Mosley Blog - McBriar Struggling With Holds

[Hoofbite]

I think Romo would do anything if it meant helping the team.

I think donating about 5 million to myself would help the team a lot.

Think he's down?

 

[WoodysGirl]

MySa Blog

Is McBriar really the blame for Folk's kicking woes?
By Tom Orsborn on Dec 8, 09 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) Save & Share

IRVING - Much of the blame for the kicking woes of the Cowboys' Nick Folk has fallen on holder Mat McBriar.

But is that fair considering that McBriar's hold on the 42-yard field goal attempt Folk missed Sunday against the Giants seemed reasonably solid?

Folk and McBriar said the hold was poor because it was leaned forward away from Folk, but a replay didn't show much of a tilt if any. The ball, sailing knuckleball style, was wide left, but a former NFL kicker suggested the hold wasn't the problem.

"If the ball is tilted slightly backward or forward, it shouldn't make that much of a difference," said former Philadelphia Eagles and Texas A&M kicker Tony Franklin, who lives in San Antonio. "The only time I had kicks that looked like that is when I happened to catch the ball when it was still spinning."

A replay showed that the ball wasn't spinning when Folk struck it.

One thing is certain: The miss has prompted the Cowboys to scrutinize what special-teams coach Joe DeCamillis termed Monday "the whole operation."

"It's the snapper, it's the holder, it's the kicker, it's the coach, it's the whole operation," DeCamillis said.

While Folk's job is safe, the Cowboys are expected to look at replacing McBriar.

Folk has kicked 16 of 24 field goal attempts through 12 games after making 20 of 22 last season. He's missed five of his last seven attempts and has missed six of 10 tries from 40-49 yards.

 

[Hoofbite]

Looks pretty good to me.

http://i5.***BLOCKED***/albums/y188/thehoofbite/Screenshot2009-12-08at103202AM.jpg

As far as the lunge goes, its tough to tell but I don't think there was one.

I think this is a case of the staff trying to put blame anywhere but on Folk because they don't want his confidence to plummet. Lay the blame somewhere else, tell Nick its not his fault and maybe he'll snap out of it.

 

[joseephuss]

Looks pretty good to me.

http://i5.***BLOCKED***/albums/y188/thehoofbite/Screenshot2009-12-08at103202AM.jpg

How do you know he put it down in the correct spot?

 

[AdamJT13]

How do you know he put it down in the correct spot?

You don't. McBriar's quote explains something that no analyst in the booth or watching on TV can know. They see the ball put down and think it must have been a good hold, but they can't tell if the ball was put down where it was supposed to be put down.

And Orsborn misunderstood what McBriar said. He said he's lunging for the ball and placing it down too far forward, not tilting it forward.

 

[Hoofbite]

How do you know he put it down in the correct spot?

I guess you don't. My guess, he put it in the right spot because he's been holding for months now.

Looks pretty similar to me. Those are his two kicks.

http://i5.***BLOCKED***/albums/y188/thehoofbite/Screenshot2009-12-08at44343PM.jpg

http://i5.***BLOCKED***/albums/y188/thehoofbite/Screenshot2009-12-08at44615PM.jpg

Looks like McBriar's aiming for the hash line.

 

[NextGenBoys]

I've seen Romo's name thrown out as a dark horse to return to that role.

And I'd love it.

 

[Future]

So if McBriar is "lunging" forward to get the ball it means that his spot is too far forward which would cause Folk's kicks to sail left.

I know the last miss was left, but I haven't really paid attention to the rest of them. Are Folk's misses hooking left?

Even with laces out, if the ball is too far forward simple physics would tell you Folk is making contact too late to drive it straight.

Yep...I said it first though

anyways...I thought of it the same as a golf swing. If you've got the ball teed up or placed too far forward, you are going to hook/pull it because the club will have to make contact while it is pulling towards you. Just the opposite if you have it too far towards your back foot.

 

[CATCH17]

as bad as the problem is, this is really not a move you can make mid-season.

Why not? Will it get worse?

We have to fix this problem.

 

[LeonDixson]

Cut the last man on the roster and sign Brad Johnson as the dedicated holder. Then we will have a designated snapper, kick-off man, FG kicker, punter and holder.

 

[Hostile]

You don't. McBriar's quote explains something that no analyst in the booth or watching on TV can know. They see the ball put down and think it must have been a good hold, but they can't tell if the ball was put down where it was supposed to be put down.

And Orsborn misunderstood what McBriar said. He said he's lunging for the ball and placing it down too far forward, not tilting it forward.

That's what I was asking. To hit it right Folk would have to over stride his last step and that would push the ball left since he is a right footed kicker. If he under strides it would push the ball right since there would not be a complete follow through.

The ball has to be laces out and in the spot the Kicker wants it. That is why they show the holder the spot before they walk off their steps to get to the ball.

 

[Hostile]

Yep...I said it first though

anyways...I thought of it the same as a golf swing. If you've got the ball teed up or placed too far forward, you are going to hook/pull it because the club will have to make contact while it is pulling towards you. Just the opposite if you have it too far towards your back foot.

It is just like a golf swing. Good analogy.

 

[TD-33]

Interesting...

NFC East Watch - Mosley


Cowboys punter/holder Mat McBriar and place-kicker Nick Folk are close friends. Folk made the trip to McBriar's wedding in Hawaii two summers ago and the two of them are inseparable on and off the practice field.

But as ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins points out, Folk and McBriar don't appear to be on the same page right now when it comes to preparing to kick a field goal. Folk has been highly frustrated with the holds that McBriar has been giving him as he's gone 4-of-9 this season, but Sunday was the first time the kicker showed outward frustration.

McBriar's never felt comfortable holding, but that's the direction special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis wanted to go.

"I've always worked with [Folk] even when Brad [Johnson] was here in practice," McBriar said. "Some reason, we get in the games and I get a little bit ahead of myself and I lunge out to catch the ball, which I shouldn't. Every time I should catch the ball over the spot, and I move forward. It's something in my brain, I don't know."

That's not what you want to hear from your holder. So why don't the Cowboys let Jon Kitna have a try? I can't answer that. I also think wide receiver Patrick Crayton, a former quarterback, would do a nice job.

McBriar is wrong. Hoofbite watched the game and he said the hold was perfect. Folk needs to be cut. Sorry but that's the way it goes.

 

[BAT]

I guess you don't. My guess, he put it in the right spot because he's been holding for months now.

Looks pretty similar to me. Those are his two kicks.

http://i5.***BLOCKED***/albums/y188/thehoofbite/Screenshot2009-12-08at44343PM.jpg

http://i5.***BLOCKED***/albums/y188/thehoofbite/Screenshot2009-12-08at44615PM.jpg

Looks like McBriar's aiming for the hash line.

I am assuming that the top pic is the 42 yd miss. Looks like it was placed properly to me. If anything it was the 59 yarder that appeared to be misplaced, a few inches inside the end of the hash mark.

If it wasn't the laces or the spinning of the ball, perhaps the ball angle was the problem?

Edit: I guess the 59 yarder was not shown. The above appear to be his "makeable" kicks_top being the one made, and the bottom was the missed 42 yarder?

 

[Hoofbite]

I am assuming that the top pic is the 42 yd miss. Looks like it was placed properly to me. If anything it was the 59 yarder that appeared to be misplaced, a few inches inside the end of the hash mark.

If it wasn't the laces or the spinning of the ball, perhaps the ball angle was the problem?

The top pic is actually his make. Look at the distance to the goal posts. Left titles off for a reason. Of course, now that reason is out there. Just seeing if people could tell the difference based on the hold.

I didn't think the 57 yarder was even worth mentioning.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

McBriar is wrong. Hoofbite watched the game and he said the hold was perfect. Folk needs to be cut. Sorry but that's the way it goes.

:laugh2:

 

[Jenky]

Why the hell cant Kitna hold?

 

[Future]

I guess you don't. My guess, he put it in the right spot because he's been holding for months now.

Looks pretty similar to me. Those are his two kicks.

Looks like McBriar's aiming for the hash line.

All holds will look similar. It only takes an inch for that ball to go in a different direction. I don't think how precise of an action kicking a field goal is.

 

[Hoofbite]

McBriar is wrong. Hoofbite watched the game and he said the hold was perfect. Folk needs to be cut. Sorry but that's the way it goes.

My bad. Guess I should remember to never have an opinion again.

After hearing all the excuses from Wade and company about the laces, blah, blah, I suppose I'm a little skeptical of McBriar being at fault.

 

[joseephuss]

The top pic is actually his make. Look at the distance to the goal posts. Left titles off for a reason. Of course, now that reason is out there. Just seeing if people could tell the difference based on the hold.

I didn't think the 57 yarder was even worth mentioning.

No one can tell. That is the point. The only ones that can truly tell are Folk and McBriar. They always say football is a game of inches and a single inch can impact a field goal kick.

If you put the ball in the exact same spot for 100 kicks the ball would probably take a number of different flight paths when a kicker hits it. Now move that ball from the spot slightly while the kicker is still aiming for that spot and you are going to make it that much more difficult. Folk has something going on that he needs to correct, but McBriar is also to blame. They both need to figure it out.