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Posted: May 28, 2009
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=553968
Evaluating kickers is more than just checking their stats. Still, you can't be an elite kicker unless you make the clutch kicks.
1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots. In just his third NFL season, Gostkowski set team records for points and field goals in a season, and he did it with a backup quarterback getting him into field-goal position. New England didn't boast much of a running game, either. With Tom Brady healthy, Gostkowski should improve on his 90 percent completion rate and once again contend for the NFL points title.
2. John Kasay, Panthers. He turns 40 in October and doesn't kickoff anymore, but he started the '08 season by connecting on 16 consecutive field-goal attempts. He's deadly accurate, and with a punishing rushing attack and a passing game led by the steady hand of Jake Delhomme, he'll have plenty of chances to score.
3. Jason Elam, Falcons. He moved from the rarified air of Denver to the friendly indoor confines of the Georgia Dome last year, and he responded with a career high 93.5 percent completion rate in field-goal attempts, including 11-of-12 from beyond 40 yards. Elam, 39, is playing indoors behind what should be an explosive offense, so look for more of the same in '09.
4. Rob Bironas, Titans. Bironas boasts one of the strongest and most accurate legs, as close to a sure thing as any kicker. He has connected on 6-of-8 field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards the last three years.
5. Kris Brown, Texans. RB Steve Slaton has given the Texans the needed complement to QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson. The result is one of the NFL's most productive offenses, translating into more scoring chances for Brown.
6. Robbie Gould, Bears. He doesn't have a big leg but has been accurate in tough weather conditions. New QB Jay Cutler should get Gould in striking range much more often this year. Look for a significant increase in Gould's point production.
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals. Rackers bounced back from a couple of down years to connect on 89.3 percent of field-goal attempts last season. He hasn't put together two good consecutive seasons over his career and doesn't have a strong leg, which limits his scoring chances. Sure, he plays with a high-powered offense, but the Cardinals are about scoring touchdowns -- 37 percent of his points last season were extra-point kicks.
8. Ryan Longwell, Vikings. Longwell doesn't handle kickoff duties but has a strong and accurate leg. He missed on some mid-range kicks last season but was deadly from outside 50 yards, hitting all six attempts. If Brett Favre actually does come out of retirement, Longwell will compete for the league scoring title.
9. Lawrence Tynes, Giants. Though John Carney was awesome last year, earning Pro Bowl honors for the Giants, Tynes is the one who got the contract extension. Tynes is younger and has a stronger leg, and he proved in the '07 Super Bowl run that he can make pressure kicks.
10. Jason Hanson, Lions. It's hard to be a standout on a 0-16 team, but Hanson was every bit of that last season. Though the Lions offense only provided him 22 field-goal chances, he connected on 21 of them, including 8-of-8 from 50-plus yards and 14-of-14 from 40-plus yards.
RealScouts analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams exclusively for Sporting News.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=553968
Evaluating kickers is more than just checking their stats. Still, you can't be an elite kicker unless you make the clutch kicks.
1. Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots. In just his third NFL season, Gostkowski set team records for points and field goals in a season, and he did it with a backup quarterback getting him into field-goal position. New England didn't boast much of a running game, either. With Tom Brady healthy, Gostkowski should improve on his 90 percent completion rate and once again contend for the NFL points title.
2. John Kasay, Panthers. He turns 40 in October and doesn't kickoff anymore, but he started the '08 season by connecting on 16 consecutive field-goal attempts. He's deadly accurate, and with a punishing rushing attack and a passing game led by the steady hand of Jake Delhomme, he'll have plenty of chances to score.
3. Jason Elam, Falcons. He moved from the rarified air of Denver to the friendly indoor confines of the Georgia Dome last year, and he responded with a career high 93.5 percent completion rate in field-goal attempts, including 11-of-12 from beyond 40 yards. Elam, 39, is playing indoors behind what should be an explosive offense, so look for more of the same in '09.
4. Rob Bironas, Titans. Bironas boasts one of the strongest and most accurate legs, as close to a sure thing as any kicker. He has connected on 6-of-8 field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards the last three years.
5. Kris Brown, Texans. RB Steve Slaton has given the Texans the needed complement to QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson. The result is one of the NFL's most productive offenses, translating into more scoring chances for Brown.
6. Robbie Gould, Bears. He doesn't have a big leg but has been accurate in tough weather conditions. New QB Jay Cutler should get Gould in striking range much more often this year. Look for a significant increase in Gould's point production.
7. Neil Rackers, Cardinals. Rackers bounced back from a couple of down years to connect on 89.3 percent of field-goal attempts last season. He hasn't put together two good consecutive seasons over his career and doesn't have a strong leg, which limits his scoring chances. Sure, he plays with a high-powered offense, but the Cardinals are about scoring touchdowns -- 37 percent of his points last season were extra-point kicks.
8. Ryan Longwell, Vikings. Longwell doesn't handle kickoff duties but has a strong and accurate leg. He missed on some mid-range kicks last season but was deadly from outside 50 yards, hitting all six attempts. If Brett Favre actually does come out of retirement, Longwell will compete for the league scoring title.
9. Lawrence Tynes, Giants. Though John Carney was awesome last year, earning Pro Bowl honors for the Giants, Tynes is the one who got the contract extension. Tynes is younger and has a stronger leg, and he proved in the '07 Super Bowl run that he can make pressure kicks.
10. Jason Hanson, Lions. It's hard to be a standout on a 0-16 team, but Hanson was every bit of that last season. Though the Lions offense only provided him 22 field-goal chances, he connected on 21 of them, including 8-of-8 from 50-plus yards and 14-of-14 from 40-plus yards.
RealScouts analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams exclusively for Sporting News.
