Stephen Gostkowski

[Biffins]

I've been thinking about this a lot and how he capped his horrible season with a missed XP in the SuperBowl, essentially continuing the same problem he had throughout the year, and how he basically got a pass for it because we won the SuperBowl.

So my question to everyone is, if Amendola fails to convert the second 2-point conversion to tie the game at the end of regulation (Amendola barely got in) and the Patriots lose SuperBowl LI 28-26, would we all be more upset about the missed XP from Gostkowski in the SuperBowl and would there be more furor for having competition at the spot.

How come Stephen Gostkowski basically got a pass for both his season and his SuperBowl performance when he's one of the highest paid kickers in the league? Why doesn't he got more criticism and why isn't he more under pressure for holding on to his job? I feel if we had lost 28-26, fans would be calling for his head.

 

[Ring 6]

I agree. We shouldn't celebrate winning the SB we should find every negative play and ask why we haven't publicly tortured the player because that play may have cost us the game.
I mean if you are complaining you arent trying, am I right?

 

[ausbacker]

I've been thinking about this a lot and how he capped his horrible season with a missed XP in the SuperBowl, essentially continuing the same problem he had throughout the year, and how he basically got a pass for it because we won the SuperBowl.

So my question to everyone is, if Amendola fails to convert the second 2-point conversion to tie the game at the end of regulation (Amendola barely got in) and the Patriots lose SuperBowl LI 28-26, would we all be more upset about the missed XP from Gostkowski in the SuperBowl and would there be more furor for having competition at the spot.

How come Stephen Gostkowski basically got a pass for both his season and his SuperBowl performance when he's one of the highest paid kickers in the league? Why doesn't he got more criticism and why isn't he more under pressure for holding on to his job? I feel if we had lost 28-26, fans would be calling for his head.

Don't care much for the 'what ifs' when the 'what is' happened. 2/2 and a FG conversion of 41 yards. If any of those attempts miss, the result probably differs.

 

[NashuaPats]

In his worst season, last year, he was still league average in field goal and extra point accuracy. Considering his past success and the mental roller coaster that kicking can become, I think people are willing to cut him some slack. Plus, he was outstanding on kick offs.

 

[borg]

I've been thinking about this a lot and how Ghost capped his... Super Bowl season by pinning offenses near their own goal line on kickoffs multiple times in must win, big game situations .....IMHO.......priceless
The question: Is "priceless" worth more than a missed extra point?
I vote YES

Confession: I really haven't been thinking about this a lot....Why would I? Why would anyone?

 

[irishfanatic]

Badly need football season to arrive soon.

 

[Love The Drake]

His kick offs have been amazing but he has been in a little funk.
However he has had ample time to correct it.
If he hasn't and come training camp is shanking gimme kicks.
Bring in competition to push or ultimately replace him.

 

[oldrover]

Training camp competition? Sure. Replace him? Hmmm...

I can't think of a kicker in the league I'd rather have, overall. (kickoffs, FG's, XP's)

Focusing on a few bad plays can make one do foolhardy things.

"Do not let the perfect become the enemy of the good... or the good enough."



...or... as Joni Mitchell once said... 'you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone'.

 

[varjao]

He pinned the Falcons deep in the kickoffs and that was a point even Belichick brought up.

It's a teams game, everybody wins, everybody loses. Pointing finger is something Bruce Arians and some other lousy coaches do, not Belichick.

 

[PatsBoy12]

I've been thinking about this a lot and how he capped his horrible season with a missed XP in the SuperBowl, essentially continuing the same problem he had throughout the year, and how he basically got a pass for it because we won the SuperBowl.

So my question to everyone is, if Amendola fails to convert the second 2-point conversion to tie the game at the end of regulation (Amendola barely got in) and the Patriots lose SuperBowl LI 28-26, would we all be more upset about the missed XP from Gostkowski in the SuperBowl and would there be more furor for having competition at the spot.

How come Stephen Gostkowski basically got a pass for both his season and his SuperBowl performance when he's one of the highest paid kickers in the league? Why doesn't he got more criticism and why isn't he more under pressure for holding on to his job? I feel if we had lost 28-26, fans would be calling for his head.

The missed XP would definitely have been discussed had the Pats lost the game. However, getting a "pass," as you put it, well . . . it's just not that simple with Gost. He is probably the best kicker in the league on kickoffs. I don't remember the exact number, but the Patriots were near the very top of the league in average opponent starting position on drives. That's huge, especially when your defensive philosophy forces teams to have to drive the length of the field. He pinned ATL deep in their own territory midway through the fourth quarter and had another beautiful kick on the final kickoff in regulation, as a matter of fact. It's directional and he gets a lot of air underneath it, which allows Ebner, Slater, Jones, Bolden and those guys to get downfield faster.

While I agree the XP's and FG's have become persistent and there probably would be competition if the Pats found another kicker they thought might be worthy, Gost is still mostly worth his money and is still one of the best kickers in the league, IMO. I would feel much better with him on the team than not still. I do, however, want to see him return to form. There was a time when I never worried about either aspect of his game. I do tend to get a bit nervous now. Still, I'm happy to have him.

 

[PrairiePat]

He's been great on kickoffs, but 90% of his job is to put the ball through the uprights, and in that regard he had an off year last year, capped off by that XP miss in the Superbowl. There were clearly better kickers than him out there last season, something you couldn't say a few years ago.

Hopefully it was just a bad season and he comes back strong this season. He's been great for a long time, and he's nowhere near 'old' for a kicker. If he struggles in training camp, however, BB is not going to keep him around out of loyalty.

 

[Angelpats]

We won. That's all that really matters. Each team has plays they wish to have back but no one is perfect and in the end everything sorts itself out. I'm just glad Edelmans Catch equalized the one jones caught. That said our kicker had some issues last year and the year before too likely costing us another trip to the Super Bowl. Just do your job, and he's paid to do a better job.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Personally, I would have been more nervous about a Gostkowski XPA to tie the game than I was about the play that resulted in Amendola's score...if a Championship is on the line, I want it in Brady's hands...or on Vinatieri's foot, back in the day. But, that's just me.

As far as the bigger picture goes, as long as Belichick and Joe Judge think Gostkowski is the Pats best bet as K, that's good enough for me. The fact that he makes me nervous...well, that's something I just have to deal with.

 

[bormio]

Kickoffs are fine, but kickers are paid to make money kicks. If it gets to the point where you send him out for one with no real confidence that he will make it - you get someone else. We are not there, but there were moments last year where Ghost looked a bit uncertain himself. And that FG in the second half of the Super Bowl slid by the R upright. He has made a ton of big kicks, but there is a fine line with kickers and they can lose it quickly.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Gost's FG and XP kicking was absolutely a concern last year.

Yes- he was the league average but for him, he had an off year.

Let's hope he returns to his previous form in 2017

 

[Kontradiction]

I actually wondered if he was harboring some nagging injury issue that wasn't enough to consistently put him on the report last season, but was affecting his game. He certainly didn't have a good season last year by his standards. Whether it's that or it's the "yips" is certainly up for debate. But he did hit needed FGs throughout that game and pinned the opponent deep time and time again. He's not been given some TC competition this year so we'll see how that shakes out.

 

[BlacknGold77]

I've been thinking about this a lot and how he capped his horrible season with a missed XP in the SuperBowl, essentially continuing the same problem he had throughout the year, and how he basically got a pass for it because we won the SuperBowl.

So my question to everyone is, if Amendola fails to convert the second 2-point conversion to tie the game at the end of regulation (Amendola barely got in) and the Patriots lose SuperBowl LI 28-26, would we all be more upset about the missed XP from Gostkowski in the SuperBowl and would there be more furor for having competition at the spot.

How come Stephen Gostkowski basically got a pass for both his season and his SuperBowl performance when he's one of the highest paid kickers in the league? Why doesn't he got more criticism and why isn't he more under pressure for holding on to his job? I feel if we had lost 28-26, fans would be calling for his head.

because he was clearly not 100% for most of the season. they never said what it was but he was certainly going out there hurt. A kicker as good and consistent as Gostkowski doesnt have a drop off like that out of the blue

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Gost's FG and XP kicking was absolutely a concern last year.

Yes- he was the league average but for him, he had an off year.

Let's hope he returns to his previous form in 2017

FWIW, though, the Patriots didn't even see the need to bring in a camp leg.

 

[Jackson 2]

FWIW, though, the Patriots didn't even see the need to bring in a camp leg.

I find that interesting. I sort of expected some at least mild competition. I think that if his missed PAT in the SB turned out to be the margin of victory for the Falcons combined with the memory of his missed PAT being the margin of victory in '16 for Denver in the AFCCG, the conversation might be very different these days.

 

[Huckleberry1]

No one is better at pinning teams on kickoff s than Gostkowski has been, however I think the rule changes caused him to alter his mechanics and that screwed up his accuracy on PAT's and field goals. That said replacing him would be really difficult and probably unwise. I think he will resolve the mechanical issues and continue to be one of the best kickers in the game for some time to come.