Cundiff Doing great in Green Bay - Dallas Cowboys Forum

SacredStar · 08-03-2006

http://www.gazetteextra.com/packerscamp080306.asp

Cundiff finds early groove in bid to replace Longwell

(Published Thursday, August 3, 2006 10:09:50 AM CDT)

Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Billy Cundiff gets his first crack Saturday night at a sold-out scrimmage at Lambeau Field to make Green Bay Packers fans forget that Ryan Longwell now kicks for rival Minnesota.

If that's even possible.

"I don't really make it forgetting about Ryan because people in Packerland love the history of the game, they love the guys that came before them," Cundiff said Wednesday. "For me, it's not about erasing the memory of him. I think it's just saying (as an organization), 'Hey, he went somewhere else, but I found a guy that's just as good or better."' ( This is a laugh, Cundiff is nowhere near as good as Longwell is)

Early in training camp, Cundiff has been putting his best foot forward as he vies to become Longwell's replacement. Cundiff, a fifth-year veteran signed in the offseason, connected on all five of his field-goal attempts in practice Wednesday, including a 52-yard boot.

"I feel like I'm kicking my best," said Cundiff, who was with Dallas for most of the last four seasons. Cundiff has had only two misses since camp started Friday.

"Billy's a true pro," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "He's done a great job in our offseason program. He's really handled everything we've thrown at him. He's been very consistent."

Longwell, the Packers' all-time leading scorer, was close to automatic in his nine years with the team, ranking among the most accurate kickers in league history. Longwell, though, cut short his stay in Green Bay when he signed a five-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings early in free agency in March.

The Packers subsequently signed Cundiff to a nominal one-year contract after they were spurned in their wooing of New England free agent Adam Vinatieri, who signed with Indianapolis.

Cundiff and second-year kicker Dave Rayner, who handled kickoffs for the Colts last season, are battling for the kicking job. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock said Wednesday the two are neck-and-neck with the first game-like situation coming up this weekend.

"It's not do or die, but it's critical," Stock said of the scrimmage. "They need to show well. Not just for themselves but for the sake of themselves and the team. The team needs to see what those guys are all about. And, the fans want to see."

Cundiff is eager to put his kicking to the test again at Lambeau, where he made both of his field-goal attempts in 2004 when the Cowboys were drilled by the Packers.

"You get (the scrimmage), you get two preseason games, all of a sudden you have three games (at home) under your belt, which you don't get anywhere else," Cundiff said.

He acknowledged that building on his near-flawless start in training camp is essential. Cundiff has a strong leg, but accuracy isn't a strong suit. He's connected on only 73.2 percent of field goals in his pro career and was cut twice by Dallas last year, the first time because of a groin injury sustained in the preseason.

Stock pays little attention to Cundiff's wobbly track record.

"The big thing is last year is last year, and it goes with the same ol' tune about whatever happened before doesn't matter now," Stock said. "For him, it's like starting over again. If Billy wins the job, it will be one of those rebirths because he got fired from Dallas last year."

Cundiff admits that his time in Dallas hardened him for the battle he's trying to win with the Packers.

"I went back and counted, and I think it was almost double-digit guys I had to beat out just to stay with the Cowboys (all four years)," he said. "That's something I look forward to."

America's Team · 08-03-2006

We should have kept him

Bob Sacamano · 08-03-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by America's Team

We should have kept him

post of the day

locked&loaded · 08-03-2006

its romos holding. thats why vandys sucking now. that makes two things hensons better at than romo

burmafrd · 08-03-2006

Should have kept him. Ugh. Sometimes I wonder......

kmp77 · 08-03-2006

So Cundiff sucked here....Vandy is sucking....Cundiff is doing good there...Vandy said the holding here is sucking. Maybe there is actually something to this.

SacredStar · 08-03-2006

We'll see how good Billy is in that open air stadium once winter comes and those gusting winds are bearing down the field.

the kid 05 · 08-03-2006

just wait tell its december and its 10-15 below degrees out side

GTaylor · 08-03-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmp77

So Cundiff sucked here....Vandy is sucking....Cundiff is doing good there...Vandy said the holding here is sucking. Maybe there is actually something to this.

Hope this doesn't result in our kicking game sucking, because that would mean our season might suck, and personally that sucks

5Stars · 08-03-2006

Let that baby faced brat Cundiff stay in Green Bay! I don't ever want to see his face again...ever!!

I don't even like hearing about him...I hope he freezes his footballs off in Green Bay!

Bob Sacamano · 08-03-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTaylor

Hope this doesn't result in our kicking game sucking, because that would mean our season might suck, and personally that sucks

know what really sucks? this hand-wrining over established vets, TO is dropping passes and Bledsoe is overthrowing WRs at times, should we hand-wring about them also? you're probably just playing, but I thought I should throw it out there regardless

iceberg · 08-03-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by the kid 05

just wait tell its december and its 10-15 below degrees out side

yea, we couldnt' wait for that to happen to him here.

so he's gone - why be bitter on the player??? good god, it's as if success found somewhere else by a player WE CHOSE TO CUT is a sin.

EMMITTnROY · 08-03-2006

Are you people serious? You are actually discussing the fact that we should have kept Billy Cundiff instead of signing Mike Vanderjagt?

Hey, while we are at it, let's let go of Roy Williams and sign Tony Dixon back..

And who needs Terence Newman? I'm pretty sure that Mario Edwards is available..

Terrell Owens? Nah.. I bet we could convince the Raiders to trade him for Randal Williams straight up..

And maybe.. JUST maybe.. If we really really all wish hard enough.. We can release Drew Bledsoe and hope that Quincy Carter has had his fun in the CFL and he'll forgive us for letting him go in the first place and we can sign him back..

Bob Sacamano · 08-03-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMMITTnROY

that's all you had to say

the kid 05 · 08-03-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceberg

yea, we couldnt' wait for that to happen to him here.

so he's gone - why be bitter on the player??? good god, it's as if success found somewhere else by a player WE CHOSE TO CUT is a sin.

no i wasn't being bitter to billy i liked him , i was just saying its summer here now in the mid west aso its a hellaof a lot warmer then it is in the winters its like we get tropical weather then we flip and get the weather of Antartica. he wont be making the 52 yarders