Introducing kicker Josh Gable.... might this be Gostowski's competition?

[Fixit]

As long as no one on the kicking team crosses the line of the spot of the kick before the ball is kicked it'd be perfectly legal.

However, on any kickoff the receiving team can call for a fair catch if they do it before the ball hits the ground (this is the main reason why onside kicks are almost always designed to hit the ground immediately and then bounce up) which would put a serious crimp in this scheme.

True, but a dude would also have to be in a position to both call the fair catch and actually catch it, right?

Also, does a FG attempt count as a kickoff?

 

[Tony2046]

I'm sure Joe Judge and BB saw the same clips that Reiss published.
I doubt they'd waste their time if they didn't think he might cut it.
My concern is whether he can make those kicks through a wall of 300 pound trees. They'll need about 30 minutes on the Practice field to get that answer.

Can he do it under pressure and is he accurate enough during kickoffs to pin a team deep in their own territory?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

As long as no one on the kicking team crosses the line of the spot of the kick before the ball is kicked it'd be perfectly legal.

However, on any kickoff the receiving team can call for a fair catch if they do it before the ball hits the ground (this is the main reason why onside kicks are almost always designed to hit the ground immediately and then bounce up) which would put a serious crimp in this scheme.

Second paragraph. Correct
First paragraph. Not so much. : "Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball." (NFL Rules Digest: Kickoff)

PS: if this guy is really that good, too bad the rules don't allow a team to make a FG on a KO.

 

[Fixit]

Second paragraph. Correct
First paragraph. Not so much. : "Kicking team may recover but NOT advance UNLESS receiver had possession and lost the ball." (NFL Rules Digest: Kickoff)

PS: if this guy is really that good, too bad the rules don't allow a team to make a FG on a KO.

d%#*!@t!

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

... is he accurate enough during kickoffs to pin a team deep in their own territory?

one of his videos has him doing kickoffs from the 35 and routinely kicking them not just out of the end zone but through the uprights

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Can he do it under pressure and is he accurate enough during kickoffs to pin a team deep in their own territory?

Maybe they'll mirror the Colts and use Goskowski for KO's and this guy for FG's.


Just kidding, for the humor-deprived.

 

[Tony2046]

one of his videos has him doing kickoffs from the 35 and routinely kicking them not just out of the end zone but through the uprights

I got that but BB likes opposing teams starting behind their 25 which Ghost does well.

 

[Tony2046]

Maybe they'll mirror the Colts and use Goskowski for KO's and this guy for FG's.


Just kidding, for the humor-deprived.

But if he can also punt you might not be far off.

Edit: I wonder what kind of hang time he can create.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

But if he can also punt you might not be far off.

If he could be a good punter it would be intriguing to have him make the team as a punter and then do the occasional dropkick FG attempt out of a punt formation.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

But if he can also punt you might not be far off.

Edit: I wonder what kind of hang time he can create.

one of his videos does show him punting, and one of the punts supposedly had a distance of 81 yards in the air with a 4.73 second hang time! Here:

 

[Tony2046]

If he could be a good punter it would be intriguing to have him make the team as a punter and then do the occasional dropkick FG attempt out of a punt formation.

That would be nuts. It would probably mean a rule change after the season.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Makes sense to give Gostkowski some competition. His level of play over the past couple of years has been pretty decent, but when you factor in how much he's paid, and the fact that $6.5M could be saved over the next 2 years by releasing him, it's worth exploring the possibility.

Just based on the structure of his contract, I figured he's safe this year and would have some likely competition next year, but I like this too. I think Gost will win out, but might as well push him and maybe save some money.

 

[Tony2046]

one of his videos does show him punting, and one of the punts supposedly had a distance of 81 yards in the air with a 4.73 second hang time! Here:

Wow. I can imagine a "fair catch" stat becoming useful. "Patriots are ranked #1 in forcing opposing teams to fair catch"

 

[Uptown]

Only question that matters: Can he do it consistently in inclement weather with immense pressure (NFL, playoffs/ playoff atmosphere)?

 

[PatsFanSince74]

But if he can also punt you might not be far off.

Edit: I wonder what kind of hang time he can create.

I don't want to mess around with Ryan Allen's Juju. Whatever he's doing is working.

I also think that Gostkowski has become a stealth weapon with his ability to place a KO between the five yard line and two or three yards "deep" in the End Zone. I'm sure someone has done the calculations, but I think that's worth 30--50 yards of field position every game now for the Pats. Even if a guy catches the ball two yards inside the End Zone he's going to run it out because, until he actually catches the ball, he doesn't know where his feet are going to be at the time of the catch and by then the Coverage team is closing in.

Like many others, I could be concerned about Gostkowski's inconsistency on FG's and the longer XP, but I'm not going to second guess Judge and Belichick on this. If they're concerned, I'm concerned. If they're not concerned, I'm not concerned.

 

[Tony2046]

I don't want to mess around with Ryan Allen's Juju. Whatever he's doing is working.

I also think that Gostkowski has become a stealth weapon with his ability to place a KO between the five yard line and two or three yards "deep" in the End Zone. I'm sure someone has done the calculations, but I think that's worth 30--50 yards of field position every game now for the Pats. Even if a guy catches the ball two yards inside the End Zone he's going to run it out because, until he actually catches the ball, he doesn't know where his feet are going to be at the time of the catch and by then the Coverage team is closing in.

Like many others, I could be concerned about Gostkowski's inconsistency on FG's and the longer XP, but I'm not going to second guess Judge and Belichick on this. If they're concerned, I'm concerned. If they're not concerned, I'm not concerned.

Allen and Gost have been both assets to the team. Gost missed an extra point in the SB but overall he had a good game if you include his kickoffs etc...

I'm just playing around in a speculative dream world with this guy. Nothing serious. Unless BB thinks it's serious.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

one of his videos does show him punting, and one of the punts supposedly had a distance of 81 yards in the air with a 4.73 second hang time! Here:

Wow...Gable has skill. Hope the kid makes it in the NFL and achieves his dreams.

Just hard to imagine anyone being able to unseat a pro and veteran like Gost.

We shall see....

 

[edkk323]

Can he punt with like Johnny Hekker? So BB can stop drooling over other team's punter.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Can he punt with like Johnny Hekker? So BB can stop drooling over other team's punter.

And yet he extended Allen after just two years, when he didn't have to.

 

[Tony2046]

Wow...Gable has skill. Hope the kid makes it in the NFL and achieves his dreams.

Just hard to imagine anyone being able to unseat a pro and veteran like Gost.

We shall see....

OT: Great avatar.