by Rex Robinson
Fragile
Pronounced- Fra-jeel-ay…must be Italian. Hopefully you get the reference from the movie classic “A Christmas Story”. The word fragile comes to mind quite often these days as I watch game after game with kickers struggling in bowl games and the NFL playoffs. All in all, it’s been a horrible year for kickers.
Even going back into the regular season, some of the best kickers in history hit a wall. Jason Elam with the Falcons and Nick Folk with the Cowboys are two of the best examples. What’s so strange is, the kicker who replaced Folk, Sean Suisham, has had his struggles as well. He was cut from the Washington Redskins just a few short weeks before joining the Cowboys. In fact, a short miss versus the Cowboys is what got him cut from the Redskin roster in the first place.
The worst case scenario just happened Sunday with Nate Kaeding of the San Diego Chargers going 0-3 versus the New York Jets. Two of the misses should have been automatic. Jim Nance had just gotten the words out of his mouth and I KNEW it was a jinx coming. Kaeding had made 67 in a row inside 40 yards. Sunday he started another streak, missing two. The final score of 17-14 makes it a big deal. The fact that similar games have happened in the playoffs before, makes Charger fans crazy.
When a negative precedent is set, a molehill can become a mountain pretty quickly, and almost impossible to get over. I’ve been there. I have mentioned the 1978 Astro Bluebonnet Bowl before. Without doubt my worst game as a Georgia Bulldog. It was a game played on turf, in a dome. The next time I had a chance to play on turf, in a dome was the Sugar Bowl for the national championship. I would have been fine, but all week reporters reminded me of my earlier failure and asked me if it would happen again.
This constant negative input was very difficult to push aside. As you have seen this year, when a kicker has any doubts in a pressure situation, the results are less than stellar. The reporters questions actually ruined that week for me, because all I could think about was not letting a replay of the Bluebonnet Bowl take place. As it turned out I had a solid game, not perfect, but solid.
When doubt creeps in, that chink in the armor can kill you. As a golfer, a pitcher or hitter in baseball, and especially a kicker, confidence is key. Phill Simms really impressed me with his understanding of the position Sunday. A regular player is instinctive, reacting to the flow of the game. Kickers are on the sideline, stagnant and come in for one play to either succeed or fail. It’s not easy, but it is the nature of the position.
A kicker has to do his part, or suffer the consequences.
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about 7 months ago
And wasn’t everyone pulling for Tom Watson to win the British Open?
about 7 months ago
I feel for Kaeding, though think he is lucky that he plays for San Diego and not a team from New York. As far as I can tell, no one has touched his home or burned him in effigy. A lot of other bad plays (not to mention penalties) contributed to the Chargers’ loss, but he is definitely the scapegoat. Too bad it was a missed field goal that cost them the playoff game in 2007, also against the Jets, also missed by him. I’d be willing to be that he won’t be a Charger next season.
about 7 months ago
Kickers to the NFL are like coaches they never get new ones they just recycle the old ones. Why else would Jason Elam still be kicking as old as he is. Age affects you. Experience is great but if the mind is willing but the flesh is weak it’s over.
about 7 months ago
Let me add that the line has to block, the snapper has to snap and the holder needs place that ball so that the kicker can kick. Just saying it is the kicker is not really fair. I’ve seen my kid mobbed when blocking broke down.
about 7 months ago
The Chargers played the JETS not the Minnescrotum Vikings. Come on Rex get it together or at least lay off the booze. ; )
about 7 months ago
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about 7 months ago
That’s a good post Rex. Kickers get denigrated because “all” they have to do is make a kick but you can look at most games where someone lost because a kicker missed a kick and find other breakdowns too. I know it’s the nature of the beast and kickers who want to keep their jobs must make most of their kicks but the kicker is in a unique spot. I remember when Georgia had that great second half comeback against Purdue and Drew Brees talked bad about the kicker afterward. I felt bad for the kicker for being called out like that and because Brees missed some throws himself in the second half. Watching Andy Baily struggle in 2006 was tough too. Felt bad for the kid. You see it in golf a lot– guys play well for 70 holes and then the pressure gets them. That’s a big part of what made Jordan and Bird and Johnson great — they wanted to take the shot when it mattered most.
about 7 months ago
No one else is blamed if they lose a game but a kicker can be but it is the rest of the team that puts the kicker in a situation like that. It is a thankless job most of the time.