They might not be thought of much as long as they are doing their jobs well, but the specialist positions on the roster are, under the right circumstances, about as important as any other. The bottom line is that when they have a task to accomplish, it must be done successfully. Miss a go-ahead field goal, shank a punt, or botch a snap, and it could decide the game.
Because all three positions often work so closely together—with the punter typically functioning as the holder for the kicker on extra point and field goal tries—it stands to reason that they are frequently found to be a close-knit group, and that is exactly what the Pittsburgh Steelers’ trio has become over the course of the past two seasons.