IMO, yesterday was a perfect example of just what Hekker and the Rams Special Teams do for this team's success. We have come to take his punting for granted and the coverage units as well.
One has to look no further than the Washington punter yesterday. He didn't seem to have the ability to do anything other than just let it rip right down the middle of the field, allowing Austin to have free reign to return punt after punt all day long. He amassed 140+ return yards, and that doesn't include the "illegal fair catch" return that was negated by the penalty.
Conversely Hekker and the Rams punted 4 times with 3 of the 4 inside the 20, and a grand total of 2 return yards. It's no wonder to me why they locked him up for the next 6 years.