Dallas Native Matt Stover Wants to Kick for Dallas

[joseephuss]

I think Stover should only be considered as a last option signee. He should not even be brought to camp to compete for the job. The kicker not only has to be consistent, but also has to be able to hit a few FGs from beyond 50 yards. Stover can't do that. He has only made 13 career FGs from over 50 yards. He has not made a 50+ yarder since 2006.

 

[Alexander]

I think Stover should only be considered as a last option signee. He should not even be brought to camp to compete for the job. The kicker not only has to be consistent, but also has to be able to hit a few FGs from beyond 50 yards. Stover can't do that. He has only made 13 career FGs from over 50 yards. He has not made a 50+ yarder since 2006.

Worrying about 50 yards is miniscule as opposed to worrying about 30-49 yard kicks which we could not make this past season. If that was taken care of, you would have Buehler for the long distance ones.

The simple fact of the matter is we cannot leave easy points on the field and expect to win. We cannot call plays based on the fact we know our FG cannot make a simple 45 yarder. Look at what having an unreliable kicker around did to our playcalling against Minnesota. If signing a short range veteran like Stover along with Buehler solves that problem, I fail to see the harm.

As it stands right now, we have Buehler and Connor Hughes and expect to compete with that. That is not comforting to say the least.

 

[Hostile]

I think Stover should only be considered as a last option signee. He should not even be brought to camp to compete for the job. The kicker not only has to be consistent, but also has to be able to hit a few FGs from beyond 50 yards. Stover can't do that. He has only made 13 career FGs from over 50 yards. He has not made a 50+ yarder since 2006.

Anything over 50 yards Buehler could attempt. Best scenario we have is that he learns how to kick FGs and we only need one freaking Kicker.

 

[TNCowboy]

Because this is when I'm realizing that athletes aren't people to "look up" to.

They're simply my peers playing a game. We were doing the same thing up to just a few years ago.

Now they're millionaires.

Wait til the guys your age are retiring from the NFL. That really starts to put it in perspective.

 

[joseephuss]

Worrying about 50 yards is miniscule as opposed to worrying about 30-49 yard kicks which we could not make this past season. If that was taken care of, you would have Buehler for the long distance ones.

The simple fact of the matter is we cannot leave easy points on the field and expect to win. We cannot call plays based on the fact we know our FG cannot make a simple 45 yarder. Look at what having an unreliable kicker around did to our playcalling against Minnesota. If signing a short range veteran like Stover along with Buehler solves that problem, I fail to see the harm.

As it stands right now, we have Buehler and Connor Hughes and expect to compete with that. That is not comforting to say the least.

If it was a simple matter of letting Buehler attempt the 50 yarders, then they may as well just make him the full time kicker.

I chose 50+ as the standard because I can't find a break down of kicks over 45 yards. It is only 40 to 49 and 50+ on most break downs. The 50+ indicats that Stover does not have a strong leg. He never did and now at 42 years old it is even less so. That can impact the simple 45 yarder that you speak of.

I never expected Folk to break records in FG length by hitting a 64 yarder or anything like that, but he was capable of hitting in the mid 50s. When you have that kind of power from that distance then the shorter kicks become more routine. You focus more on rhythm and less on putting a little more humpphh into the kick. You could see that when Folk was on his game and routinely hitting everything under 49 yards. That changed after his hip problems. Stover could do very well on the kicks under 40 yards, but he has to put a little extra into kicks over 45 yards or so, which could affect his accuracy. And the 45 to 52 range is a pretty common kick. The ball is on the 28 yard line to the 35 yard line for those kicks. You can't just sacrifice kicks from those distances unless you absolutely have no other options.

I think Stover is a good short term solution. That is why you don't have to bring him in for training camp. He can be signed the first week of the season or even later if need be and you exhausted all other options. Training camp and pre-season is a great time to have an open tryout to find a kicker for the year or the future.

 

[TNCowboy]

Seems like Stover is one of those kickers that's been around since I was a kid.

 

[Hostile]

I just realized. If the Colts win, a freaking Kicker, Adam Vinatieri, ties Charles Haley for most Super Bowl rings by a player.

What am I saying, Kickers aren't real players.

 

[Alexander]

If it was a simple matter of letting Buehler attempt the 50 yarders, then they may as well just make him the full time kicker.

If he is inconsistent under 50, why would you?

If Buehler proves he can be reliable, of course you would want to save the roster spot. But if not, what then? You are still going to want to use him for kickoffs as he is exceptional at it.

I chose 50+ as the standard because I can't find a break down of kicks over 45 yards. It is only 40 to 49 and 50+ on most break downs. The 50+ indicats that Stover does not have a strong leg. He never did and now at 42 years old it is even less so. That can impact the simple 45 yarder that you speak of.

This year he was perfect from that range. In the past three years, Stover has been a 65% from that range, which is slightly above average. Even younger kickers like Stephen Gostkowski were worse and players like Janikowski were fortunate to be at 70%. He has been 71% for his career.

I think Stover is a good short term solution. That is why you don't have to bring him in for training camp. He can be signed the first week of the season or even later if need be and you exhausted all other options. Training camp and pre-season is a great time to have an open tryout to find a kicker for the year or the future.

Do not get me wrong, I would much rather have Buehler win the job on his own merit and yes, that means he should be the focus in camp. But if it does not work and the choice is left to choose between a player like Hughes, whomever else is on the market or a veteran like Stover, I am going with the reliable short range veteran. I certainly do not want to draft another kicker either, as that is a roll of the dice to say the least. The bust ratio for drafting that position is very high.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Everything was just so much simpler before. If only Folk hadn't got hurt.

 

[Alexander]

Everything was just so much simpler before. If only Folk hadn't got hurt.

It is always simpler when you have a reliable kicker. Last year was a nightmare just as bad as when we had the likes of Cundiff, Cortez and Suisham and Vanderjagt around.

 

[cowboyed]

What really stings, is Kevin Durant is a year younger than I am. Felix Jones is older than me by a month.

MartyB, Felix, Jenkins, they all graduated high school the same year as me.

In a way, I'm still used to being a kid, and having professional athletes have birthdays in the 60's. I think Michael Jordan's birthday is February 17, 1963.

Now we have one of the best players in the NBA born in 88. Felix in May of 87. Marty B exactly 3 months before me (June 10).

Crazy to think they are no longer people to "look up" to. They're my peers.

Funny thing as you get older you are more prone to look up to your beers.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Stover can barely kick the ball beyond 40 yards, no thanks.

 

[Big Country]

I say resign Folk

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

He's my age (42). Makes me look like a slacker.

damn I thought you were like 60 with your views on the world.

 

[bbgun]

damn I thought you were like 60 with your views on the world.

Yes, because only old farts believe in things like marital fidelity or paying parking tickets.

 

[Venger]

This sentiment from Stover would have been nice 3 years ago, but we need to get someone a little fresher...

 

[LandryFan]

What really stings, is Kevin Durant is a year younger than I am. Felix Jones is older than me by a month.

MartyB, Felix, Jenkins, they all graduated high school the same year as me.

In a way, I'm still used to being a kid, and having professional athletes have birthdays in the 60's. I think Michael Jordan's birthday is February 17, 1963.

Now we have one of the best players in the NBA born in 88. Felix in May of 87. Marty B exactly 3 months before me (June 10).

Crazy to think they are no longer people to "look up" to. They're my peers.

If you think that's crazy, just wait til they could be your kids!

 

[Pokes12]

Lake Highlands' Matt Stover making his third Super Bowl trip, would like to play for Cowboys



5:42 PM Tue, Feb 02, 2010
Todd Archer/Reporter

Matt Stover was on the practice squad when the New York Giants won Super Bowl XXV. He was Baltimore's starting kicker in the Ravens win against the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Now the Lake Highlands grad is taking part in Super Bowl XLIV as the Colts kicker.

"I've said to the guys, 'Look it might take another 10 years before this organization gets back, do you understand that and maybe you won't be in the league when they do?'" Stover said. "You have to take care of business now because this game doesn't happen very often in a guy's career."

In his 18th season, Stover still has hopes he could kick for the Cowboys one day. Stover had signed with Indianapolis before the Cowboys decided to part ways with Nick Folk and sign Shaun Suisham in December.

He's not sure he wants to continue to play next season but he made 9-of-11 field goal tries after joining the Colts and all 33 point-after attempts.

He had an interesting take on Folk's struggles. Folk missed 10 field goal tries before his release after missing just seven in his first two seasons. Stover pointed to the off-season hip surgery Folk had as a factor.

"It's the confidence of being able to go hit the ball," Stover said. If you talk with a baseball player that has a hurt wrist or anybody that uses fine-motor skills, it's doing that with confidence. It's tough, very tough."

No where in the article does it say he wants to play for the Cowboys except in the headline. Total BS plus he is 135 years old. Bring back Danny Villanueva or Rafael Herrera.

 

[Alexander]

No where in the article does it say he wants to play for the Cowboys except in the headline. Total BS plus he is 135 years old. Bring back Danny Villanueva or Rafael Herrera.

Who was Rafael Herrera?

 

[big dog cowboy]

Who was Rafael Herrera?

Isn't he a boxer from Mexico?