gonna go win this thing,” Hightower said. “You’ve got coach Johnson calling those plays. You’ve got Caleb at the helm. You’ve got all of those guys out there that just know how to win in the fourth quarter.
“Myself and the special teams unit, we were talking, and we were just so happy to be a part of it, because all we want to do is help the team. And it was the offense’s turn to win it this time.”