ESPN MacMahon: Jones hasn't decided whether to cut Folk

[calico]

serious question.....has there ever been a kicker recover from such a slump?

Al Del Greco...he was horrible when he first signed on with the Oilers and missed some important kicks. He went to a sports psychologist and turned it around and was a great kicker for years after that before trailing off again at the end of his career.

I would try to get Folk on IR claiming his hip is still no good and bring in Suisham for the rest of the season. I don't want to give up on Folk overall but don't want him out there the rest of the season. Give him a chance to shake out of it and earn his job back next season because he has proven before he can be money.

 

[TheSport78]

Missing 3 FGs from 30-39 yards is worse than missing one chip shot, IMO.

I forget what the stat was; I think it was that Folk has missed 8 out of his last 11 kicks? This can't go on or we won't go far in the playoffs if we make them. I would have to go with the veteran in Elam over Suisham, and Elam knows Wade from their days in Atlanta.

 

[RainMan]

Thank you for the report Coach Jones.

Well, he's also the general manager ... and GMs are typically in charge of personnel, no?

 

[RainMan]

I can't help but wonder if we shouldn't cut Folk, and then re-sign him in the offseason as the "competition" to whatever other kicker we sign (unless, of course, we can add someone even better).

I highly doubt a guy who has missed as many chip-shot FGs lately would get picked up in the final weeks of the season.

Oh, and the only reason I suggest picking him back up is in case he does ever rediscover what he once had.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

this team has possibly the most scrutiny and negative press of any team in the league and I think the pressure leads to much of their inexplicable choking,, really, have you ever witnessed so much weirdness and ridiculous things happen to one team? Isn't it crazy how often one negative play immediately demoralizes the team as they think, "Oh crap, here we go again"?

The Cowboys don't need momentum killing players like Folk around and must replace him if possible IMO. (Roy Williams is in danger of becoming one of those players too).

 

[The Panch]

If Mike Vanderjagt, the league's all time most accurate kicker, can be axed after one of these inexplicable kicker funks, Nick Folk easily can too.

Yeah, but he was missing clutch kick after clutch kick in Indy for years. Folk didnt start having these struggles til a little over a month ago against Green Bay. 7 of his 10 misses have come since that game. He started the season well, so you're talking about 2 and a half years of excellent/good kicking and a sudden drop these last 6 games.


The first half of the season, he was 14 of 17, while his 3 misses came from 40, 40, and 48. That's not horrible.

 

[InmanRoshi]

Yeah, but he was missing clutch kick after clutch kick in Indy for years. Folk didnt start having these struggles til a little over a month ago against Green Bay. 7 of his 10 misses have come since that game. He started the season well, so you're talking about 2 and a half years of excellent/good kicking and a sudden drop these last 6 games.


The first half of the season, he was 14 of 17, while his 3 misses came from 40, 40, and 48. That's not horrible.

Folk just hasn't been around long enough to have an incriminating evidence or blemishes on the resume like Vanderjagt had. He's certainly trying hard to catch up, though.


When I weigh the worst case scenerios of the possible outcomes ...


a) We cut Folk too early and he turns it around and becomes a better than average kicker for someone else.

vs

b) We cut Folk too late, after he costs us a chance to get to the playoffs or win a playoff game.

I think it means more to this franchise to end it's umpteen year playoff win drought than to have an above average kicker (who doesn't even do kickoffs), currently. And it's really not even close.

 

[The Panch]

Folk just hasn't been around long enough to have an incriminating evidence or blemishes on the resume like Vanderjagt had. He's certainly trying hard to catch up, though.


When I weigh the worst case scenerios of the possible outcomes ...


a) We cut Folk too early and he turns it around and becomes a better than average kicker for someone else.

vs

b) We cut Folk too late, after he costs us a chance to get to the playoffs or win a playoff game.

I think it means more to this franchise to end it's umpteen year playoff win drought than to have an above average kicker (who doesn't even do kickoffs), currently. And it's really not even close.

That's what worries me too. He hasnt been in the league that long, but long enough to put himself up there with the elites based on his performance the first 2 and a half years of his career. I just dont want to see an emotional reaction 6 game stretch come back to haunt us.

 

[RainMan]

Yeah, but he was missing clutch kick after clutch kick in Indy for years. Folk didnt start having these struggles til a little over a month ago against Green Bay. 7 of his 10 misses have come since that game. He started the season well, so you're talking about 2 and a half years of excellent/good kicking and a sudden drop these last 6 games.


The first half of the season, he was 14 of 17, while his 3 misses came from 40, 40, and 48. That's not horrible.

I thought Vanderjagt's case of the yips occurred in the playoff game against Pittsburgh where he badly shanked one? Did he stay in Indy long after that?

 

[JBell]

Folk just hasn't been around long enough to have an incriminating evidence or blemishes on the resume like Vanderjagt had. He's certainly trying hard to catch up, though.


When I weigh the worst case scenerios of the possible outcomes ...


a) We cut Folk too early and he turns it around and becomes a better than average kicker for someone else.

vs

b) We cut Folk too late, after he costs us a chance to get to the playoffs or win a playoff game.

I think it means more to this franchise to end it's umpteen year playoff win drought than to have an above average kicker (who doesn't even do kickoffs), currently. And it's really not even close.

I couldn't have said it any better.



Wasn't Nick inaccurate in college too?

I remember looking over his stats after we drafted him, and my first reaction was "Not impressed."

For some reason I suck at trying to find his stats via google. Anyone have his Arizona #'s?

 

[The Panch]

I thought Vanderjagt's case of the yips occurred in the playoff game against Pittsburgh where he badly shanked one? Did he stay in Indy long after that?

That was the one that broke the straw and got him cut, but he had a few stinkers with Indy before that.



The other that comes to mind was the season opener against New England in '04. After not missing a kick the entire previous season, he missed one that would've put the game into OT. It wasnt a chip shot, but even he himself said he "crashed and burned".

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Thank you for the report Coach Jones.

Hes the GM. You need to learn what an NFL GM does.

 

[tunahelper]

Kick his *** through the doors of Valley Ranch. End the bleeding.

 

[Beast_from_East]

What else do you need to see Jerry???


You didnt notice him shanking kick after kick in pregame from chip shot range with a ****ing tee???

You didnt notice him missing a game winner from PAT distance???



If Folk is still kicking next week, Jerry is certifiably insane!!!!!

 

[DaninMS]

Any way we can put him on the IR? Then have him compete for the job again next year?

That's what I think they should do if they can. He was great for the past few years has a hip injury and hasn't been the same since.

 

[Kaika]

It's obvious. When going for 4th and three has a better percentage than kicking a 20 yard field goal.

He's got to go .

 

[Sarge]

Elam and Suisham are as bad as Folk. I'd take Suisham first but neither is a very good option, which is scary.

What was Folk's injury at the beginning of the year? Was it a hip? Can't recall.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Elam and Suisham are as bad as Folk. I'd take Suisham first but neither is a very good option, which is scary.

What was Folk's injury at the beginning of the year? Was it a hip? Can't recall.

He had hip surgery Sarge. It was not suppose to be that major of a thing, but I guess it was.


I guess I would go with Suisham right now, even though he missed a chip shot against the Saints also. Thats about our only option right now, no way we can let Folk kick anymore this year and Buehler apparently is just as bad.

 

[JBell]

Suisham is 5-5 from FG's between 40-49 yards this year.

18-21 overall.

Those are encouraging numbers.

 

[Sarge]

He had hip surgery Sarge. It was not suppose to be that major of a thing, but I guess it was.


I guess I would go with Suisham right now, even though he missed a chip shot against the Saints also. Thats about our only option right now, no way we can let Folk kick anymore this year and Buehler apparently is just as bad.

I really think that hip surgery has screwed him all up. He may have mechanical AND mental problems at this point. Not good. He's got to be replaced...but by whom?