Generally, the last thing you want to see as a football team is your punter. If your punter’s on the field, it’s an acknowledgment the offense failed, and you’re playing the field position battle. When it comes to Bills’ rookie Matt Araiza — often known as the “Punt God” to football fans — Buffalo might have a punter they’ll come to enjoy watching.
During the Bills’ preseason matchup against the Colts (-1.5), a stalled-out late second-quarter possession brought Araiza onto the field. Rather than hope for a good roll or a normal booming kick, the rookie let off an absolute 82-yard bomb from Buffalo’s eight-yard line.
Words certainly don’t do the Punt God’s incredible talents in this play justice:
🚨82-YARD PUNT ALERT🚨
📺: @nflnetwork | WIVB pic.twitter.com/UNib6Zv2lM
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 13, 2022
Matt Araiza with an 82 yard punt, #PUNTGOD pic.twitter.com/bHyEBSyFFr
— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) August 13, 2022
Good lord. There’s playing for field position; then there’s pinning a team deep in their own end even though your offense barely moved the ball. For additional context, if this was a regular season, it’d be the longest NFL punt in almost a decade. Now, yes, it was a touchback, but who cares! 82 yards!
The Punt God has officially arrived as an NFL player, and we are not all worthy of his tremendous leg.
NFL fans loved seeing the 82-yard punt from the 'Punt God'
Still think we need to cleanse all kicking from the sport but, holy, Evan McPherson and Mr. Punt God himself are making a strong case. pic.twitter.com/s1nk9ljHw4
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) August 13, 2022
The Punt God 👀pic.twitter.com/MQ0XDLctb4
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) August 13, 2022
📢 PUNT GOD
Matt Araiza's first NFL punt goes for 82 yards.
📹 @NFL pic.twitter.com/higpFctmon
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) August 13, 2022
Punt god is alive and well https://t.co/NwU7WdDKBe
— Chris Scheim (@Scheimtime) August 13, 2022
62 yard net punt that was a touchback 😭😭
What a time to be a Bills fan #PuntGod
— Jefe (@JSpenceTheKing) August 13, 2022
folks
the punt god is in the building https://t.co/uRdSmWnqJ1
— Greg Tepper (@Tepper) August 13, 2022
RISE UP PUNT GOD HYPE TRAIN MATT ARAIZA IS HIM pic.twitter.com/lAz2XoFaU3
— Adam Rosen (@arrosen76) August 13, 2022
PUNT GOD https://t.co/vTIDIte0dc
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) August 13, 2022
THE PUNT GOD HAS ARRIVED
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) August 13, 2022
WATCHED IT LIVE IN THE STADIUM, TRUST IN PUNT GOD https://t.co/xjbyxW6IC9
— Luke Faulkner (@FaulknerLucas) August 13, 2022
THE PUNT GOD HAS REACHED THE PROS!!!!! AN 82-YARD PUNT THAT WENT OVER THE RETURNER'S HEAD!!!!!
THIS WOULD TIE THE LONGEST PUNT IN THE NFL SINCE 2013 https://t.co/hrLVcPLUDN
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) August 13, 2022
My word. The Punt God is the man https://t.co/H854qfSG3x
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 13, 2022
When the punt God shows you why he has that nickname pic.twitter.com/I38atjMikb
— trey wingo (@wingoz) August 13, 2022
