Gramatica

[old 55]

Gost was 9-9 in the preseason. He's got the ability. Show some patience. If he was released he'd be snapped up by another team in a heartbeat.

In the meantime, he's killing the ball on kickoffs and its made a huge difference in our special teams.

 

[workhorse]

Thanks to the DirectTV NFL Sunday, I watched the Colts v Jets @ 1pm on Sunday followed by the Pats-Cats @ 4:15pm. (Living in South Florida, without the ticket, I would have been forced to sit through friggin' Fish @ Texans @ 1pm!)

Anyway, I am sitting there watching Martin Gramatica drill dead-center everything but the cheerleaders and I'm thinking how I wish we could have kept him instead of Gost-miss-ki.

Kind of funny...of the three kickers that have set foot on Foxboro turf over the past two seasons, the Colts got #1 & #2 and we ended up with #3!

How did we let THAT happen?

So, now the Colts will continue to reap the fruits of Gramatica & Vinatieri and we will continue to shudder in terror every time Gost-miss-ki lines up for a routine kick that will ultimately:

a) go WAY wide right
b) be too low with various excuses (the turf; the linemen were too tall; etc, etc)

Here we are, a decent team with a real chance to win our division and a kicker that is only good from inside the 20-yard line!

ADPF

Just a couple items. Gramatika only kicked one FG in two games and it was a 20 yarder. He did hit all of his PATs. So I don't know how much confidence you can put in him. And just a side note, you do know that he was a Colt before he tried out for the Pats right? I've noticed in a couple different threads about him that people mentioned that the Colts keep taking the Pats' kickers. In this case the Pats took a Colts' kicker and didn't want him, so the Colts took him back. But if you want him again, it sounds like Adam is going to be good to go this week, so you can have Gramatika again.

Edit:

Gramatika was killing the Colts on kickoffs. Most weren't very deep and many were really low and screwed the coverage team. The only really good one that I saw him kick was the one run for the TD in the Jets game. I'm pretty sure that it was the only kick off that made it into the endzone. But then he had to go and try for the tackle and knock off the guy that was about to make the tackle on the TD return. But you have to give an A for effort.

 

[DaBruinz]

Just a couple items. Gramatika only kicked one FG in two games and it was a 20 yarder. He did hit all of his PATs. So I don't know how much confidence you can put in him. And just a side note, you do know that he was a Colt before he tried out for the Pats right? I've noticed in a couple different threads about him that people mentioned that the Colts keep taking the Pats' kickers. In this case the Pats took a Colts' kicker and didn't want him, so the Colts took him back. But if you want him again, it sounds like Adam is going to be good to go this week, so you can have Gramatika again.

Edit:

Gramatika was killing the Colts on kickoffs. Most weren't very deep and many were really low and screwed the coverage team. The only really good one that I saw him kick was the one run for the TD in the Jets game. I'm pretty sure that it was the only kick off that made it into the endzone. But then he had to go and try for the tackle and knock off the guy that was about to make the tackle on the TD return. But you have to give an A for effort.

Workhorse -
Everyone knows that Gramatica was injured during his 1st go-around with the Colts. To hold that against him is just dumb.

Now, Granted, his 10 kick-offs haven't exactly been spectacular (avg only 64.4 ypk) but its not horrid either. What is bad about Gramatica's kicks is that they are low line drives. That doesn't give the kick coverage team much time to get down the field. And that is shown by the league worst 31.3 yards per return compared to 22.1 yards per retrun when Vinatieri is kicking the ball.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Armen,

This is a pathetic thread. Gost-miss-ski?

He missed one FG wide-right and now "every time" he lines up we're going to have to be nervous? You're comfortable making that assertion from a sample size of... one kick? Piss-poor logic there, chief.

He's a f---ing rookie. What do you expect? Vinatieri only hit 8 of 14 from 40+ in his first year, and IIRC that was after a year of kicking in NFL Europe.

Plus, nowhere do you even make mention of his kickoffs, which I believe are the best in the NFL. How have Gramatica's kickoffs been?

I guess it's a good thing that you don't work for the Pats FO, or it'd be like a return to the Grier years.

My thoughts exactly. That nickname has got to go. Grow up a little.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Has he missed a PAT or an under 35 yarder yet (not counting blocks) ?

Then PLEASE stop being chicken little.

the vaunted vinatieri missed 3 PATs his rookie year.


Doing a statistical analysis on a sample size of 6 is pretty good way to come up with a meaningless judgement.

Why is it that being nervous about a rookie kicker who can't make a decent-length field goal right now makes me "chicken little"?

I just don't get that.

I am not down on the Pats or on this kid for that matter.

But right now, if I had my choice between a veteran and Shankskowski, I'd take the veteran.

Simple.

 

[sieglo]

Randy Moss will be on this team before Grammatica returns. Mark my words -- it ain't gonna happen.

 

[F0nSY]

I Like gostkowski I think that he will be a good kicker,we have got that wait,No more.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

1996-77.1%
1997-86.2%
1998-79.5%
1999-78.8%
2000-81.8%
2001-80.0%
2002-90.0%
2003-73.5%
2004-93.9%
2005-80.0%

Okay, Digger, there are AV's percentages, and here is Klankowski's:

50%

 

[DaBruinz]

Why is it that being nervous about a rookie kicker who can't make a decent-length field goal right now makes me "chicken little"?

I just don't get that.

I am not down on the Pats or on this kid for that matter.

But right now, if I had my choice between a veteran and Shankskowski, I'd take the veteran.

Simple.

Maybe your problem is that you don't understand that a 48 yard FG is NOT a decent length FG, but a LONG FG.

Maybe you don't understand that having 2 kicks blocked falls as much or MORE on the line than Gostkowski.

Maybe you don't understand that Gramatica isn't any better and that your total discount of his kick-offs show that your expectations are not reasonable.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Why is it that being nervous about a rookie kicker who can't make a decent-length field goal right now makes me "chicken little"?

I just don't get that.

I am not down on the Pats or on this kid for that matter.

But right now, if I had my choice between a veteran and Shankskowski, I'd take the veteran.

Simple.

What makes you ckicken little, IMHO, is your stupid little nickname for our rookie Patriot kicker, based on a statistical sample of one legitimately shanked 48-yarder, after two blocked kicks with pathetic protection which would probably have gone in with good protection or even average protection.

You are not only jumping the gun, but you are making it personal in a childish manner by inventing silly little names for our Patriot rookie kicker.

Grow up.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Gost was 9-9 in the preseason. He's got the ability. Show some patience. If he was released he'd be snapped up by another team in a heartbeat.

In the meantime, he's killing the ball on kickoffs and its made a huge difference in our special teams.

He was great in the pre-season and I did have high hopes for him...and STILL DO...

But I also wouldn't mind having an NFL veteran around to take some kick while Yankowski gets his poop together, that's all...

ADPF

 

[BritPat]

Okay, Digger, there are AV's percentages, and here is Klankowski's:

50%

.....after 4 games.

 

[DaBruinz]

He was great in the pre-season and I did have high hopes for him...and STILL DO...

But I also wouldn't mind having an NFL veteran around to take some kick while Yankowski gets his poop together, that's all...

ADPF

ADPF -
Your childishness of butchering Gostkowski's name shows that talking to you is a waste of time.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

My thoughts exactly. That nickname has got to go. Grow up a little.

What do you mean? That's an awesome nickname!

The "owski" just gives you so much versatility!

When he's in a rough patch, he is:

Shankowski
Klunkowski
Missikowski
Gotmisski
Thunkowski

When he's going good, he could be:

Nailskoswski
Splitkowski
Drillkowski
Clutchkowski
Deadonkowski

No way, dude! You gotta see the beauty in that!

Name-wise, Gostkowski is the best thing to happen to the Pats since Shockmain Davis!

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Maybe your problem is that you don't understand that a 48 yard FG is NOT a decent length FG, but a LONG FG.

Maybe you don't understand that having 2 kicks blocked falls as much or MORE on the line than Gostkowski.

Maybe you don't understand that Gramatica isn't any better and that your total discount of his kick-offs show that your expectations are not reasonable.

Maybe you have maturity issues.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I think that I was the only one in this forum that wanted to keep Gramatica instead of Gostkowski.

Gramatica had shown that, when healthy, he can be one of the best.

Which is why so many other teams with kicker issues are clamoring for his services a month into the season I guess...

What he would have provided as a backup only would be some level of insurance against getting killed in the 30-45 yard range where you really have to have consistency should the rookie develop a serious case of the yips. BB rolled the dice that the rookie would not. Now he is likely rethinking that decision in a week where we face a tough defensive opponent who tends to play us close with a bye week to follow.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Maybe your problem is that you don't understand that a 48 yard FG is NOT a decent length FG, but a LONG FG.

Maybe you don't understand that having 2 kicks blocked falls as much or MORE on the line than Gostkowski.

Maybe you don't understand that Gramatica isn't any better and that your total discount of his kick-offs show that your expectations are not reasonable.

Maybe. I don't claim to be perfect, but I also don't hide feelings or feel like because I am a fan of a team I MUST believe that everything they do is perfect.

I've had my opinions and I've been dead-@$$ wrong in the past. I can live with that.

But perception is still perception, isn't it?

48 yards is a bomb, no doubt, but a makeable bomb for a strong NFL kicker.

It's not like Plant-Foot-ikowski just missed it - he was like 30 yards wide!

He also admitted not knowing how to properly plant his foot in the Denver game.

So, I am just saying Shimkowski needs a little more work before we trust him in BIG games.

While we wait, let's get a vet on board for our comfort level!

And by the way, my perception does not stand alone.

Here is what the national media thinks of our boy Wide-right-ikowski:

"Player News

According to the Boston Herald, the Patriots might be considering a kicking change because of rookie Stephen Gostkowski's struggles. The Herald asked "at what point will they consider bringing in a veteran to assume some of the duties?" According to the statisticians at Pro Football Prospectus, Gostkowski is the No. 1 kickoff guy in the NFL, being the only kicker to average 70 yards off the tee. Through four weeks, Gostkowski is tied for second in the league in touchbacks (six) and the Pats are fourth in opponents’ average start position (21.2-yard line). Field goals are a different story, of course. The Pats are tied for 29th in the league in field goal percentage, as Gostkowski has made only 3-of-6 attempts. He’s had two short-range attempts blocked (from 29 and 37 yards out) and he wasn’t even in the same zip code as the uprights on a miss from 48 yards in Cincinnati on Sunday.

(Updated 10/04/2006). "

http://sportsline.com/nfl/players/playerpage/411579

 

[Bella*chick]

Dude, Armen, most of those names aren't even any good.

Plant-Foot-owski??

My as yet unborn son could probably do better.

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Here's my guarantee to you wonderful folks...

If Brickowski costs us a big game, I WILL NOT come back here to say I told you so, because I won't be happy about it. I hope the kid proves me wrong, because that means my team gets wins!

And, if he turns to be a stud kicker and not the next Carlos Huerta (great in college; great in pre-season; but a dud when it counts in the NFL), I will stop calling him Shankowski, Brickowski, Misskowski, et al.

See ya,
Armen Da Pats Fan

 

[Armen Da Pats Fan]

Dude, Armen, most of those names aren't even any good.

Plant-Foot-owski??

My as yet unborn son could probably do better.

God, I know!

Plant-Foot-owski?? What was I thnking?!?!?

Right after I posted that one I realized how uncreative it was and I wanted to kick myself (no pun intended).

Actually, I called up Stephen Gostkowski and asked him to kick me, but he went wide right!