Kicking ball PSI

[part-timer]

The PSI controversy may have exposed a REAL problem in the NFL....Kicking percentages have dropped with no real explanation....except that PSI's are now being watched closely, making it impossible for the kickers to manipulate their balls as they have previously done....PSI would effect the action of the kicking balls and is the only real change to the kickers this year...I see an unexposed problem in the league with kickers manipulating balls to their preference having been halted as a side effect of deflategate.... I see nothing else as accounting for this collapse of the kicking game in the NFL...

 

[Gumby]

"Collapse"?
Are the stats REALLY that different?

 

[part-timer]

"Collapse"?
Are the stats REALLY that different?

absolutely.....

 

[borg]

Why is this a "problem"??
It's not supposed to be automatic........and our guy is money........Lets keep this advantage.

 

[patchick]

"Collapse"?
Are the stats REALLY that different?

Nope -- weeks 1-3, no change at all. For some reason week 4 was a kicking trainwreck.

It remains to be seen how it shakes out for the season, but even so the change in PAT rules seems like a likelier culprit.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I thought they kick them right out of the box ...
Which is why they are always squeezing and trying to shape them pre kick,
Harder and slick balls definitely have a smaller sweet spot ... unforgiving for a lousy kicker.

 

[Gumby]

Nope -- weeks 1-3, no change at all. For some reason week 4 was a kicking trainwreck.

It remains to be seen how it shakes out for the season, but even so the change in PAT rules seems like a likelier culprit.

That is more what I thought, but I would like to see real numbers ( and by numbers I mean percentages made at various distances compared between this year and recent history and not 20 misses this year vs 10 misses last year. )

 

[RobertWeathers]

It'll come around. These things are cyclical.

In 2005. FG kickers made 81%.

 

[patchick]

That is more what I thought, but I would like to see real numbers ( and by numbers I mean percentages made at various distances compared between this year and recent history and not 20 misses this year vs 10 misses last year. )

A good breakdown of this week's mishaps from a statistical perspective:
http://www.patspulpit.com/2015/10/5...icking-in-the-past-decade-while-patriots-rest

 

[dales804]

I thought they kick them right out of the box ...
Which is why they are always squeezing and trying to shape them pre kick,
Harder and slick balls definitely have a smaller sweet spot ... unforgiving for a lousy kicker.

They come new to the stadium then guys from each side get to break them in for an hour before the game, I believe.

 

[Tuck]

They come new to the stadium then guys from each side get to break them in for an hour before the game, I believe.

So how has the K ball preparation changed post Deflategate?

 

[dales804]

So how has the K ball preparation changed post Deflategate?

 

[Patsrock]

So how has the K ball preparation changed post Deflategate?

It hasn't changed at all.

http://m.nbcsports.com/content/k-balls-can-be-prepped-games

 

[Oswlek]

A good breakdown of this week's mishaps from a statistical perspective:
http://www.patspulpit.com/2015/10/5...icking-in-the-past-decade-while-patriots-rest

And another from Bill Barnwell on why the kicking isn't as bad as people think, it's largely due to a few really bad apples, a few highly visible misses and the additional XP misfires.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/week-4-wrap-the-haves-vs-the-have-nots/

 

[Tony2046]

Nope -- weeks 1-3, no change at all. For some reason week 4 was a kicking trainwreck.

It remains to be seen how it shakes out for the season, but even so the change in PAT rules seems like a likelier culprit.

I just took a quick look:

PAT Average 2014 = 99.5% 2015 = 93.5%

FGM Average 2014 = 85.1% 2015 = 84.7%

Clearly the new PAT rules have had an effect. FG % is insignificantly different. IMO


To the OP. That was an interesting thought and a good stat to look into.

 

[DShero]

Shh OP... You might get people thinking that because Gostkowski is kicking flawlessly he must be more probable than not at least generally aware of inappropriate activity of others.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Because people are missing PATs for the first time in eons, there is the perception that kicking is worse and that they are missing a lot more FGs as well.

Stats on FGs show that isn't the case for this season as a whole.