Pats K Stephen Gostkowski confidence meter

[strongside]

The 07 game for Gostkowski was a little uneven. He yanked a Kickoff out of bounds and was passed on for a long (57?) field goal despite being indoors on a 4th and long.

Whats your confidence level with Gost going into this game if he has to line up the game winner?

I worry about him for some reason missing a kick early then I do with the game on the line. The guy seems to have a very even disposition. I think he will have a good handle on his nerves. Also, think his range will push 57 in that place.

 

[letekro]

0.0

I just get bad vibes. Of course no one can compare to the security blanket that was AV. Even after he missed the first two in SB 38, I had no doubt that he would nail the game winner. Gostkowski is the opposite. I am confident that he will nail everything in the first quarter, but I have my doubts about the 4th quarter.

 

[Uncle Rico]

The 07 game for Gostkowski was a little uneven. He yanked a Kickoff out of bounds and was passed on for a long (57?) field goal despite being indoors on a 4th and long.

Whats your confidence level with Gost going into this game if he has to line up the game winner?

I worry about him for some reason missing a kick early then I do with the game on the line. The guy seems to have a very even disposition. I think he will have a good handle on his nerves. Also, think his range will push 57 in that place.

Good question. I read somewhere he was 13 of 15 in playoff field goals, which is pretty good (remember Vinatieri missed one and had one blocked in SB38 alone). IIRC, Gost had a big kick in San Diego in the 06-07 playoffs, so he's done clutch. For some reason, it never seems like the stats translate into fan confidence with him though. I remember he shanked one vs the Giants earlier this year (eerily close to the area from which Cundiff missed); I was at the game and just didn't feel confident in him making it. To be honest, I'd prefer he score something like 6 points, all on PATs; but if he needs to make a big kick, my confidence is 6 or 7 out of 10.

 

[Gronkandez]

Good question. I read somewhere he was 13 of 15 in playoff field goals, which is pretty good (remember Vinatieri missed one and had one blocked in SB38 alone). IIRC, Gost had a big kick in San Diego in the 06-07 playoffs, so he's done clutch. For some reason, it never seems like the stats translate into fan confidence with him though. I remember he shanked one vs the Giants earlier this year (eerily close to the area from which Cundiff missed); I was at the game and just didn't feel confident in him making it. To be honest, I'd prefer he score something like 6 points, all on PATs; but if he needs to make a big kick, my confidence is 6 or 7 out of 10.

Im sure whoever the Giants kicker is (Matt Bahr?) he's much better since the Giants are better in every matchup in this game.

He looked great on kickoffs last week and I'd expect the same this week. As for FG, I'm not worried.

 

[Ron Sellers]

Check out this article on Gostkowski from a few days ago. Perhaps some here may not have confidence, but he has confidence in himself - and that's what matters. Unlike many kickers he actually is a well-rounded athlete. It all started by competing and excelling against much older competition at an early age.

Madison mom eager to watch son in Super Bowl | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com

Stephen’s older brother, Jeremy, admits he has thought about a scenario where the outcome of America’s premier sporting event rides on Stephen’s ability to kick a football between two posts 18 feet, 10 inches apart.

"I’ve played sports with him since we were kids, and I know what he’s made of," he said. "He doesn’t look at the pressure of a kick the same way you or I would, simply because he’s been doing it for so long."

By the way, he has kicked winning field goals against a team quarterbacked by Eli Manning; I think there is a very good chance that he will do it again.

And also think back to a game Stephen’s sophomore year against Ole Miss in Memphis. Final score: Tigers 44, Rebels 34. Stephen booted three field goals in the fourth quarter.

The opposing quarterback that day? Giants star Eli Manning.

 

[billdog3484]

that guy gives me a heart attack on 30 yarders

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

If he has a 40 yard FG with the game on the line...I wil **** myself

 

[Ron Sellers]

I definitely recall many Pats fans saying similar things about Adam Vinatieri prior to the 2001 playoffs, how he made them nervous and they didn't trust him. I'm not trying to say Gostkowski is as clutch as AV - nobody is - but I think people are confusing being nervous about having to count on a kicker for a winning FG and being nervous about Gostkowski specifically.

Who would you prefer to have playing Sunday? Gostkowski ranks 7th all-time in NFL history for FG accuracy at over 84%. His kickoffs regularly go for touchbacks. Just because a kickoff once went out of bounds or you can remember him missing a FG that doesn't mean you should lack confidence in him. Do you lack confidence in Brady because you can remember him throwing an interception? Do you lack confidence in Welker because he dropped a pass in the last game?

If you need reassurance, read that article and see if that doesn't help.

 

[Fencer]

I definitely recall many Pats fans saying similar things about Adam Vinatieri prior to the 2001 playoffs, how he made them nervous and they didn't trust him. I'm not trying to say Gostkowski is as clutch as AV - nobody is - but I think people are confusing being nervous about having to count on a kicker for a winning FG and being nervous about Gostkowski specifically.

Who would you prefer to have playing Sunday? Gostkowski ranks 7th all-time in NFL history for FG accuracy at over 84%. His kickoffs regularly go for touchbacks. Just because a kickoff once went out of bounds or you can remember him missing a FG that doesn't mean you should lack confidence in him. Do you lack confidence in Brady because you can remember him throwing an interception? Do you lack confidence in Welker because he dropped a pass in the last game?

If you need reassurance, read that article and see if that doesn't help.

BB going on it on 4th and long the last time we were in this position showed that BB didn't have confidence in Gostowski at that time.

Hopefully the situation is different now.

 

[ahmed]

I have absolute confidence in him... I also have absolute confidence that the game won't be close so this is a mute point.

 

[Bonzo]

I originally read the thread title as "Gronkowski confidence meter", and was going to respond "100%"

That said, I feel the exact same way about Gostkowski.

 

[patsfan06]

0 confidence.

Guy is a mediocre kicker.

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

Vinatieri is still going strong, by the way. Just sayin'.

Sure he wanted a lot of money, but Gostkowski also cost the Pats a hefty price of a fourth round draft choice. Could've drafted Elvis Dumervil with that pick.

 

[GronkesFiesta]

He's going to channel his inner Vinatieri . I have faith in him.

 

[JoeSixPat]

BB going on it on 4th and long the last time we were in this position showed that BB didn't have confidence in Gostowski at that time.

Hopefully the situation is different now.

That was his rookie season if I'm not mistaken. At the time it did seem like he had hit a wall.

Reports at the time said that he wasn't hitting the long ones in practice before the game.

I think it was well understood why BB might not have had the most confidence in him.

Still at 4th and 13 I think I would have gone for the FG myself as I'd think I'd have a better chance at that than converting.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Vinatieri is still going strong, by the way. Just sayin'.

Sure he wanted a lot of money, but Gostkowski also cost the Pats a hefty price of a fourth round draft choice. Could've drafted Elvis Dumervil with that pick.

I thought I would respond to this ****, but I realized it'd be better for my blood pressure to just tell you to go root for the Ravens or JEST or whoever it is you really root for.

 

[dhamz]

That was his rookie season if I'm not mistaken. At the time it did seem like he had hit a wall.

Reports at the time said that he wasn't hitting the long ones in practice before the game.

I think it was well understood why BB might not have had the most confidence in him.

Still at 4th and 13 I think I would have gone for the FG myself as I'd think I'd have a better chance at that than converting.

It was actually his 2nd season. His rookie year he had a very good playoffs.

In 2007 he was shaky. He had missed a chip shot against Jacksonville and on his previous journey onto the field had shanked the kick-off Billy Cundiff style. BB rightfully had zero confidence in him in that spot.

 

[RayClay]

Selective memory is a wonderful thing. Vinatieri had a wonderful streak of important kicks which forever blinds Patsfans to the fact that Gostkowski is easily one of the best field goal kickers in the league.

Plus, his leg strength is tops too. Everybody misses some important kicks sometimes. He consistently hits more than just about anyone.

You were all nervous the couple of huge kicks Vinatieri made too. Have a shot of whiskey and relax, I wouldn't trade him for any kicker now. they all make some and miss some, most miss a fair amount.

 

[BTTA]

What the h%ll do we know? In 2007, he could have had a leg injury that was causing him to miss kicks he's normally made. Perhaps during warm ups for the SB he had a cramp and the coaches took the long FG off the board. Maybe he had a stomach bug and was weak that day. We have a huge information deficit when analyzing cause and effect here.

 

[Ron Sellers]

Jackie MacMullan has an article on Gostkowski, including a comparison to Vinatieri.

2012 Super Bowl -- New England Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski untested in clutch, but ready to be difference-maker - BSPN Boston

The truth is this: While Gostkowski has proved to be the most accurate kicker in Patriots history and only the second player in NFL history to score 500 points or more in his first four seasons, he simply has not been afforded the opportunity to make many clutch kicks for his team.

In six seasons with the club, Gostkowski has kicked only two game-winning field goals. The first was in his rookie season, on Jan. 14, 2007, a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 left to play that enabled the Patriots to upend the San Diego Chargers and advance to the AFC Championship Game.

The second was a 35-yard overtime kick against the Ravens in October 2010 that led to a 23-20 Patriots victory. Gostkowski also kicked a 24-yarder with less than two minutes left in regulation of that game to force OT.

He hasn't missed critical late-game field goals; that hasn't been the issue. The more curious question is why he hasn't been in position more times to make a difference.

MacMullan brings up the out-of-bounds kickoff as the reason Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 13 rather than attempt a 48 yard field goal four years ago, but I can't think of any other time in his career when BB didn't seem to have confidence in him.

There is also this, which reminded me of the forgotten hand-wringing here first when Lonnie Paxton departed, then when Jake Ingram was released, and then again when Matt Katula was let go. It's as if fans not knowing your name means you're doing a good job if you're the long snapper.

The 2011 season proved to be another model in consistency for Gostkowski. His success has been enhanced by a reliable Danny Aiken, who has handled field goal snaps without incident. Gostkowski hit 84.8 percent of his field goals (28-of-33), including a perfect 4-for-4 in the playoffs. He has missed only one PAT in his entire career (289-of-290) and continues to pin opposing teams in their own end with his deep kickoffs.