Just listened to a fascinating segment about kickers on the Dan Patrick Show.
They had Pat McAfee on the show, who is the Colts' punter and kickoff specialist. He talked about two crucial factors when it comes to kicking.
The Laces
In Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Einhorn/Finkel blamed Marino (the holder) for the laces being turned the wrong way. But that's actually not how it works in the modern NFL, according to McAfee. He said it's the long snapper's job to make sure the snapped ball rotates exactly the right amount so that when the holder gets the ball, he doesn't have to make sure the laces are out. He basically said, "Long snappers are professionals. There are only 32 of these jobs in the NFL. If they can't do it, they don't have a job."
The Ball Angle
If you notice, today's kickers don't have the ball held straight up and down. It's at an angle. It's the holder's job to make sure the angle is exactly right. McAfee said that the wrong angle almost guarantees a miss.
I'm not absolving Blair Walsh of anything. He needs to step it up and become the reliable kicker he was during his rookie season. But I really never knew, for example, how critical the long snapper is to the success of a field goal. It was interesting to hear it from the perspective of someone who plays an important role.
J. Kapp 11 wrote:I'm not absolving Blair Walsh of anything. He needs to step it up and become the reliable kicker he was during his rookie season. But I really never knew, for example, how critical the long snapper is to the success of a field goal. It was interesting to hear it from the perspective of someone who plays an important role.
It's really a 3 man job and if any of the 3 gets it wrong, it can lead to a missed kick. When you think about the level of coordination involved, it's impressive that NFL teams are as efficient in the kicking game as they are most of the time.
Mothman wrote:
It's really a 3 man job and if any of the 3 gets it wrong, it can lead to a missed kick. When you think about the level of coordination involved, it's impressive that NFL teams are as efficient in the kicking game as they are most of the time.
Catch the MNF game last night? Holy smokes... TB's new kicker (Aguayo), who was a 2nd round choice this year, is making Walsh look steady. Having said that, he made the game winner after missing two other FGs last night. The guy is 4/8 this season, despite his huge success in CFB.
Mothman wrote:
It's really a 3 man job and if any of the 3 gets it wrong, it can lead to a missed kick. When you think about the level of coordination involved, it's impressive that NFL teams are as efficient in the kicking game as they are most of the time.
It really is impressive.
I just didn't realize the long snapper doesn't have to just snap the ball accurately. He has to control the spin so that the holder can just catch and place. That's amazing!
J. Kapp 11 wrote:I just didn't realize the long snapper doesn't have to just snap the ball accurately. He has to control the spin so that the holder can just catch and place. That's amazing!
It is! I didn't know that either until recently. Former Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly has a regular gig on a Chicago sports radio station and I heard him talk about it.
