Field Goal Stats

[Arroz con Panther]

I kept receiving an unusual amount of notifications regarding missed fields goals yesterday.  So, I decided to find my inner KB_fan and look at the field goal stats from this past weekend.  I think part of me did this just to make me feel better about Gano missing the game winner, but another part of me thought it strange that there were so many missed kicks.  Is it just first week jitters or what?  Here are the numbers followed by a break down that would not make KB_fan proud.

Out of 28 kickers, 25 had a field goal attempt on Sunday.  There were 51 field goals made out of 63 attempts or approx. 81% of fields goals went through the uprights.

10 out of 25 kickers missed at least one field goal.  2 of those 10 kickers missed multiple field goals and 3 of those 10 also missed a PAT.

Of the kickers that hit 100% on field goals, 2 missed a PAT.  Only 92% of PATs were made (57/62).  I know this is a high percentage, but I still don't expect 5 missed PATs on one Sunday.

So, what does this say about our kicker situation?  Does it put you at ease knowing that so many field goals were missed this weekend?  At the very least, I think it shows that field goals aren't guaranteed and, minus a few elite kickers, every kicker is going to have an off day.

Discuss!

[Nick_81]

I said this in another thread, but FG's/PAT's take extremely precise execution to be successful.  Especially as you move further away, obviously.  Snap has to be on point, hold has to be on point, etc.  I'm not worried about Gano.  The snap was high, and inside, and the holder only has the kicker's two steps to get it in the right spot.  Has to be damn near perfect to have a chance.

[Khyber53]

I think it drives home the point that kicking field goals in the NFL is a much tougher thing to do than we imagine while we sit on our couches or in the stands.

The next time they do one of those long shots before the field goal that looks down the field from the kicker's perspective, just look at how small that target appears to be. And you are kicking an oblong leather ball in its non-aerodynamic posture OVER a bunch of 6 foot or taller dudes, half of whom want to smash you into the turf. Adjusting for the wind, while wearing a big old helmet and shoulder pads, at night, into the lights and then some jerkwater calls timeout right as you go through your windup.

Oh, and the game's on the line versus the team that kept you from winning the Superb Owl last year.

Yeah, even the really, really good ones are going to miss a few. And their job and lively hood are on the line each darned time for one of only 32 spots available doing that in the world.

Gano is going to be fine and we'll be fine with him.

[the butch]

4 minutes ago, Nick_81 said:

I said this in another thread, but FG's/PAT's take extremely precise execution to be successful.  Especially as you move further away, obviously.  Snap has to be on point, hold has to be on point, etc.  I'm not worried about Gano.  The snap was high, and inside, and the holder only has the kicker's two steps to get it in the right spot.  Has to be damn near perfect to have a chance.

whole heartedly disagree.

the only thing that separates graham gano from the average guy on the street is his ability to make them.  anybody can miss them wide left.  in short, he's paid to be perfect.  i understand that he requires his teammates to come through, but the tape shows bad form and rushed kick.  my theory is he got comfy with a free kick on the timeout and that affected the real attempt.

[Khyber53]

My theory is that he just barely made the initial kick as it squibbed off of the upright. He tried to adjust a bit to the left and over hit it. Maybe a half a degree too much on the angle of his foot and over the 50 yards that's enough to push it wide left.

 

[Nick_81]

2 minutes ago, Dick the Butcher said:

whole heartedly disagree.

the only thing that separates graham gano from the average guy on the street is his ability to make them.  anybody can miss them wide left.  in short, he's paid to be perfect.  i understand that he requires his teammates to come through, but the tape shows bad form and rushed kick.  my theory is he got comfy with a free kick on the timeout and that affected the real attempt.

Agree to disagree.  No real chance for the kicker when the holder is catching the ball in his face almost reaching back, and just getting the ball to the ground as the kicker's foot gets there.  He didn't even have time to get the laces all the way around.  There's about 1.2 seconds to work with from the time the long snapper starts his motion.  Everybody has to be perfect, or the kicker can't be, no matter what he's paid for, or how much.  Unfair to put all the blame on Gano.

[the butch]

2 minutes ago, Nick_81 said:

Agree to disagree.  No real chance for the kicker when the holder is catching the ball in his face almost reaching back, and just getting the ball to the ground as the kicker's foot gets there.  He didn't even have time to get the laces all the way around.  There's about 1.2 seconds to work with from the time the long snapper starts his motion.  Everybody has to be perfect, or the kicker can't be, no matter what he's paid for, or how much.  Unfair to put all the blame on Gano.

For sure.  I view the kicker as the "QB" of the ST's unit--he relies on everyone to do a perfect job as they can, but adapts when he needs.  Don't get me wrong, one kick shouldn't decide someone's fate.  But as has been argued previously, Gano has a bad history.

[cardiackat88.]

Stupid, "ice the kicker" trick. I've seen the kicker miss before the ice and then make the next one.

It does make me wonder though, what if Rivera had sent the offense back on to the field after the ice timeout, ran down the play clock because the game clock wasn't running, and has the ball spiked? It wasn't fourth down so the kicker could be sent back out for his fg attempt. I don't know, to me that would be like a way of saying "you aren't putting pressure on my kicker you piece of poo"

[Proudiddy]

27 minutes ago, Dick the Butcher said:

whole heartedly disagree.

the only thing that separates graham gano from the average guy on the street is his ability to make them.  anybody can miss them wide left.  in short, he's paid to be perfect.  i understand that he requires his teammates to come through, but the tape shows bad form and rushed kick.  my theory is he got comfy with a free kick on the timeout and that affected the real attempt.

I thought once Denver called the timeout, "please don't waste the kick."  I really wanted him to stop immediately, but I don't think I've ever seen a kicker not take the free kick.  I knew as soon as he kicked it, the second one wasn't going to hit.

It sucks, but I had the same exact feeling when Cantanzaro lined up last night, and he shanked it as well.  No doubt, they are big spots to kick in, but they are paid to make them.  Although I wanted Gano on our team to replace Kasay once we parted ways, I still haven't developed the trust in him that I had in Kasay.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade him for any other kicker, but I just don't think many guys have the clutch factor that Kasay did when we needed a clutch FG...  When Kasay lined up to kick a FG in a tough spot, I KNEW it was money, if it wasn't, I would be shocked.  With Gano, it's kind of the opposite - I think he may miss it, and I'm hoping he makes it.  But, then again, Kasay went full retard when it mattered most, and all he had to do was drop a kick somewhere within the width of a football field and he missed the whole thing, lol.  I guess that's kicking...

 

[Proudiddy]

9 minutes ago, cardiackat88. said:

Stupid, "ice the kicker" trick. I've seen the kicker miss before the ice and then make the next one.

It does make me wonder though, what if Rivera had sent the offense back on to the field after the ice timeout, ran down the play clock because the game clock wasn't running, and has the ball spiked? It wasn't fourth down so the kicker could be sent back out for his fg attempt. I don't know, to me that would be like a way of saying "you aren't putting pressure on my kicker you piece of poo"

I don't think it was so much the "ice"-ing timeout, as it was him kicking it the first time once the timeout was called.

[ShutDwn]

Just now, Proudiddy said:

I thought once Denver called the timeout, "please don't waste the kick."  I really wanted him to stop immediately, but I don't think I've ever seen a kicker not take the free kick.  I knew as soon as he kicked it, the second one wasn't going to hit.

 

Waste the kick? There's no reason to not take a practice shot. 

[Millioso7]

We just need to bring in better competition in the offseason.. Make him work for his spot..

[Proudiddy]

2 minutes ago, ShutDwn said:

Waste the kick? There's no reason to not take a practice shot. 

Idk man, like I said, I know the kicker usually takes the free kick when iced, but I just had a feeling if he did it, he was going to miss the second one.  As Khyber mentioned above, I think he felt/saw something he didn't like despite making the first kick and overcorrected on the second.  Idk if I've seen Gano do something similar before, but it was just the feeling I had.

[ShutDwn]

5 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Idk man, like I said, I know the kicker usually takes the free kick when iced, but I just had a feeling if he did it, he was going to miss the second one.  As Khyber mentioned above, I think he felt/saw something he didn't like despite making the first kick and overcorrected on the second.  Idk if I've seen Gano do something similar before, but it was just the feeling I had.

You have that feeling because Gano is just kind of average