Reiss disses Gostkowski (well, not really)

[BelichickFan]

Reiss' blog has a list of stats the Pats are in the top ten for. But he forgets :

Gostkowski tied for 2nd-4th in the NFL in touchbacks with 6.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/stats...06/regular?sort_col_1=5&_1:col_1=5&_1:col_2=9

Last year we had 10 touchbacks in 81 kickoffs. This year we have 6 in 18 kickoffs. That's 33% this year vs. 12% last year. Of course, Gostkowki's % will come way down when he kicks in cold weather but his kickoffs have been very nice.

Now if we can just make a FG

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Now if we can just make a FG

I blame the coaches. With all the emphasis on kicking off deep obviously nobody told the kid he needed to make FGs.

 

[Bella*chick]

Well, I certainly hope Gostkowski doesn't expect praise for his FG kicking to date. I don't think he does, his forlorn look after the blown 48 yarder said it all. He just needs to work harder...he'd be criticized no matter what team he was on.

 

[PATSNUTme]

As I posted last night the walking embarassment, Greg ****erson, stated that he was embarrassed by The Ghost's FG attempts.

 

[Bella*chick]

As I posted last night the walking embarassment, Greg ****erson, stated that he was embarrassed by The Ghost's FG attempts.

Well, now "embarrassment" is going way too far. The kid obviously has a very strong leg, and except for that horrible shank, his FGs have look dead center to me. Someone needs some perspective!

 

[BelichickFan]

As I posted last night the walking embarassment, Greg ****erson, stated that he was embarrassed by The Ghost's FG attempts.

LOL, the kick against Cincy was pretty bad but it was one kick and it was long. The other two were blocked. He's not exactly shanking every kick.

I actually meant for this thread to look at the upside of his booming kickoffs. Having the Bengals start every drive on the 20 instead of, what seemed like last year, the 30-35 ever drive is a big difference.

 

[mavfan2390]

The Ghost leads the NFL in kickoff average....the only reason he doesn't have more touchbacks is maybe because the ST coverage isn't getting down the field fast enough.

 

[DaBruinz]

The Ghost leads the NFL in kickoff average....the only reason he doesn't have more touchbacks is maybe because the ST coverage isn't getting down the field fast enough.

Hmm.. I would have to say that you are wrong on this. Opposing teams are starting at the 21.2 yard line with an average return of 23.7 yards. Compared to them getting to the 29-30 yard line last year.

The 8-9 yard difference in starting field position for the opposing team iis having a very subtle be marked affect on the game. I think that its part of the reason the Patriots have been successful at the bend, don't break on defense.

 

[rusH1023]

Give him some time. Hey, he's scored more points than any rookie starter in the NFL including Maroney.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Every year we have had strong points and weak points.

Just counting superbowl seasons, in 2001 we were the jack of all trades, ace of none. In 2003, we had no run game or passing game. In 2004 we had average to bad pass protection but good run blocking, aided by a good running back. We also had very inconsistent kicking the year Adam hurt his back.

So this year we have an inconsistent kicking game again. I think that we can live with that if the secondary and passing attack gain consistency as the year goes on.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Hmm.. I would have to say that you are wrong on this. Opposing teams are starting at the 21.2 yard line with an average return of 23.7 yards. Compared to them getting to the 29-30 yard line last year.

The 8-9 yard difference in starting field position for the opposing team iis having a very subtle be marked affect on the game. I think that its part of the reason the Patriots have been successful at the bend, don't break on defense.

Only the KO differential from last season to this through 4 games is only 3 and a half yards, so the difference was likely coverage team performance. Which would jive with the emphasis BB put on upgrading it throughout the spring. TB's are somewhat overrated. Against a team with a burner kick returner they are great. But they also make it impossible to pin a team inside it's own 10. Ideally you want a kicker with good hang time to allow gunners to get down the field and one who can put it down inside the 10 daring a FC or ill advised return attempt to avoid the gunners downing it inside the 5.

 

[mavfan2390]

There's no way to compare Adam and the Ghosts kicks because there's nowhere to find hangtime stats. DaBruinz is right in saying that the ST's have been improved....I was wrong in saying they weren't getting down the field fast enough.

All in all part of it is the Ghost's kicking, and part of it is the ST coverage

 

[MoLewisrocks]

There's no way to compare Adam and the Ghosts kicks because there's nowhere to find hangtime stats. DaBruinz is right in saying that the ST's have been improved....I was wrong in saying they weren't getting down the field fast enough.

All in all part of it is the Ghost's kicking, and part of it is the ST coverage

Please stop calling him the Ghost. It's creepy, it's contrived, he's struggling and hopes not to become one, and he already had a nickname from his college days which he has indicated he is fond of too - Gotti.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Please stop calling him the Ghost. It's creepy, it's contrived, he's struggling and hopes not to become one, and he already had a nickname from his college days which he has indicated he is fond of too - Gotti.

Who ya gonna call?

 

[brady2brown]

Well, I certainly hope Gostkowski doesn't expect praise for his FG kicking to date. I don't think he does, his forlorn look after the blown 48 yarder said it all. He just needs to work harder...he'd be criticized no matter what team he was on.

Laast year AV missed half the field goals (4) he attempted at 40+ yards (8). Is anyone saying AV can't kick?

I wish he'd made it, he should have made it, but a 48-yarder is not a chip shot.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Re: Glass, Half empty of almost full?

Steve Gostkowski is doing very well. Especially when KOs are meant to above all casue no harm.

He is 3 for 6 in Field Goals, but as Josh Miller has said, he only missed one of the six attempts. While accurate, two kicks were blocked, which are, at best, only partially his fault. Meanwhile he is perfect on PATs, 12 for 12, and is 6 for 18 in touchbacks on KOs. He has shanked zero KOs out of bounds resulting in an opposition start at the forty. In summary, he is successful on 15 for 18 kicks for points.

He has no missed kicks which cost a game; and his record of 36 for 36 safe kicks, is as at worst, no-harm, no-foul kicks or better, is fine for a rookie OR a veteran. The high, deeper kicks into the endzone have resulted in 23.7 ypr and a starting average at the 21 yardline. This means that his average kick is going a couple yards into the endzone. As someone mentioned, tempting returns which have resulted in poor opposition starts at the 21, on average.

No line drive kick has resulted in a return for a TD. He also has one TD saving tackle on a KO, just like AV used to do when young. He is a big enough athlete, and, in effect, an eleventh tackler on KOs. In contrast, Martin Grammatica actually helped the Jets to score on a KOR yesterday, as his tackle attempt merely interfered with his own Team's would be tackler.

 

[Bella*chick]

Laast year AV missed half the field goals (4) he attempted at 40+ yards (8). Is anyone saying AV can't kick?

I wish he'd made it, he should have made it, but a 48-yarder is not a chip shot.

Oh, no doubt. And I do find it a little odd that when AV left, suddenly in the media everyone forgot he ever missed a FG.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Only the KO differential from last season to this through 4 games is only 3 and a half yards, so the difference was likely coverage team performance. Which would jive with the emphasis BB put on upgrading it throughout the spring. TB's are somewhat overrated. Against a team with a burner kick returner they are great. But they also make it impossible to pin a team inside it's own 10. Ideally you want a kicker with good hang time to allow gunners to get down the field and one who can put it down inside the 10 daring a FC or ill advised return attempt to avoid the gunners downing it inside the 5.

I don't agree with you, MLR.

First, it absolutely doesn't follow that because the KO differential is not great "the difference was likely coverage team performance". What about a team that has no touchbacks but always stops the return between the 20 and the 25 and one that has all touchbacks?

Second, I don't agree that touchbacks are overrated. What they give you is consistency and security. Which would you rather have: four returns to the fifteen and one to the forty or five at the twenty? There's no question in my mind (or, I'm pretty convinced, in BB's). The mantra has to be "don't give up the big play!"

 

[Pats726]

He will be OK...the ****ersons Felgers and others who just want it to give it to the kid are JERKS!! They have short memories of what AdamV was like when he started..JUST give him some time..I think all will be OK..really...It takes time to adjust to it all..the line broke down twice granted one kicj was low, but why are players getting penetration?? NOT all his fault.