Getty Images

Washington punter Tress Way is having an outstanding season and is one of the underrated reasons his team is in first place, and he’s starting to get recognized for it.

Way was named NFC special teams player of the week after an outstanding game against the Buccaneers in which he averaged 49.4 yards per punt and landed four of his five punts inside the 20-yard line. Way giving the Buccaneers a long field all game is one of the big reasons Tampa Bay scored just three points despite gaining 501 yards.

This has been a remarkable season of directional punting for Way: He has 25 punts inside the 20-yard line, and zero touchbacks. Way has a knack for making his punts bounce upward so they don’t roll into the end zone. Washington coach Jay Gruden compared him this week to a great golfer hitting a 9-iron.

Way is in his fifth year punting in Washington and is averaging a career-high 41.1 net yards per punt.