Do you replace Zuerlein?

Reverend Conehead

Reverend Conehead

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Our kicker had a rough night. That does not automatically mean you replace him, of course. It depends on several things. 1. Do you believe Zuerlein has a good chance to right the ship? 2. Who is available out there to replace him?

When you sign another kicker mid-season, you generally don't get a super elite one, but you can get a competent one, depending on what the market is like. Then again, Zuerlein may already be a competent kicker who just had an off night. If that's the case, it's probably not worth making the change. However, if he's a kicker who has hit the wall, that's another story. One remembers Vanderjagt. He was once a great kicker, but when we got him, he had hit the wall. Either his confidence was trashed or something had gone wrong with his body where he just couldn't do it anymore. At this point, I don't see proof that Zuerlein is a "hit the wall" kicker, but his bad performance last night is an eyebrow-raiser.

I'm also not up on what the free-agent kicker market is like right now. Anyone know? Anyone have an opinion?
 
Reverend Conehead said:
Our kicker had a rough night. That does not automatically mean you replace him, of course. It depends on several things. 1. Do you believe Zuerlein has a good chance to right the ship? 2. Who is available out there to replace him?

When you sign another kicker mid-season, you generally don't get a super elite one, but you can get a competent one, depending on what the market is like. Then again, Zuerlein may already be a competent kicker who just had an off night. If that's the case, it's probably not worth making the change. However, if he's a kicker who has hit the wall, that's another story. One remembers Vanderjagt. He was once a great kicker, but when we got him, he had hit the wall. Either his confidence was trashed or something had gone wrong with his body where he just couldn't do it anymore. At this point, I don't see proof that Zuerlein is a "hit the wall" kicker, but his bad performance last night is an eyebrow-raiser.

I'm also not up on what the free-agent kicker market is like right now. Anyone know? Anyone have an opinion?
Click to expand...
I don't think he's ready...that said, he's probably still better than anyone available....tough call.
 
Reverend Conehead said:
Our kicker had a rough night. That does not automatically mean you replace him, of course. It depends on several things. 1. Do you believe Zuerlein has a good chance to right the ship? 2. Who is available out there to replace him?

When you sign another kicker mid-season, you generally don't get a super elite one, but you can get a competent one, depending on what the market is like. Then again, Zuerlein may already be a competent kicker who just had an off night. If that's the case, it's probably not worth making the change. However, if he's a kicker who has hit the wall, that's another story. One remembers Vanderjagt. He was once a great kicker, but when we got him, he had hit the wall. Either his confidence was trashed or something had gone wrong with his body where he just couldn't do it anymore. At this point, I don't see proof that Zuerlein is a "hit the wall" kicker, but his bad performance last night is an eyebrow-raiser.

I'm also not up on what the free-agent kicker market is like right now. Anyone know? Anyone have an opinion?
Click to expand...
no
 
Nope, not yet! This is the Zuerlein Experience...he will miss some kicks but as long as the team can do enough to keep them in it and go for a big kick at the end, he is money. Equivalent to a CB that gets beat a lot but still makes big plays when the game is on the line in crunchtime.
 
No! Switching from the leg to a jag on the street is a knee jerk reaction just as much as if Dak had faced FA ire had he been rusty last night.
 
Give him a couple more games to get his timing down. If he still struggles, we have to replace him.
 
My replacement list in order

Brown (needs to be backup)
Gregory ( rotational guy)
Zuerlein (if he is still missing kicks by the 3rd game.)
Bones ( if the special teams continues to suck)
McCarthy (if he is still making stupid game decisions mid season)
 
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Reverend Conehead said:
Our kicker had a rough night. That does not automatically mean you replace him, of course. It depends on several things. 1. Do you believe Zuerlein has a good chance to right the ship? 2. Who is available out there to replace him?

When you sign another kicker mid-season, you generally don't get a super elite one, but you can get a competent one, depending on what the market is like. Then again, Zuerlein may already be a competent kicker who just had an off night. If that's the case, it's probably not worth making the change. However, if he's a kicker who has hit the wall, that's another story. One remembers Vanderjagt. He was once a great kicker, but when we got him, he had hit the wall. Either his confidence was trashed or something had gone wrong with his body where he just couldn't do it anymore. At this point, I don't see proof that Zuerlein is a "hit the wall" kicker, but his bad performance last night is an eyebrow-raiser.

I'm also not up on what the free-agent kicker market is like right now. Anyone know? Anyone have an opinion?
Click to expand...

Not yet.

Some kickers struggle on natural grass fields.

With a combination of being rusty, recovering from back surgery and natural grass, it is highly likely that he'll get better unless he really does not physically recover.

He has the physical ability as evidenced by the 48 yard FG that he made. That one would have been good for another 5 to 10 yards.

Field Surfaces:
Bucs, Raymond James Stadium: Tifway 419 Bermuda grass

Chargers, SoFi Stadium: Hellas Construction's synthetic Matrix® Turf system

Cowboys, Jerry World: Hellas Construction's synthetic Matrix® Turf system
 
Big Mac answered when he trotted him out for the 60 yarder. The answer was, "We still believe in you Leg!"

Was it the wrong call? Maybe, but it was a confidence booster for the player.
It all equals out.
 
zrinkill said:
My replacement list in order

Brown (needs to be backup)
Gregory ( rotational guy)
Zuerlein (if he is still missing kicks by the 3rd game.)
Bones ( if the special teams continues to suck)
McCarthy (if he is still making stupid game decisions mid season)
Click to expand...
hers mine

zrinkill
kskboy
all fans who made stupid posts today. Like to replace them all now..
 
Reverend Conehead said:
Our kicker had a rough night. That does not automatically mean you replace him, of course. It depends on several things. 1. Do you believe Zuerlein has a good chance to right the ship? 2. Who is available out there to replace him?

When you sign another kicker mid-season, you generally don't get a super elite one, but you can get a competent one, depending on what the market is like. Then again, Zuerlein may already be a competent kicker who just had an off night. If that's the case, it's probably not worth making the change. However, if he's a kicker who has hit the wall, that's another story. One remembers Vanderjagt. He was once a great kicker, but when we got him, he had hit the wall. Either his confidence was trashed or something had gone wrong with his body where he just couldn't do it anymore. At this point, I don't see proof that Zuerlein is a "hit the wall" kicker, but his bad performance last night is an eyebrow-raiser.

I'm also not up on what the free-agent kicker market is like right now. Anyone know? Anyone have an opinion?
Click to expand...

I would have replaced him with Hallelujah when we brought him in. Zuerlein is on the decline and has been for several years. One of the things we could count on last year was him being accurate inside the 40, and it looks like we might not be able to count on that anymore.

His overall percentages the last three years have been in the 80s or below, and he was in the 70s in 2019 and 82 percent in 2020.

I think Fassel is too loyal to the player Zuerlein used to be instead of accepting the reality of who he is now after some injuries.

That being said, I might have tried to get him to injured reserve or kept him on PUP just in case instead of pushing his return.
 
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The man misses chip shots but makes a 48 yarder?! Where's the consistency? Last night was a warning Dallas needs another kicker.
 
Pretty sure he gave us the lead, so what next? "Greg you gave us the lead after a rought start for you, so we're cutting you". I need to start day drinking
 
I give him one more game to sharpen up.. If he shanks one in this next game I'm looking for his replacement.. He can logically be said to have lost last night's game.. He cost us 4 points in a 2 point game.. I won't hold him responsible for the 60 yarder or it could be 7.. 66% on extra points and only 66% on FGs inside 40 yards will not cut it.
 
I'm somewhat uncertain that Zuerlein is destined to be replaced, although, I'm reasonably confident that he'll be allowed more time to adjust his kicking skills to be more in line to what they've been in the past. If his problems continue, though, something will need to be done to correct it. It bears notice.
 
Reverend Conehead said:
Our kicker had a rough night. That does not automatically mean you replace him, of course. It depends on several things. 1. Do you believe Zuerlein has a good chance to right the ship? 2. Who is available out there to replace him?

When you sign another kicker mid-season, you generally don't get a super elite one, but you can get a competent one, depending on what the market is like. Then again, Zuerlein may already be a competent kicker who just had an off night. If that's the case, it's probably not worth making the change. However, if he's a kicker who has hit the wall, that's another story. One remembers Vanderjagt. He was once a great kicker, but when we got him, he had hit the wall. Either his confidence was trashed or something had gone wrong with his body where he just couldn't do it anymore. At this point, I don't see proof that Zuerlein is a "hit the wall" kicker, but his bad performance last night is an eyebrow-raiser.

I'm also not up on what the free-agent kicker market is like right now. Anyone know? Anyone have an opinion?
Click to expand...
Soon. He basically cost us the game. I don’t like clinching for a extra point.
 
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