After watching Nate Kaeding, who is supposedly one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL, miss 3 field goals against the Jets, I just have one question to ask: What is going on with NFL kickers lately?
Since I am exposed to many Cowboys games, I am extremely familiar with terrible kicking. Watching Nick Folk and Shaun Suisham try to kick field goals is like watching the visually impaired try to drive; it’s outright ugly. But the problem does not only lie with the Dallas Cowboys or ”bad” kickers in general. It seems like all kickers are struggling to connect consistently, and there is nobody reliable in today’s NFL. Whatever happened to the days of a good Jason Elam, John Kasay, Adam Vinatieri, or Matt Stover?
Last weekend, Neil Rackers and Shayne Graham, who are each regarded among the top of the league in kicking, each missed important ”gimme” field goals that could have changed the outcome of their teams’ seasons. Because this epidemic seems to be getting worse as the season progresses, I decided that I needed to do some investigative research on the matter.
Luckily I had a friend of a friend, who could help me get in contact with former NFL kicker, Paul Edinger. Edinger currently kicks for the Jacksonville Rush of the Arena Football League. I asked him about the inaccuracy and inefficiency of kickers in today’s NFL. He had this to say:
“Kicking in the NFL today, is not what it was when I was kicking. Kickers don’t have the patience or ability to concentrate on their craft. They are too busy with their gadgets or Twitter accounts to really care what they do. A lot of them act frustrated after they miss, but it’s just an act in order to keep their jobs. As long as they get to party with the guys later, nothing matters. In fact, when Nick Folk was cut by the Cowboys earlier this season, I heard he had a humongous party. Well, let me rephrase that. He HAD a humongous party. I was there. It was the best night of my life. I think.”
Well, there you have it. The problem seems to be that kickers just don’t care anymore. And with the way the other players are glorified, I guess I can’t blame them. If I had to predict, I would say the era of the good kicker is long gone.
yu know that charger could have won if it wasnt for nate and i do think they care but just aint enough practice or maybe enough practice but not using the practice they can get