by Rex Robinson
Nick Folk is No Joke
The Dallas Cowboys put together an almost perfect game to beat the previously unbeaten New Orleans Saints 24-17 on Saturday night. The only exception was the continued struggle of kicker Nick Folk who missed a 24 yarder with a little more than two minutes to go. The field goal would have made the game a two possession game and cinched the victory for the Cowboys.
Nick Folk is a former All-Pro kicker(2007) who has missed more kicks this year than the two previous years combined. Folks issues began with off-season surgery to repair a labral tear in his hip. Obviously, something is still not right because Nick had the best FG percentage among active kickers coming into the season(86.8%). Now, he has missed as many kicks in the last 6 games as he did in his first 34 games.
It is admirable that Dallas has stuck with him thus far, but time may be running out. They know he is a great kicker, but last night’s game may precipitate a change, as Dallas cannot afford to have a kick be the difference down the stretch. With a 9-5 record, there is just no room for error. The Cowboys have lots of issues(see Roy Williams), but the kicker is usually the first to go.
If you watched the game last night, you saw them repeatedly show Nick’s pregame warm-ups and how bad things are. His complete lack of consistency shows a mechanical glitch possibly brought on by pain avoidance. His late miss was not a choke, because he was missing those same kicks in pregame.
I hope he is able to regain his form at some point. It may be too late in Dallas.
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about 8 months ago
Suit up Rex, they need you.
about 8 months ago
Now, that IS a joke..lol.
about 8 months ago
Rex, I agree that something has gone awry with Folk’s kicking. I watched the reply of some of those pre-game warm-ups. One of his kicks started out straight, and then took a major turn to the right, missing badly. Remember, this was in the Super Dome. Only a strong left to right wind (as you face the posts) can do something like that.
Remember also that NFL stands for “Not For Long.” So, despite All-Pro status, players are very disposable (particularly kickers and punters). The bar has been raised almost to the point of perfection.
I predict the Cowboys will let Folk go. My suggestion to the Cowboys would be to sign Colt David, formerly of LSU fame.
about 8 months ago
I’m not an expert on kickers, but being a Dawg fan all my life i’ve had the pleasure to witness some of the game’s greatest ever, including yourself Rex (totally not kissing your ass btw).
I’ve always heard that kicking is just as much a mental feat of athleticism as it is a physical & skill feat. No doubt Folk is a talented kicker, but i’m wondering if the continual misses from what would typically be an automatic FG for him, are mental lapses due to frustration. I remember the kicker from Clemson a few years back that Tommy Bowden rode relentlessly & berated publicly in the press. Yeah, that always helps. No surprise then that he continued to get worse w/ the pressure each week.
Second question, if Folk is not fully recovered from hip surgery, then why are the Cowboys not putting in a backup? Again, i’m no expert, it just seems continuing to put Folk in this position is making things worse, not better.
Regardless, i feel bad for the guy. When the team loses its the entire team & Coaches that feel the weight. But when a kicker misses, all eyes of disdain are on him. I’ve never understood that. Hope Folk recoveres, both physically & mentally, soon. Thanks for the great post Rex!
about 8 months ago
Many, many players are playing with “minor” injuries” at this point of the season. Folk may be feeling some pain, but did not want to seem a “wuss” as kickers are sometimes perceived.
about 8 months ago
Nick Folk was spraying them all over the place in pre-game warmups. That chip shot at the end was just a massive two-handed choke job.
about 8 months ago
No, choking would be him kicking perfectly all the way up to the last chip shot and then him missing badly. The fact that he never knew from kick to kick where it was going is evidence of a bigger problem(i.e. injury, etc).