Stephen Gostkowski’s confidence looks shaky

[BradyManny]

Split Statistics | Stephen Gostkowski | New England Patriots | NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Splits suggest Gost has been good in the clutch his entire career.

One interesting thing is that if you look at this splits the last three years, he's just been less effective entirely:

Split Statistics | Stephen Gostkowski | New England Patriots | NFL - Yahoo! Sports

But either way, he's better in "close" and "late and close" situations.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I said after that huge miss against Arizona I hope this is not a Calvin Shiraldi moment and all you ole timers remember the Red sox Reliever who was dominent until he lost a playoff game and he crumbled after that..

He missed 2 more today i think he needs to win a game with his foot to get his mojoe back..I hope it's not an issue going forward


He never really has had pressure kicks where the game has been on the line and his foot determines the game..

Well, Schiraldi (with a 'c') didn't just "[lose] a playoff game," he choked up the biggest Red Sox game in, at the time, 68 years. There's a difference. You're right, he was never the same after that night, as were many of us who suffered through that game.

As for Gostkowski, "it is what it is."

I think that a lot of Vinatieri critics are realizing what we had in Number Four, who always made the big kicks, even when we wouldn't have "blamed" him for missing them.

Gostkowski is a solid to very good kicker who puts up remarkable stats, but, to be honest, I don't want him kicking to send the game into OT and then win the Snow Bowl and I don't want him kicking from 48 yards to win SB XXXVI with 40 years of Patriots history on his shoulders. As I write that, I find myself hoping that one day he proves me wrong.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

I wouldn't be mad if all of our points for the rest of the year were whole numbers when divided by 7.

I would edit that to read, "if all of our points to win games...were...divided by 7," but otherwise agree. I don't want the game in Gostkowski's hands outside of extra point range.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Two bad kicks. I dunno. But he made the last one which was a gimme. The question is how will he react to the next pressure kick.



Nope. The Colts outbid the Pats for his services in free agency. And the sad part is he won another ring with them while doing so.

Gost has more leg strength but AV was the definition of a big game kicker.

And, years later, on the same day that Gostkowski didn't get it done against Arizona, won a game for Indy from 53 yards out, speaking of "leg strength."

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Maybe a little competition would help. We could sign Nick Novak after the Chargers cut him this week. Maybe a push for his job will help him regain that mojo he lost.

He's virtually never had big game "mojo" (I think he made one kick to win an early round Playoff game) because he didn't have to. He's always put up great stats, though.

 

[Spiral]

Remember going for it on 4 and 13 or something like that in the first SB against the Giants? I always thought that was a poor coaching decision by BB. Now I think I understand why he made that call.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

He did drill all 3 kicks last week so I don't think this is related to the AZ miss.

Just starting to think maybe he's not worth the contract. Last year he was rather unimpressive as well but I gave him a pass due to it being his first year off the season ending leg injury in '10. I've defended Ghost as much as I felt necessary but I think he better finish the season strong or it's going to be hard justifying paying that much $$ for an average kicker.

Agreed with your conclusion; as far as last week goes, he made one big kick in the first quarter (49 yards) but his fourth quarter kick was from scrimmage at the three, or an extra point attempt.

I've always been in the minority on this guy, but kept my mouth generally shut because he got an instant fan club out here when he joined and people were angry at Adam for taking the money from Indy; I've always thought of him as great at building his own stats but not necessarily the guy to whom I want to trust a big game. I still remember the 2009 game in New Orleans (we were blown out so the loss itself wasn't on him) when he had a more or less meaningless FG attempt from the exact spot on the field from which Adam had won SB XXXVI and missed it. I got to wondering how different the last decade might have been, if...

 

[ctpatsfan77]

And, years later, on the same day that Gostkowski didn't get it done against Arizona, won a game for Indy from 53 yards out, speaking of "leg strength."

And then Vinatraitor missed a 36-yarder in the fourth quarter the next week. . . . in a dome.

Another thing worth noting: yesterday, Gostkowski had eight touchbacks—while AV had zero. Of course, that's because the Colts have to use a second roster spot on Pat McAfee to handle the kickoffs. . . .

 

[patfanken]

BB really should have a warm place in his heart for Adam, given that if it wasn't for 2 missess he had at the end of games in 1999, Bill probably wouldn't have a job in NE. Those 2 upright clangers were the difference between a 10-6 playoff run and a 8-8 move to SC for Pete Carroll. ((I'd say it worked out pretty well for both parties)

As for Goskowski he's been a solid FG kicker and a top end KO man who is athletic and brave enough to help out on coverage. I wouldn't think of moving him.....yet. But kicking is 90% mental and when it goes with these guys it goes quickly, so the team I'm sure is ready to move on if necessary

 

[PatsFan2]

Ghost scares me and its not his fault...he has a cannon leg. Ghost would probably make a 53 yarder to win a game and miss 23 yarder to lose it go figure. My thinking is Ghost came in when our Offense is at a all time high with those skilled offensive players. We have won most games handily so he didn't have to kick anything more than pats. I think he'll be fine but with this Offense i don't want him to kicking a potential game winner anytime soon. Ghost is an asset on KO's with all those touch backs.

 

[letekro]

Gost has more leg strength but AV was the definition of a big game kicker.

AV is the only kicker I've ever loved.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

You make it sound as if his crumbling was all mental. He collapsed because he couldn't fool the Mets. He had just gotten traded from them that year. That was the one team in MLB he could not fool. What pitcher can succeed against guys that know every one of his tendencies?

I hope people are not going to use similar logic on Gostowski but I sense it's on the way.

Focusing on Schiraldi only. Come on, he was never the same after that game. 1986: ERA 1.41, nine saves. Rest of his remaining career (five seasons, except for his last season and one other year when he only pitched a few innings): ERA: 4.10, 15 saves.

 

[Salva135]

He's been solid for such a long time that I think it's a bit premature to talk about getting rid of him. I don't even know how easy it is to find a decent kicker off the street mid-season. If the trend continues over the next couple of games, then I guess it's time to reconsider.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

Is there a way to stop posting that cartoon of the guy in the chair every other post? It's very annoying.

 

[Spiral]

Ghost scares me and its not his fault...he has a cannon leg. Ghost would probably make a 53 yarder to win a game and miss 23 yarder to lose it go figure. My thinking is Ghost came in when our Offense is at a all time high with those skilled offensive players. We have won most games handily so he didn't have to kick anything more than pats. I think he'll be fine but with this Offense i don't want him to kicking a potential game winner anytime soon. Ghost is an asset on KO's with all those touch backs.

Unfortunately for him, there are no KOs after missed FGs.

 

[QB12]

I agree he has no confidence. And did you catch that glare from Brady watching the first miss on the big screen?