The Complete Guide to Kickology

Transcription

The Complete Guide
to Kickology
3rd edition
by Mike Herman and Guests
exclusive to Footballguys
Contributing FBG Staff members
• Mike Herman
• Mike Anderson
• Will Grant
• Jeff Pasquino
• Chase Stuart
• Maurice Tremblay
Contributing Freelance Writer
• Andrew Brecher
Featuring interview material from
the following NFL kickers
• Connor Barth
• Mason Crosby
• Jay Feely
• Robbie Gould
• Ryan Longwell
• Joe Nedney
• Jeff Reed
Table of Contents
1. Preface.........................................................................................................................................................3
2. The History of Kicking ..................................................................................................................................4
3. Fantasy Kicker Scoring Systems ...............................................................................................................11
4. How Many Points Do Kickers Score Each Year? ......................................................................................12
5. How Many Points Do Kickers Score Each Week? ....................................................................................14
6. What Happens in 1.3 Seconds? ................................................................................................................15
7. Which Teams Are Scoring Kicking Points? ...............................................................................................17
8. Top Kickers: Where Do They Come From and Where Do They Go? .......................................................19
9. The Greatest Field Goal Kickers Ever .......................................................................................................20
Section by guest FBG staff member Chase Stuart
10. Bonus Scorers .........................................................................................................................................29
11. Consistent Scorers...................................................................................................................................32
12. Squandered Scoring Opportunities..........................................................................................................34
13. Field Goal Opportunities ..........................................................................................................................36
14. Accuracy ..................................................................................................................................................38
15. Why Do They Keep Getting Better? ........................................................................................................40
16. Attempts-Adjusted Accuracy (AAA) .........................................................................................................44
Section by guest freelance writer Andrew Brecher
17. The K-ball.................................................................................................................................................47
18. The Kickoff ...............................................................................................................................................50
19. Do Good Offenses Produce High Scoring Kickers? ................................................................................51
20. Do Poor Red Zone Offenses Produce High Scoring Kickers? ................................................................53
21. Do Good Defenses Produce High Scoring Kickers? ...............................................................................55
22. Do Personnel Changes Impact Kicker Scoring? .....................................................................................57
23. Domes vs. Outdoor Stadiums..................................................................................................................58
24. Weather Report........................................................................................................................................60
25. Kickers vs. Mother Nature .......................................................................................................................66
26. Grass vs. Synthetic Turfs.........................................................................................................................68
27. Profile of a Top Five Kicker......................................................................................................................73
28. Profile of the Year Prior to Being a Top Five Kicker ................................................................................74
29. Drafting a Kicker ......................................................................................................................................77
30. Buying a Kicker in an Auction ..................................................................................................................79
31. Dynasty Leagues .....................................................................................................................................80
Section by guest FBG staff members
Mike Anderson, Will Grant, Maurice Tremblay, and Jeff Pasquino
32. The Stadiums: Vital Statistics ..................................................................................................................82
33. The Stadiums According to Kickers?.......................................................................................................84
34. The Stadiums: Kicking Results ................................................................................................................86
35. K-defensive Factors .................................................................................................................................90
36. The Lesser Known ...................................................................................................................................91
37. Bibliography and Other Kicking Information Resources ..........................................................................92
www.footballguys.com
The Complete Guide to Kickology III
Page 2
1. Preface
kick⋅ol⋅o⋅gy [kik-ol-uh-jee]
- noun
1. The science devoted to the study of striking, driving, forcing, etc., with the foot or feet.
2. Football: The science devoted to the study of scoring (a field goal or a conversion) by place-kicking or dropkicking the ball.
Introduction
“Your toddler's barely learned to walk -but you could swear you just saw her
kicking a rubber ball. It's true: By age two,
she'll have the balance and foot-eye
coordination necessary to do this. But
don't expect her to bend it like Beckham
anytime soon. At first, all she'll be able to
do is hold her foot in front of her body and
swiftly swat at the ball to push it forward.
By age three, she'll figure out how to
swing her leg like a pendulum to send the
ball soaring. It'll take her another couple
of years to have the coordination to run
up to the ball before punting it.”
- Parenting
Small Boy Kicking a Football, 1916
Kicking a ball appears to be a human instinct. It surfaces at an early age in children in cultures all around the world.
It continues throughout childhood and into adulthood, as evidenced by the games we play. Consequently, it is not
surprising that placekicker is the favorite position of most fans of American football.
A Few Notes and Disclaimers

Welcome to the third edition of the Complete Guide to Kickology. Like the first two editions, it contains plenty of
dehumanizing statistical fantasy analyses of NFL kickers. New to the third edition however are several sections
that take a look at kicking and kickers in the real world.

Analysis on season total statistics typically date back to 1990

Analysis on individual game statistics typically date back to 2001

Top 5 kicking numbers are highlighted in yellow, 6th thru 10th are highlighted in lime green

More than one section of this article explores statistical correlations between kicking and other factors. Whether
there is truly a cause and effect relationship for each of these, we cannot be certain. Each reader will have to
decide for themselves whether they feel a correlation is a relationship or just a statistical coincidence.

The Complete Guide to Kickology attempts to be a fairly comprehensive source on pro football kicking,
although that is probably an impossible task. If you have any information to add, requests for additions,
comments, or questions please contact Footballguys’ Department of Kickology by e-mail at
[email protected]

Follow Kickology on Twitter: http://twitter.com/HermanKickology
Page 3
2. The History of Kicking
“If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its
development.” - Aristotle
Timeline of kicking history, milestones, and rule
changes that impacted the NFL kicking game:
2500 B.C. The ancient Egyptians played a game involving kicking
a ball. It is believed that the balls were typically made from
seeds wrapped in linen and that the games were part of
fertility rituals involving a very large number of participants.
2500 B.C. The Chinese game of Tsu Chu (or Cuju) is documented
in military manuals of the Han Dynasty which started in 206
B.C., although many historians believe it may have
originated several centuries early. Tsu translates as "to kick
the ball with feet" and Chu as "a ball made of leather and
stuffed." The game involved two teams trying to kick the ball
through an approximately 12” diameter hole in silk nets
strung between two 30 foot tall bamboo poles. Use of hands
was not allowed.
1600 B.C. Discovered in Mexico, the oldest Mesoamerican ball
court dates back this far. The Mayans adopted the earlier
game of Pitz as Pok-A-Tok, which involves trying to get a
rubber ball through a small vertical stone hoop approximately
23 feet in the air without the use of hands. After a game, the
captain of the winning team was sometimes beheaded. The
ritual sacrifice was a highly desirable and honorable goal,
and possibly served as a shortcut to heaven.
Chinese game of Tsu Chu
1000 B.C. Australian Aborigines have played the game of
Marngrook for a long time, although no one has a clear idea
of just how long. The game involves trying to catch a kicked
ball.
Mayan Pok-A-Tok court
500 B.C. The rules of the ancient Greek game of Episkyros are
unclear, but it apparently allowed the use of hands. Some
suggest it may have been similar to Rugby. Two teams
played on a field and it involved a ball. Another ancient
Greek game, Harpaston, was played on a field with a center
line and end goal line. The object of the game was to pass,
kick, or run the ball past the opposing team's goal.
50 B.C. The Roman game of Harpastum likely evolved from the
similarly named Greek predecessor. The word means "the
small ball game". The object of the game was to pass the
ball, either by hand or by foot, across the opposing team’s
goal line. Another version involved a team trying to keep the
ball on its half of the field as long as possible. Tackling was
allowed. Julius Caesar utilized the game for military training.
th
Harpastum remained popular into the 6 century A.D. It may
have influenced subsequent ball games throughout Medieval
Europe.
300 A.D. The Japanese game of Kemari was a non-competitive
sport using a ball made of deerskin stuffed with sawdust.
Players tried to keep the ball from hitting the ground by
juggling it with their feet and passing it from one to another.
The playing field, Kikutsubo, was marked at the corners by
four different trees: cherry, maple, willow and pine.
Greek games Harpaston & Episkyros
A few theorists believe that all ball
games descended from either the
Egyptian or Chinese game, whichever
came first. It appears likely however that
most of the ancient games developed
independent of each other. This attests
to the essential importance to the human
race of kicking a ball in a game.
Page 4
1100 Of the various medieval ball games that developed in the areas that would eventually become Great Britain,
the especially violent Mob Football was the most popular. It was typically played between neighboring
villages, with each team’s town square essentially serving as the goal. Each team/mob tried to force the ball
into the opponent’s village center.
1314 King Edward II of England issued the first ban of football. Several subsequent kings also tried to ban it. The
game was considered to be unchristian and it distracted people from the traditional sports of fencing and
archery.
1527 The first documented reference to Celtic football (Caid) was found in the Statute of Galway, which allowed the
playing of football and archery but banned hurling and handball. The field version of Caid, as opposed to the
cross country version, involved kicking a ball through a goal formed by two tree boughs. Caid may have
derived from the Welsh game of Knappan, which may have descended from the Viking game of Knattleikr.
1600 Native North Americans played a kicking-game / mock-battle called Pasuckuakohowog, which translates as
"they gather to play ball with the foot." The game often included hundreds of participants, playing on a mile
long field or beach with goals at each end.
Native American game of Pasuckuakohowog
The Rugby School
When the European settlers arrived in America, they found the Native Americans already playing a kicking
game of a grand scale. The hours or days long event would conclude with a great feast. Two centuries later
back in England at the Rugby School, William Webb Ellis played a key role in the development of Rugby,
which in turn would play a role in the development of American Football several decades later.
1823 Legend has it that William Webb Ellis, a student at the Rugby School in England, illegally picked up a ball
during a football/soccer game and ran with it, inadvertently leading to the development of the game which
would be named after the school. They also added goalpost with a cross bar, with scoring coming by kicking
the ball over the crossbar. Around the same time period, the six other major public schools in England were
starting to standardize the rules of their game (soccer).
1846 Dr. Thomas Arnold, the head of Rugby School, made the first truly standardized rugby rules.
1855 Charles Goodyear's vulcanized rubber was used in the first manufactured soccer ball.
1860 Yale banned football in 1860 and Harvard did so the following year. The game at the time resembled the
violent Mob Football from England.
1862 The Oneida Football Club was formed in Boston. The played a combined version of earlier Colonial and
American game formats that included both kicking and carrying. The games were dubbed the "Boston Game".
1863 Eleven London football clubs/schools met at the Freemason's Tavern, forming The Football Association and
began the first official standardization of soccer rules.
Page 5
1867 In the late 1860’s football returned to college campuses. Yale, Princeton, Rutgers, and Brown played a
kicking-based game akin to soccer, while Harvard played the “Boston Game” and Canadian schools played a
running-based game all more akin to rugby.
1869 Princeton played at Rutgers in what is considered to be the first intercollegiate football/soccer game. At this
time, virtually every school still had its own variations and rules. A home team’s rules were typically used for a
game.
1871 The Rugby Football Union in England was formed to
standardize rugby rules and remove some of the violence from
the game.
1875 Harvard and Yale played for the first time. At this time Harvard
was the lone American school using rugby-like rules, however
as other schools played against or watched Harvard, they too
began to shift away from the soccer-like rules.
1876 Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia met to establish
standardized rules. The results were very similar to the Rugby
Football Union rules from England, except for the primary
difference of the kicked goal was replaced with the touchdown.
1883 Points were added to the game of football, with field goals
valued at five points, touchdowns at two points, and conversions
after touchdowns at four points.
Unknown kick attempt
1892 Touchdown value was changed from two points to four and
conversions after touchdowns value changed from four points to
two.
1892 William "Pudge" Heffelfinger became the first “pro” football
player when he was paid $500 to play in a game for the
Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic
Club. By comparison, today’s top kickers are paid several
million dollars a year, and players at other positions earn even
significantly higher amounts.
1897 Touchdown value was changed from four points to five and
conversions after touchdowns value changed from two points to
one.
1902 Teams had to change ends of the field following a touchdown or
field goal.
1904 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was
founded in Paris. It is the international governing body of
association football (soccer), which is the most popular kicking
game in the large majority of countries throughout the world.
1904 Field goal value was changed from five points to four.
1909 Field goal value saw its final reduction when it was changed
from four points to three.
1912 Touchdown value changed from five points to six; the starting
point of all kickoffs was moved back from the 50 to the 40-yard
line.
1920 The American Professional Football Association was formed,
and then changed its name to the National Football League
(NFL) in 1922.
Walter Camp
The “Father of American Football”,
Walter Camp, was instrumental in
many of the early rules and scoring
changes. As the game evolved from its
rugby and soccer origins, kicking was
significantly de-emphasized.
1922 The line-of-scrimmage on conversion attempts after touchdowns was moved to the five yard line.
1929 The line-of-scrimmage on conversion attempts after touchdowns was moved to the two yard line.
1933 The NFL, which had previously used the same rules as college football, began to adopt their own rules.
Subsequent rules noted in this timeline are specific to the NFL.
Page 6
1933 Goal posts were moved from the end lines to the goal lines in
an effort to increase scoring, and inbounds lines or hashmarks
where the ball would be put in play were placed 10 yards from
the sidelines.
1935 Hashmarks were moved nearer the center of the field, 15
yards from the sidelines.
1937 Following an out-of-bounds kickoff, rather than re-kicking, the
opposing team was awarded the ball on the 20-yard line.
1943 Helmets became mandatory for all players.
1944 Chicago Bears scored 258 points, second in the league that
year, yet did not attempt a single field goal.
1945 Hashmarks were moved from 15 yards away from the
sidelines to nearer the center of the field, 20 yards from the
sidelines; three inch dirt tee was permitted on kickoffs.
Yankee Stadium with
goal posts on goal line
1948 Pat Harder made nine PATs (3-way tie for most in one game)
for Chicago Cardinals against NY Giants.
1948 A flexible artificial tee was permitted on kickoffs.
1950 Bob Waterfield made nine PATs (3-way tie for most in one
game) for Los Angeles against Baltimore.
1956 Use of an artificial medium to assist in the execution of a kick
is no longer allowed (a.k.a. the Lou Groza Rule).
Qwest Field with slingshot goal
posts (uprights above the end line
and base post behind the end line)
The location and/or configuration of
goal posts were changed in 1933,
1966, 1967, and 1974. The changes
were made to either increase or
decrease field goal scoring, and also
for safety reasons when the posts
were moved out of the field of play.
1958 The CFL (Canadian Football League) was
founded. Its roots go back to the rugby version of
football played in Canada in the 1860s. Some
kicking rules differences from the NFL include:
scoring of one point for a Single or Rouge (if the
player receiving a live kick fails to return it out of
the end zone, or (except on a kickoff) if the ball
was kicked through the end zone); following a field
goal, opposing teams can opt to receive a kickoff
or take the ball at their own 35-yard line; a free kick
is allowed from anywhere on the field (not just
behind the line of scrimmage); goal posts are on
the goal line.
1960-1969 AFL included the option of the two-point
conversion after touchdowns.
The first soccer style kicker
Gogolak’s “funny” kicking style would eventually
become the NFL norm. The old straight-ahead style
of kicking would disappear completely by 1987.
1964 Buffalo signs Pete Gogolak, the first soccer style
kicker.
1966 Goal posts offset from the goal line, painted bright
yellow, and with uprights 20 feet above the
crossbar were made standard in the NFL.
Page 7
1966 Charlie Gogolak made nine PATs (3-way tie for most in one
game) for Washington against NY Giants.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
1966 Bruce Gossett attempted 49 FGs (2-way tie for most in a
season) for Los Angeles.
1967 "sling-shot" goal posts (with one curved support from the
ground) were made standard in the NFL.
1967 Jim Bakken attempted nine FGs (most in one game) and
made seven (5-way tie for second most) for St. Louis against
Pittsburgh.
1968 First NFL game ever played on artificial turf, Kansas City at
Houston (on the Astrodome’s Astroturf).
1970 Tom Dempsey made a 63 yard FG (2-way tie for longest) for
New Orleans against Detroit.
1971 Curt Knight attempted 49 FGs (2-way tie for most in a season)
for Washington.
1972 Hashmarks were moved nearer the center of the field, 23
yards, 1 foot, 9 inches from the sidelines… the hashmarks
were now 18 feet, 6 inches apart (the same width as the
goalposts), cutting down on severe angles for short field goal
attempts.
1974 The goal posts were moved from the goal line to the end lines
and the uprights would be extended to 30 feet above the
crossbar in an effort to decrease the number of field goals;
kickoffs were moved from the 40 back to the 35-yard line; and
after missed field goals from beyond the 20, the ball was to be
returned to the line of scrimmage.
Lou “The Toe” Groza, class of ‘74
Became the first kicking specialist,
after a back injury ended his dual role
as an offensive lineman.
1974 OL/K Lou Groza elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1976 Gus the Miracle Mule (California Atoms) proves to arguably
be the greatest kicker ever.
1979 Prohibited players on the receiving team from blocking below
the waist during kickoffs, punts, and field-goal attempts.
1979 Tony Franklin (Philadelphia) was the first kicker to kick
barefoot.
1981 QB/K George Blanda elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame.
George “The Fossil” Blanda,
class of ‘81
He was the ultimate scoring threat,
a starting QB and a starting kicker.
1983 Mark Mosely attempted 204 kicking points (probably the most
in a season). His 161 points at the time was a record,
although it is now third.
1983 Ali Haji-Sheikh made 35 FGs (most by a rookie in a season)
for NY Giants.
1984 Uwe von Schamann attempted 70 PATs and was successful
on 66 (second most in a season) for Miami.
1985 Kevin Butler scored 144 points (most in a season by a rookie)
for Chicago.
1986 Mark Moseley, the last full-time straight-ahead place kicker,
retired.
1987 Punter Steve Cox kicked the last straight-ahead field goal.
1989 Rich Karlis made seven FGs (5-way tie for second most in
one game) for Minnesota against LA Rams (OT).
1991 Jan Stenerud elected to Hall of Fame (only player that was
solely a kicker).
Jan Stenerud, class of ‘91
One of the early soccer style kickers;
his accuracy placed him well ahead of
his contemporaries.
Page 8
1993-2002 Jason Elam was successful on 371 straight PAT attempts
(2-way tie for second most consecutive) for Denver.
1994 Added the option of the two-point conversion after touchdowns;
the starting point of all kickoffs was moved back from the 35 to the
30-yard line; kickoff tees used can be no more than one inch in
height (previously 3 inches); all field goals attempted and missed
when the spot of the kick is beyond the 20 yard line, the defensive
team taking possession will get the ball at the spot of the kick; on
any field goal attempted and missed with the spot of the kick is on
or inside the 20, the ball will go to the defensive team taking
possession at the 20; and the 11 players on the receiving team
are prohibited from blocking below the waste during a play in
which there is a kickoff, safety kick, punt, field goal attempt or
extra point kick with one exception, immediately at the snap on
these plays those defenders on the line of scrimmage lined up on
or inside the normal tight end position can block low.
The Most, part 1
Matt Stover has not missed an extra
point in over 12 years (389 straight
PATs and counting).
1995 Morten Andersen made eight 50+ yard FGs (2-way tie for most in
a season) for Atlanta. Three were against New Orleans (3-way tie
for most in one game).
1996 Chris Boniol made seven FGs (5-way tie for second most in one
game) for Dallas against Green Bay.
1996-2008 Matt Stover was successful on 389 straight PAT attempts
(most consecutive) for Baltimore… the streak was still alive
heading into 2009.
1998 Gary Anderson was perfect on all 35 FGs. He scored 164 points
(most in a season).
1998 Jason Elam made a 63 yard FG (2-way tie for longest) for Denver
against Jacksonville.
1999 K-ball implemented for all kicking plays in a game… see separate
section regarding the K-ball.
1999-2001 Matt Stover made at least one FG in 38 straight games
(most consecutive games) for Baltimore.
1999-2007 Jeff Wilkins was successful on 371 straight PAT attempts
(2-way tie for second most consecutive) for St. Louis.
Gary Anderson spent the majority of
his career in Pittsburgh. During his
perfect 1998 season with Minnesota,
he scored 164 points, the most ever
in the NFL in one year.
2000 Sebastian Janikowski becomes the fourth (fifth if you count the
1984 supplemental USFL draft) and most recent kicker to be
drafted in the first round.
2000 First game ever played on FieldTurf, St. Louis at Seattle (at the
University of Washington’s Husky Stadium).
2002 The chop-block technique is illegal on kicking plays; and after a
kickoff, the game clock will start when the ball is touched legally in
the field of play (previously, the clock started immediately when
the ball was kicked).
2002 Jeff Wilkins (St. Louis) was the last kicker to kick barefoot,
resurrecting the 80’s fad for the first part of the 2002 season.
2002-2004 Mike Vanderjagt was successful on 42 straight FG attempts
(most consecutive) for Indianapolis.
2003 If an onside kick inside the final five minutes of the game does not
go 10 yards, goes out of bounds, or is touched illegally, the
receiving team will have the option of accepting the penalty and
getting the ball immediately (previously, the kicking team was
penalized, but had another chance to kick again from five yards
back).
In 1970 on the final play of a game,
Tom Dempsey’s 63 yard FG gave
New Orleans a come from behind
victory over Detroit, and set the NFL
record for longest field goal.
In 1998, Denver’s Jason Elam tied
the record with a 63 yard FG at the
end of halftime against Jacksonville.
Page 9
2003 Jeff Wilkins scored 163 points (second most in a season) for St. Louis.
2003 Mike Vanderjagt was perfect on all 37 FGs. He scored 157 points (third most in a season) for Indianapolis.
2003 Billy Cundiff made seven FGs (5-way tie for second most in one game) for Dallas vs. NY Giants (OT).
2004 A punt or missed field goal that is untouched by the receiving team is immediately dead once it touches either
the end zone or any member of the kicking team in the end zone (previously, a punt or missed field goal that
lands in the end zone before being controlled by the kicking team could be picked up by a member of the
receiving team and immediately run the other way).
2004 Neil Rackers made three 50+ yard FGs (3-way tie for most in
one game) for Arizona against Seattle.
The Most, part 2
2005 Unnecessary roughness will be called for blocks away from the
play on punters or kickers; during field goal and extra point
attempts, the defensive team will be penalized for
unsportsmanlike conduct if it calls consecutive timeouts in an
attempt to "ice" the kicker (previously, the second timeout
request was only denied by officials, and thus could be used to
distract the kickers); if the kicking team commits a penalty, the
receiving team can have the option of adding five yards to the
return or taking a penalty and forcing the kicking team to re-kick
the ball.
2005 The NFL granted a special exception to New Orleans for the
year, allowing them to use offset goalposts (two base legs) in
addition to the league standard slingshot goalposts (single base
leg)… this was necessitated when they had to play some of
their home games at LSU following Hurricane Katrina.
2005 Neil Rackers made 40 FGs (most in a season) for Arizona.
2004 Kris Brown made three 50+ yard FGs (3-way tie for most in one
game) for Houston against Miami.
2006 Defensive players cannot line up directly over the long snapper
during field goal and extra point attempts.
2006 Matt Bryant made a 62 yard FG (2-way tie for second longest)
for Tampa Bay against Philadelphia.
Rob Bironas celebrates with his
holder Craig Hentrich after making
his eighth field goal in the same
game, an NFL record.
2006 Rob Bironas made a 62 yard FG (2-way tie for second longest)
for Tennessee against Indianapolis.
2007 Modified the K-ball usage in a game… see separate section
regarding the K-ball.
2007 Shayne Graham made seven FGs (5-way tie for second most in
one game) for Cincinnati against Baltimore.
2007 Rob Bironas made eight FGs (most in one game) for Tennessee
against Houston.
2007 Stephen Gostkowski attempted and was successful on all 74
PATs (most in a season) for New England.
2007 Morten Andersen finishes his NFL career with 2544 points (most
ever).
2008 Field goal attempts that bounce off the goal post are now
reviewable under instant replay (courtesy of the previous
season’s game tying FG by Phil Dawson for Cleveland against
Baltimore).
2008 Sebastian Janikowski was short and wide right on a 76 yard FG
attempt (longest attempt in documented history) for Oakland.
2008 Jason Hanson made eight 50+ yard FGs (2-way tie for most in a
season) for Detroit.
Morten Andersen finished his
long, storied, and productive career
with Atlanta, his sixth team. He set
numerous NFL records, including
the most career points (2544).
Page 10
3. Fantasy Kicker Scoring Systems
“If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?” – Vince Lombardi
With each passing year, the number of unique fantasy scoring systems increases. Most fall into the following basic
categories for kicker scoring.
STANDARD
Straight-up scoring is the same as in the real world. All field goals (FG) are worth three points. All points-aftertouchdown (PAT), a.k.a. extra points, are worth one point. This is the most common scoring system. The stats and
analysis in this guide are based on standard scoring, except where noted otherwise.
BONUS
Additional points are scored for longer FGs. Shorter FGs typically remain the same as standard, medium range
FGs are worth a little more, and long FGs are worth even more. The numbers can be adjusted for a wide variety of
variations.
Example: FGs under 40 yards are worth three points, FGs from 40 to 49 yards are worth four points, and FGs of 50
or more yards are worth five points.
PENALTY
Points are deducted for missed kicks. Missed longer FGs typically are not penalized, medium range FG misses are
a small deduction, and missed short FGs are worth a moderate deduction. The numbers can be adjusted for a wide
variety of variations. The penalty approach can be used in conjunction with any other scoring system; however it is
most commonly used in conjunction with bonus scoring.
Example: Missed FGs under 30 yards are a two point deduction, missed FGs from 30 to 39 yards are a one point
deduction, missed FGs of 40 or more yards are not penalized, and missed PATs are a one point deduction.
DECIMAL
Decimal scoring has become fairly common for many fantasy positions, although less so for kickers.
Example: FGs are scored by multiplying the FG distance by 0.1
KICKER IMPORTANCE
The value of the kicker position is increased (or decreased) relative to other positions, by increasing (or decreasing)
the points awarded for PATs and/or FGs.
Page 11
4. How Many Points Do Kickers Score
Each Year?
“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed.” - Confucius
ANNUAL TEAM KICKER SCORING (each year sorted from high to low)
avg. total
avg.
ppg
‘08
‘07
‘06
‘05
‘04
‘03
‘02
‘01
‘00
‘99
‘98
‘97
‘96
‘95
1
149
141
143
149
141
163
138
127
135
145
164
134
145
141 141.8
8.9
2
148
137
136
148
129
157
133
125
131
144
140
134
135
132 135.5
8.5
3
144
133
131
131
124
139
130
124
131
134
136
126
131
132 129.0 130.8 8.1 8.2
4
131
131
125
125
124
137
128
124
126
130
128
125
130
128 125.6
7.9
5
130
130
121
121
122
125
128
122
122
124
127
120
120
127 122.3
7.6
6
129
127
119
121
122
125
128
121
121
121
127
120
120
126 121.1
7.6
7
127
126
117
117
120
120
123
115
121
118
125
117
118
122 118.4
7.4
8
127
122
116
117
117
116
122
115
118
116
120
117
118
121 116.7 117.1 7.3 7.3
9
127
120
116
115
117
114
120
114
118
116
120
117
117
118 115.7
7.2
10
127
118
115
113
114
114
117
113
117
115
115
115
115
114 113.7
7.1
11
125
118
115
113
109
112
117
113
111
115
114
113
114
114 112.2
7.0
12
124
118
115
112
109
106
115
112
109
113
108
113
111
114 110.1
6.9
13
124
116
111
110
106
106
114
108
109
108
105
110
110
113 108.2 108.5 6.8 6.8
14
121
115
109
108
105
105
111
104
107
108
104
107
109
111 106.4
6.7
15
119
114
109
107
104
105
110
104
106
108
103
106
108
109 105.4
6.6
16
119
113
107
107
100
102
108
102
106
107
101
104
106
109 104.2
6.5
17
119
110
107
106
100
102
107
101
105
106
99
104
105
108 103.2
6.4
18
117
110
106
102
99
101
107
100
102
106
98
103
98
106 101.2 101.2 6.3 6.3
19
114
109
103
101
99
100
103
98
101
106
97
99
97
105
99.6
6.2
20
113
109
102
100
99
99
100
96
101
105
95
93
96
103
98.0
6.1
21
112
108
102
99
96
99
100
95
98
103
92
93
95
102
96.2
6.0
22
108
107
101
99
94
94
96
95
96
103
92
91
94
98
94.3
5.9
23
103
103
100
98
94
92
95
94
91
98
91
91
93
96
92.0 92.4 5.8 5.8
24
103
99
100
98
93
92
94
93
88
93
90
90
93
95
90.8
5.7
25
103
99
100
97
91
90
90
91
85
92
87
87
91
88
88.7
5.5
26
102
97
98
95
89
89
89
90
84
90
85
85
89
87
86.9
5.4
27
102
97
97
93
85
83
81
86
81
83
82
83
85
87
82.6
5.2
28
97
96
90
92
83
81
75
84
66
81
78
77
81
82
77.9 78.3 4.9 4.9
29
90
89
88
90
82
81
74
77
66
79
75
72
77
81
80.1
5.0
30
88
87
83
90
77
81
74
74
59
78
57
71
72
75
76.1
4.8
31
84
78
73
90
77
75
71
71
57
47
72.3
4.5
32
79
73
70
84
67
73
61
72.4
4.5
Avg. 115.8 107.0 107.8 102.8 105.6 105.0 102.8 102.2 106.2 105.2 103.9 105.8 108.1 100.4
Page 12
General Observations
The bold numbers in the end columns are the averages for the various tiers. At best, there's a difference of a
couple points per game between a high scoring kicker and a mediocre kicker. Most weeks it probably doesn't
impact the outcome. However, once or twice a year it could be the difference in your fantasy game. That game
could be the difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs. That game could be in the
playoffs. Kickers may not matter as much as the other more glamorous positions in the majority of leagues,
however they do matter just enough to not completely ignore them.
Specific Observations
•
The difference in average points-per-game between each of the middle four tiers is an identical 0.5 points. The
difference is bigger at the top and bottoms however, as the uppermost and lowermost tiers are each 0.9 ppg
different than the adjoining tier. That enforces the rather obvious statement: you ideally want a top five kicker on
your fantasy team, and you definitely don’t want a bottom five kicker on your team.
•
The annual top point total has now exceeded 140 points for six consecutive years.
•
In 2008, overall kicker scoring (and accuracy) took a jump to an unprecedented high. All but five teams scored at
least 100 points. The median score was 119, which in years past would have been a top ten score. The 2009
season will be under close scrutiny, to determine if increased kicker scoring is a continuing trend or if 2008 was
simply an aberration.
No. 4’s in the 100 Club (diminishing returns and sustained success)
Jason Hanson
In 2004, two teams each scored
100 kicking points: Detroit (Jason
Hanson) and Cleveland (Phil
th
Dawson). They tied for 16 in
kicker scoring.
John Kasay
In 2006, three teams each scored
100 kicking points: Miami (Olindo
Mare), Carolina (John Kasay), and
Atlanta (Morten Andersen and
Michael Koenen). They tied for 23rd
In kicker scoring.
Adam Vinatieri
In 2008, no teams scored
exactly 100 kicking points. If
they had, they would have
ranked 28th in kicker scoring.
On an individual level, two
kickers continued their mark
of scoring at least 100 points
in every year of their career:
Adam Vinatieri (13 years)
and Jason Elam (16 years).
Page 13
5. How Many Points Do Kickers Score
Each Week?
"You've got to dig from week to week, to get results or roses.” - Edgar Albert Guest
2008 WEEKLY KICKER SCORING (each week sorted from high to low)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
14
11
11
10
10
10
9
8
8
8
7
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
2
2
1
15
15
13
13
12
12
12
11
11
11
11
11
10
9
8
8
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
5
4
4
4
4
1
0
14
13
12
11
11
11
10
10
10
9
9
8
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
3
2
15
14
13
12
12
12
12
11
11
10
9
9
9
8
8
8
8
7
6
6
6
6
5
3
3
2
14
12
12
11
11
10
10
10
10
9
9
9
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
1
0
16
16
14
13
12
11
10
9
9
9
8
8
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
12
12
11
11
11
10
10
10
10
9
9
8
8
7
7
7
5
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
13
13
12
11
11
11
11
10
10
10
9
9
9
9
7
7
7
6
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
2
2
14
14
14
13
13
10
10
10
9
9
9
9
7
6
6
5
5
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
1
1
0
17
12
12
11
10
10
9
8
8
8
8
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
5
4
3
3
3
2
2
1
17
15
14
13
13
12
11
10
10
10
9
9
9
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
3
2
2
2
18
15
13
12
12
11
11
10
10
10
10
9
9
9
9
8
8
8
8
8
7
7
7
6
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
1
17
15
12
12
12
11
11
11
10
10
10
10
10
9
8
8
8
7
6
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
11
11
10
10
10
10
10
10
9
8
8
8
8
7
6
6
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
12
12
12
11
10
9
9
9
9
8
8
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
5
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
2
2
2
17
15
12
11
11
10
10
9
8
8
8
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
5
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
0
15
14
13
11
10
10
10
9
9
9
8
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
6
6
6
6
6
3
3
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
average
14.8
13.5
12.4
11.5
11.2
10.6
10.3
9.7
9.5
9.1
8.8
8.4
8.1
7.5
7.1
6.9
6.5
6.2
6.0
5.6
5.2
5.0
4.6
3.9
3.7
3.2
2.7
2.3
2.4
1.8
1.9
1.1
12.7
9.8
8.0
6.2
4.5
2.2
Once again, the bold numbers in the end column are the averages for the various tiers. The differences in kicker
scoring over the course of an entire year are modest, as seen in the preceding section. When we look at the range
of kicker scoring in any given week in the NFL however, the variation becomes more substantial. In fantasy leagues
where rules provide the ability to work the waiver wire on a weekly basis or in contests where you can select a
different kicker each week, there is a potential for greater reward from the kicker position. For those willing to take
that leap, looking for high scoring kickers each week is discussed later in this guide in the Weekly Management
section.
Page 14
6. All in 1.3 Seconds
“People come out to see you perform and you've got to give them the best you have within you. The lives of most
men are patchwork quilts. Or at best one matching outfit with a closet and laundry bag full of incongruous
accumulations. A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.” – Jesse Owens
We asked some NFL kickers to describe the fundamentals of a
typical field goal. Here are their answers:
Ryan Longwell
“I would say the two most important things [regarding the hold] are
hitting the spot every time and getting the lean correctly. I like the
ball to lean forwards and towards the holder. It lets you see a lot of
the ball and gets a very, very true straight ball flight. The biggest
thing with kicking a field goal is obviously you have a snapper and
a holder, and we all to have to be on the same rhythm and the
same cadence to be efficient. The bottom line is between the three
of us and the protection unit, you only have 1.3 seconds to snap,
to hold, to place it, and to put the ball through the uprights. It’s a
pretty quick thing.”
Robbie Gould
“I find a spot, usually on the corner of the hash (mark), and that
gives the holder a point where he can put the ball. From there I
take two steps back and two steps to the left, find my target behind
the upright, wait for the snap and the hold, and then I attempt the
kick.”
Mason Crosby
Ryan Longwell
“My steps are three back. I am at about two and a half yards from
the ball, and I take two steps to the left. As I’m set the holder will
have the spot and call “ready-set” and raise his right hand. I begin
my approach as the holder’s left hand goes to catch the ball. It all
takes between 1.2 to 1.4 seconds, making it a very fast process.”
“You only have 1.3 seconds to snap,
to hold, to place it, and to put the ball
through the uprights.”
Kris Brown sets
up for a PAT
attempt, several
steps back and
several steps over
from the holder.
Page 15
Connor Barth
“When we get onto the field, our snapper is the
guy who spots the ball. My holder’s job is to go
and find the spot for me, so he counts off eight
yards, because in the NFL from the snap to the
hold is eight yards. When you see where the
ball is snapped from that is not the actual yard
line. The field goal is actually [measured] from
where the ball is held. After my holder spots off
the eight yards for me, I go up to the spot
where he is, then I take my steps. I take three
steps back and two steps over. That’s kind of
the normal routine that most kickers do in the
NFL. Some other guys are a little bit different.
Everyone has their own kind of fundamentals
that they like to do. What the special teams
coaches are looking for is about 1.3 seconds
from snap to kick. So from when my center
snaps it and the holder gets it down and then I
kick it, it should be about 1.3 seconds. The line
is only supposed to block for so long, and
that’s about the average time you want to get
the ball off in the NFL game. We practice it so
much during the week, that when we go out
there it’s just like clockwork. For me, all I really
worry about is the kick. The holder will check
the clock and make sure there’s time on the
clock. Our snapper will yell out where he is on
the field so my holder knows where to set up
the eight yards. It’s a good process. When I get
back there I just try to let it fire.”
Olindo Mare kicks a field goal:
Jeff Reed
“My job is in the hands of those guys (snapper
and holder); not only those guys but the guys
protecting for me because if they don’t do their
jobs, no matter what my time is, unless it is
ridiculously fast - mine is not the fastest in the
NFL, then I don’t even get to get the kick off.
Basically, I put my trust in my snapper and my
holder and try to have a good unity with those
guys. I totally trust the guys protecting me
because they do that for a living.”
Joe Nedney
“The holder and kicker set up 8 yards from the
line of scrimmage. The kicker gives the holder
a spot where he'd like the ball to be placed.
The kicker takes his steps back and over, nods
to the holder when he's ready, and the holder
signals for the snap. The snapper snaps, the
holder holds, and the kicker kicks, hopefully
successfully, all in under 1.3 seconds.”
Page 16
7. Which Teams Are Scoring Kicking
Points?
“Grades are almost completely relative, in effect ranking students relative to others in their class. Thus extra
achievement by one student not only raises his position, but in effect lowers the position of others.”
- James S. Coleman
ANNUAL TEAM KICKER SCORING RANKINGS
‘08
‘07
‘06
‘05
‘04
‘03
‘02
‘01
‘00
‘99
‘98
‘97
‘96
‘95
‘94
‘93
‘92
‘91
‘90
Ari
15
17
8
1
22
32
29
21
28
27
13
26
18
15
22
18
26
23
25
Atl
6
23
23
15
22
26
1
7
21
29
8
16
19
4
17
10
13
12
10
Bal
11
22
5
10
8
4
22
7
1
8
25
13
25
13
7
22
15
24
28
Buf
12
28
20
10
8
31
12
29
12
13
2
20
17
6
7
15
5
9
6
Car
5
24
23
5
18
5
29
25
5
6
21
22
1
19
Chi
15
7
1
28
32
14
23
13
26
30
24
27
21
10
22
17
16
19
3
Cin
31
5
10
3
5
12
28
30
31
28
28
28
13
8
9
21
18
16
19
Cle
22
9
29
20
16
23
20
21
30
31
Dal
26
4
14
26
25
20
32
26
18
23
5
3
5
5
6
2
4
4
26
Den
19
15
10
9
2
5
9
3
2
8
5
1
14
2
3
7
18
7
7
Det
30
8
7
32
16
23
20
27
19
17
11
7
30
2
18
2
13
17
15
GB
7
1
14
29
7
7
4
15
2
12
4
5
11
17
14
4
12
21
15
Hou
12
14
30
18
27
28
31
Ind
23
10
4
5
3
2
19
2
6
1
14
7
2
20
25
20
24
28
24
Jac
29
19
6
15
24
25
25
28
17
4
12
1
9
26
KC
32
31
16
4
11
12
7
14
23
13
10
11
27
18
11
13
8
9
1
Mia
23
29
23
14
28
20
13
20
10
2
17
7
26
9
10
11
1
2
14
Min
7
24
28
17
18
16
15
31
11
21
1
24
20
7
2
15
11
21
4
NE
2
2
19
19
1
11
10
11
15
16
7
10
5
23
4
23
28
25
27
NO
15
30
10
25
15
16
3
11
15
25
23
22
28
26
5
8
2
6
19
NYG
1
19
16
2
18
27
16
19
25
21
20
20
22
25
18
13
17
14
12
NYJ
20
17
18
29
14
14
17
15
19
13
8
5
29
30
24
23
22
3
12
Oak
28
26
32
29
13
22
4
6
8
7
27
29
15
21
15
1
23
5
23
Phi
3
21
20
23
5
9
2
7
6
26
30
19
10
22
16
25
18
8
9
Pit
18
16
22
7
3
19
8
3
14
20
16
15
16
1
13
9
6
15
19
SD
7
10
2
12
10
28
26
5
27
10
19
16
7
24
1
6
6
20
15
Sea
26
6
13
13
11
9
17
24
22
3
18
18
12
15
25
19
27
13
11
SF
14
32
8
21
30
8
10
17
24
24
15
4
4
14
11
12
9
18
5
Stl
21
26
3
7
26
1
24
1
12
5
26
14
23
29
27
28
21
26
22
TB
4
10
31
23
30
28
4
10
4
17
21
30
23
28
21
26
25
27
18
Ten
7
3
26
21
21
3
14
23
8
17
3
11
3
10
28
5
10
9
7
Was
23
13
27
27
29
18
27
18
28
10
29
25
7
10
20
27
2
1
2
Page 17
Notes and Observations:

There is a significant amount of turnover at the top spots on a yearly basis, or conversely, sustaining kicker
scoring success is very difficult.

Never say never. Through 2004, only two non-expansion teams had never placed in the top ten during this
period… Arizona and the NY Giants. Then in 2005 they were the top two teams. Through 2005 Chicago had
ten consecutive mediocre to poor seasons. Then in 2006 they were the top team.

Never say always. Through 2007, Indianapolis had five consecutive top ten rankings. In 2008, they dropped to
23rd. Through 2007, Cincinnati had our consecutive top ten rankings. In 2008, they dropped to 31st.

Four expansion teams entered the league during this period. Carolina and Jacksonville both placed in the top
ten in just their second year. Cleveland finally made the top ten after nine years. Houston has not placed in the
top ten after seven years, although they came close in 2008.
The Streaks (what is, what was, and what hasn’t)
Nate Kaeding
The San Diego Chargers ranked
in the top ten in kicker scoring from
2006 to 2008, the longest active
streak in the league heading in to
the 2009 season.
Matt Prater
Over the past two decades, the
Denver Broncos have ranked in the
top ten in kicker scoring more than
any other team. In 2008 they ranked
eighth in attempted kicking points,
however Prater could not capitalize,
th
and they team placed only 19 in
actual kicker scoring.
Jay Feely
Twice in his career, Feely has
been the top scoring annual
kicker: in 2002 with Atlanta
and in 2005 with the NY Giants.
He enters 2009 in his second
year with the NY Jets, who have
the current longest streak of
ranking outside the top ten in
kicker scoring. The last time they
finished in the top ten was 1998.
Page 18
8. Top Kickers: Where Do They Come From
and Where Do They Go?
“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” - Lewis Carroll
“If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?” - Joe Namath
Where Top Five and Top Ten Kicking Teams Ranked in the Year Prior and the Year After:
26-32, 11.5%
26-32, 7.2%
21-25, 10.3%
1-5, 19.8%
1-5, 19.6%
21-25, 16.7%
16-20, 14.4%
6-10, 23.7%
16-20, 13.5%
11-15, 24.7%
6-10, 26.0%
11-15, 12.5%
Top Five Kickers - The Year Before
Top Five Kickers - The Year After
26-32, 10.8%
26-32, 14.0%
21-25, 7.5%
1-5, 24.7%
1-5, 28.0%
21-25, 12.9%
16-20, 15.1%
16-20, 11.8%
6-10, 25.8%
6-10, 25.8%
11-15, 16.1%
11-15, 7.5%
Top Ten Kickers - The Year Before
Top Ten Kickers - The Year After
Observations regarding the preceding charts:
•
A top five kicker is more likely to remain in the top ten; however they could wind up just about anywhere the
following year.
•
Over half of the sixth thru tenth ranked kickers remain in the top ten the following year.
•
Two-thirds of top five kickers come from the top fifteen the prior year.
Page 19
9. The Greatest Field Goal Kickers Ever
“Possibly more importantly, the blog has kept Chase off the street.” - Doug Drinen
Section by guest FBG staff member Chase Stuart
Note: the following section first appeared as a three part blog post on Pro-Football-Reference.com
Part I
Part II
Part III
The Greatest Field Goal Kickers Ever, Part I, by Chase Stuart
Last summer, I wrote a five part series on the Greatest QBs of All Time; since then I’ve studied the Greatest WRs
Ever and the Most Dominant RBs in history. I’ve taken quick looks at Great coaching records, and really talented
Defensive Line units, Linebacker Corps, and front sevens. While my examination of real football players is not
finished, for the next three days bear with me as I take a less popular, less interesting, and less noteworthy look at
the kicker position. I don’t hate kickers as much as Doug Drinen, but I don’t anticipate this being the most exciting
thing you’ll ever read. That said, if we’re going to rank all the kickers, we’re going to do it correctly.
There have been many rules changes throughout the history of the NFL. Let’s examine some of the more notable
changes that have impacted the kicking game. [A complete list can be found in section 2. The History of Kicking]
•
1904: Field goal value was changed from five points to four
•
1909: Field goal value was changed from four points to three
•
1945: Hashmarks were moved nearer to the center of the field, from 15 yards to 20 yards away from the
sidelines.
•
1966: Goal posts offset from the goal line, painted bright yellow, and with uprights 20 feet above the crossbar were made standard in the NFL.
•
1967: “sling-shot” goal posts (with one curved support from the ground) were made standard in the NFL
•
1972: Hashmarks were moved nearer to the center of the field, 23 yards, 1 foot, 9 inches from the
sidelines; the hashmarks were now 18 feet, 6 inches apart (the same width as the goalposts), cutting down
on severe angles for short field goal attempts
•
1974: The goal posts were moved from the goal line to the end lines and the uprights were extended to 30
feet above the crossbar; for missed field goals from beyond the 20, the ball was now returned to the line of
scrimmage
•
1994: On all missed field goals when the spot of the kick was beyond the 20 yard line, the defensive team
taking possession received possession at the spot of the kick; on any field goal attempted and missed
when the spot of the kick was on or inside the 20, the defensive team took possession at the 20. The twopoint conversion option was introduced this year as well.
•
1999: K-ball implemented for all kicking plays in a game
Before going on, I should note that this post is really Part I-B, because Doug wrote Part I-A almost exactly one year
ago. That’s strongly recommended reading before reading the rest of this post.
Here at PFR, we’ve got complete data on all kickers since the merger, incomplete data on kickers from 1960-1970,
and data on kickers from pre-1960 but without distance breakdowns. Keep that in mind whenever I use phrases like
“greatest X of all time” or “worst Y ever.” Roughly complete data is what we’re dealing with here, but there always
exists the possibility that something crazy happened in 1955. In particular, Lou Groza may be the best kicker of all
time, but until we get some distance breakdowns on his field goal attempts, I’m unfortunately going to have to
ignore him.
So how do we grade kickers? Obviously we’re going to need to adjust for era and for field goal length when rating
the kickers, but we’ll also need to note some of those rule changes that impact the value of a field goal. From 19601973, a 30 yard field goal was attempted when the line of scrimmage was the 23-yard line. When Steve Myhra
kicked the 20-yard-FG that sent the ‘58 championship game into overtime, the LOS was the 13-yard line.
Page 20
Since1974, the line of scrimmage has always been 17-18 yards shorter than the length of the field goal, as
opposed to seven or eight yards. Why does this matter?
Because to measure the value of a successful field goal, we need to measure the value of an unsuccessful one; to
do that, we need to know where the ball will be placed following a missed field goal. It’s also important to keep in
mind the rule change about missed field goals from beyond the 20-yard-line. The table below should help; it shows
where the ball would be spotted following some sample missed field goals across three eras:
Year
1960-1973
1974-1993
1994-current
25-yard FG
20
20
20
33-yard FG
26
20
23
50-yard FG
43
33
40
While the differences aren’t significant, they’re worth noting if we want to be accurate. What this means is we’re
going to need three separate formulas for ranking field goal kickers, depending on whether the season was
between ‘60 and ‘73 (”early”), ‘74 and ‘93 (”middle”) or since 1994 (”late”).
The average starting field position following a kickoff is around the 27-yard-line. The NFL moved the kickoff back
from the 35 to the 30 starting in 1994, so I’m going to simply declare the average kickoff return will take you to the
22-yard-line from 1960-1993 and to the 27-yard-line for any kickoffs since 1994. What’s this all mean?
A 33-yard-FG has always been worth three points, but the value of the alternative field position has changed. In the
Early period, a missed 33-yard FG cost you three points and four yards of field position. In the Middle Period, it cost
you three points but you picked up two yards of field position. Now, a missed 33-yarder costs you three points but
you gain four yards in field position. Fascinating stuff, indeed.
We’ve got data on field goal tries in ten yard increments (that might be changing, soon). As a result, I’m going to
have to approximate how long each field goal attempt actually was. All missed field goals from 10-19 yards have
always brought you back to the 20-yard-line. Attempts from 20-29 yards, 30-39 yards, 40-49 yards, and over 50
yards will be considered 26, 36, 46 and 54 yard attempts. Here’s where missed field goals from each era would
take you:
Year
1960-1973
1974-1993
1994-current
10-19
20
20
20
26
20
20
20
36
29
20
26
46
39
29
36
54
47
37
44
Those numbers can then be compared to where the opposition
would take over following a successful field goal (the 22 in the Early
and Middle years, the 27 in the Late years), and we can use Romer
point values to show the difference.
Year
1960-1973
1974-1993
1994-current
10+
0.13
0.13
0.46
26
0.13
0.13
0.46
36
-0.46
0.13
0.07
46
-1.09
-0.46
-0.57
54
-1.49
-0.97
-1.02
To explain what that means, a missed 54 yard field goal in 2009
gives the opponent the ball at the 44, which would put them in a
+1.73 position according to Romer. A successful 54-yarder gives
the other team the ball at the 27, a +0.71 position; therefore the
miss is worth -1.02 points of field position. Of course, a miss also
costs you three points on the scoreboard — the table below
incorporates that:
Year
1960-1973
1974-1993
1994-current
10+
-2.87
-2.87
-2.54
26
-2.87
-2.87
-2.54
36
-3.46
-2.87
-2.93
46
-4.09
-3.46
-3.57
54
-4.49
-3.97
-4.02
Berkeley Economist David Romer
One more example. A missed 46 yarder in 1968 occurred when the LOS was the 39, and that’s where the other
team would gain possession. Having the ball at the 39 is a +1.47 situation. A successful field goal would give the
opponent possession at the 22, a +0.38 situation. So the average difference between a successful and
unsuccessful 46 yard field goal in the Early period is 3 points on the board and 1.09 points of field position, or 4.09
points total.
Page 21
Now all we need to do is figure out how likely it is that the average kicker would make any given field goal, and we
can then compare every kicker to the league average.
The Greatest Field Goal Kickers Ever, Part II
We’re going to examine every attempt from every distance (in ten-yard increments) in every year and compare
each kicker to the league average. A missed 50-yard field goal in 1965 was very common; a missed 36-yard field
goal today is very rare. My method adjusts all kicks for distance and era.
Further, we’re not going to just consider the ability of the kicker but also his value to the team — missing a 50-yard
field goal is more costly to a team than missing a 20-yard field goal because of the cost in field position. We can do
that with the help of Professor Romer. To be clear, this won’t be perfect — kickers in Denver and domed stadiums
have an advantage, while kickers who play a bunch of games in particularly tough environments will be at a
disadvantage. But this sure beats the heck out of every other method to rank kickers.
One last embarrassing note (in addition to me devoting three days to kicker research). I’ve excluded the 2008
season. That’s because I performed this study originally in September, but it being kicker-related, never got around
to writing it until the ‘08 season ended. If I was to wait until I incorporated the ‘08 data, there’s a good chance I
wouldn’t finish until the ‘09 season ended. If you really need ‘08 kicker data, you’ll sadly have to wait to the updated
version of this post. Let’s get to the analysis.
Jan Stenerud had arguably the two best seasons in kicker history. (And if you want to hear Kansas City Chiefs
writer Jonathan Rand explain why he voted for Stenerud to make the HOF, go to the very end of this podcast.) Let’s
examine his 1969 season, which culminated in three field goals in a Super Bowl victory. Stenerud went 9/9 from
inside of 20 yards; the NFL average from that distance was 90%, meaning the average kicker would have hit 8.1
field goals from inside of 20 yards. Therefore, Stenerud made 0.9 more FGs than average from that distance. Since
every FG made under 20 yards in the “Early” era was worth 2.87 points, Stenerud gets +2.58 points of value for his
work inside of 20 yards that season.
Stenerud was 4/6 from 20-29 yards, which was
slightly below the league average. He hit 0.4
fewer field goals than we’d expect; field goals are
also worth 2.87 at this distance and in this era,
which gives him a score of -1.28 from this
distance. From 30-39 yards, he made six of eight
attempts when the average kicker would have
converted 4.4/8; these field goals were worth
3.46 points in the Early era, so another +5.48 for
the HOFer. He was even better from 40-49,
where he connected on 6/9 attempts while the
league average was just 29%; he made 3.4 more
field goals than average from this distance, and
these field goals were worth, on average, 4.09
points; +13.97 for Stenerud.
Finishing up, he was 2/3 from 50+; the average
kicker would have made just 0.5 field goals out of
three tries. These kicks are worth 4.49 points
each, so +6.91 goes in his 50+ value column. He
also made every extra point, giving him an extra
0.6 points up on the average kicker.
Jan Stenerud
Add all those scores up and you get a rating of +28.3 for Stenerud. That’s the highest rating for any kicker since
1960, although it’s possible that Lou Groza (or another pre-1960 kicker) had a higher single-season rating. Finally,
we make one more adjustment, to pro-rate for games played. I pro-rated each kicker’s score as if he was playing a
N game season, where N equals the average of 16 and the actual number of team games played. That gives him a
score of 30.3, obviously the highest in the study. Stenerud ‘68 is the second highest score in the study. In 1968, he
had a season better than any kicker has ever had in the last 50 or so years; then, somehow, he managed to top it
in 1969.
Page 22
Here are the top 50 seasons in kicker history. The raw column shows the kicker’s score before pro-rating for the
number of games on the schedule, but the group is listed by the “value” column which does pro-rate for the number
of games.
Kicker
1. Jan Stenerud
2. Jan Stenerud
3. Neil Rackers
4. Garo Yepremian
5. Fred Steinfort
6. Jim Turner
7. Gary Anderson
8. Morten Andersen
9. Raul Allegre
10. Gene Mingo
11. Mark Moseley
12. Jan Stenerud
13. Gino Cappelletti
14. Toni Fritsch
15. Mike Vanderjagt
16. Sam Baker
17. Nick Lowery
18. Jim Turner
19. Chester Marcol
20. Pete Stoyanovich
21. Tony Franklin
22. Cary Blanchard
23. George Blair
24. Eddie Murray
25. Horst Muhlmann
26. Fred Cox
27. Mac Percival
28. Fred Cox
29. Nick Lowery
30. Bruce Gossett
31. Jim Bakken
32. Jeff Wilkins
33. Dean Biasucci
34. Norm Johnson
35. Mike Mercer
36. Garo Yepremian
37. Nick Lowery
38. Mark Moseley
39. Morten Andersen
40. Mark Moseley
41. Jan Stenerud
42. George Blanda
43. Dean Biasucci
44. Bruce Gossett
46. Jan Stenerud
47. Ali Haji-Sheikh
48. Al Del Greco
49. Nick Lowery
50. Nick Lowery
Year
1969
1968
2005
1970
1980
1969
1998
1985
1983
1962
1979
1970
1964
1979
2003
1966
1985
1968
1972
1997
1979
1996
1962
1989
1970
1969
1968
1965
1980
1973
1967
2003
1987
1993
1966
1971
1988
1977
1986
1982
1981
1967
1988
1964
1963
1967
1983
1995
1983
1990
Team
KAN
KAN
ARI
MIA
DEN
NYJ
MIN
NOR
BAL
DEN
WAS
KAN
BOS
HOU
IND
PHI
KAN
NYJ
GNB
KAN
PHI
IND
SDG
DET
CIN
MIN
CHI
MIN
KAN
SFO
STL
STL
IND
ATL
KAN
MIA
KAN
WAS
NOR
WAS
GNB
OAK
IND
RAM
BOS
KAN
NYG
HOU
KAN
KAN
Raw
28.3
27.7
26.5
24.5
26.2
22.5
23.2
23.1
23.1
20.8
22.2
20.4
20.4
21.4
21.3
19.6
20.9
19.3
19.1
20.3
20.1
19.9
18.5
19.5
17.9
17.8
17.7
17.3
18.1
16.7
16.7
17.8
17.1
17.7
16.5
16.3
17.4
16.1
16.9
12.1
16.7
15.4
16.5
15.3
15.2
15.1
16.1
16.1
15.9
15.8
Value
30.3
29.7
26.5
26.3
26.2
24.1
23.2
23.1
23.1
22.3
22.2
21.9
21.8
21.4
21.3
21.0
20.9
20.7
20.5
20.3
20.1
19.9
19.8
19.5
19.1
19.1
18.9
18.6
18.1
17.9
17.9
17.8
17.7
17.7
17.7
17.5
17.4
17.2
16.9
16.8
16.7
16.5
16.5
16.4
16.3
16.2
16.1
16.1
15.9
15.8
32. Jeff Wilkins
Stenerud leads the way with five top-50 seasons, tied with fellow Chief Nick Lowery. Mark Moseley proves he
wasn’t a one-hit-wonder as he has two other top-50 performances in addition to his MVP season in 1982. (On a per
game basis or if you performed a straight pro-rating of his 9-game season, it would rank as the 17th best since
1960; obviously it is lower than that using the formula above, which pro-rates his performance to a 12.5 game
season.) Garo Yepremian shows he was a better kicker than passer with two top-50 seasons on the list; Morten
Page 23
Andersen, Gino Cappelletti, Jim Turner, Fred Cox, Bruce Gossett and Dean Biasucci join him with a pair of stellar
seasons. If you don’t remember, I’ve already discussed Cappelletti’s 1964 season on this blog. And believe it or
not, the great Gary Anderson has just one top-50 season, his not-exactly-perfect 1998 performance. And, for what
it’s worth, only 14 of the above 50 seasons came from kickers whose teams were in Denver or played in domed
stadiums.
What about the worst seasons by any kicker? You already knew which season was going to come out on bottom:
Kicker
50. Jim Gallery
49. Gary Anderson
48. Eric Schubert
47. John Hall
46. Neil Rackers
45. Kris Brown
44. Todd Peterson
43. Curt Knight
42. Tony Franklin
41. Wade Richey
40. Jerry DePoyster
39. Tim Mazzetti
38. Wade Richey
37. Steve McLaughlin
36. Richie Cunningham
35. Dave Green
34. Mike Mercer
33. Jack Spikes
32. Martin Gramatica
31. Dick Guesman
30. Mark Moseley
29. Matt Bahr
28. Booth Lusteg
27. Gene Mingo
25. Neil Rackers
24. Chuck Nelson
23. Tommy Brooker
22. Mike Cofer
21. Dale Livingston
20. Happy Feller
19. Jan Stenerud
18. Don Chandler
17. Joe Nedney
16. Bob Timberlake
14. Larry Barnes
13. Happy Feller
12. Greg Davis
11. Uwe von Schamann
10. Chip Lohmiller
9. Ray Wersching
8. Seth Marler
7. Ali Haji-Sheikh
6. Bill Capece
5. Scott Sisson
4. Jim O'Brien
3. Ken Vinyard
2. Fred Steinfort
1. Paul Hornung
Year
1987
1999
1986
2000
2001
2001
2002
1973
1980
1998
1968
1979
2001
1995
1999
1975
1969
1963
2004
1964
1970
1982
1968
1970
2003
2000
1987
1965
1991
1970
1973
1985
1966
1996
1965
1969
1960
1971
1992
1984
1993
1973
2003
1984
1983
1993
1972
1970
1983
1964
Team
STL
MIN
STL
NYJ
CIN
PIT
PIT
WAS
PHI
SFO
DET
ATL
SDG
STL
2TM
CIN
GNB
KAN
2TM
DEN
PHI
CLE
PIT
PIT
TAM
CIN
MIN
KAN
SFO
GNB
NOR
MIN
GNB
MIA
NYG
BOS
OAK
PHI
PHO
MIA
WAS
SDG
JAX
NYG
TAM
NWE
BAL
ATL
2TM
GNB
Raw
-13.3
-13.7
-13.8
-13.8
-13.9
-14.0
-14.2
-13.5
-14.5
-14.6
-13.7
-14.8
-14.8
-14.9
-15.2
-14.2
-14.3
-14.3
-15.4
-14.5
-14.7
-11.4
-14.8
-14.9
-16.1
-16.2
-15.9
-15.4
-16.6
-15.5
-15.9
-17.3
-16.5
-18.0
-16.9
-17.1
-17.2
-17.2
-18.5
-18.9
-19.3
-18.7
-20.2
-20.8
-20.9
-21.9
-21.1
-22.6
-25.7
-29.9
Value
-13.7
-13.7
-13.8
-13.8
-13.9
-14.0
-14.2
-14.4
-14.5
-14.6
-14.7
-14.8
-14.8
-14.9
-15.2
-15.2
-15.3
-15.3
-15.4
-15.6
-15.7
-15.8
-15.9
-16.0
-16.1
-16.2
-16.4
-16.4
-16.6
-16.6
-17.0
-17.3
-17.7
-18.0
-18.1
-18.3
-18.4
-18.4
-18.5
-18.9
-19.3
-20.1
-20.2
-20.8
-20.9
-21.9
-22.6
-24.2
-25.7
-32.0
Paul Hornung
Did you happen to catch that Mr. HOF is on the list? Stenerud was 43 and in his 19th season in 1985 — he should
have hung up his cleats a year earlier. In ‘84, he was the second best kicker in the NFL (although he was in a
dome), behind the Eagles’ Paul McFadden.
Page 24
Finally, here’s a big table showing the league average success ratio in each season since 1960, from the distances
we’ve discussed:
Year
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
XP
99%
99%
99%
99%
98%
99%
98%
99%
99%
98%
99%
99%
98%
99%
97%
98%
98%
97%
98%
96%
97%
97%
96%
97%
96%
95%
95%
95%
91%
93%
92%
91%
92%
92%
98%
97%
98%
97%
98%
97%
97%
97%
98%
96%
96%
95%
96%
95%
10-19
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
92%
90%
95%
100%
91%
100%
100%
95%
100%
100%
100%
97%
97%
100%
96%
100%
93%
95%
100%
96%
95%
93%
95%
70%
93%
81%
96%
96%
81%
96%
94%
91%
91%
90%
94%
77%
89%
77%
78%
71%
78%
61%
64%
20-29
95%
96%
95%
96%
96%
94%
95%
94%
94%
95%
94%
95%
92%
96%
92%
90%
93%
95%
94%
90%
92%
88%
87%
93%
90%
85%
85%
89%
88%
85%
79%
78%
83%
81%
77%
75%
73%
70%
74%
77%
64%
68%
74%
67%
62%
65%
60%
60%
30-39
90%
86%
85%
80%
82%
83%
85%
80%
80%
85%
85%
84%
81%
84%
84%
75%
78%
79%
78%
77%
73%
79%
79%
75%
75%
70%
69%
67%
66%
61%
62%
63%
66%
65%
64%
69%
56%
64%
55%
56%
56%
56%
52%
53%
54%
56%
40%
42%
40-49
73%
73%
71%
71%
69%
63%
60%
71%
66%
70%
62%
64%
64%
67%
61%
58%
60%
62%
54%
56%
54%
53%
59%
60%
57%
62%
52%
48%
45%
50%
44%
44%
49%
44%
39%
38%
38%
41%
29%
28%
35%
35%
28%
37%
30%
34%
21%
27%
50+
47%
47%
52%
58%
48%
52%
52%
55%
48%
54%
53%
52%
51%
36%
51%
51%
44%
35%
35%
40%
40%
35%
37%
42%
38%
26%
31%
29%
30%
18%
18%
18%
24%
13%
16%
25%
24%
23%
15%
14%
9%
14%
11%
19%
23%
15%
30%
29%
The Greatest Field Goal Kickers Ever, Part III
Now, we’ll look at the best kickers by career. The table below shows each kicker’s career grade, using the familiar
weight of 100% of the player’s best season, 95% of his second best, 90% of his third best, etc. This is useful
because when we think of Jan Stenerud, we’re not thinking of his awful 1985 season — we’re thinking of him at his
best. If you have a bunch of good seasons and several more average ones, a bad season as a very young or old
player won’t kill your career rating, and I think that is appropriate. Here’s the list of the top 75 kickers from ‘60 to ‘07.
Page 25
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
Kicker
Jan Stenerud
Nick Lowery
Morten Andersen
Gary Anderson
Eddie Murray
Garo Yepremian
Mark Moseley
Fred Cox
Jim Turner
Jason Hanson
Mike Vanderjagt
Norm Johnson
Matt Stover
John Carney
Jim Bakken
George Blanda
Don Cockroft
Jason Elam
John Kasay
Al Del Greco
Jeff Wilkins
Pete Stoyanovich
Horst Muhlmann
Bruce Gossett
Sam Baker
Pat Leahy
Errol Mann
Tom Dempsey
Mike Mercer
Rafael Septien
Ryan Longwell
Doug Brien
Efren Herrera
Toni Fritsch
Gene Mingo
Gino Cappelletti
Ray Wersching
Raul Allegre
Paul McFadden
Don Chandler
Rolf Benirschke
Mick Luckhurst
Shayne Graham
Donald Igwebuike
Joe Nedney
Chester Marcol
John Smith
Adam Vinatieri
Tony Zendejas
John Leypoldt
Todd Peterson
Mike Hollis
David Akers
Dean Biasucci
Chris Jacke
Cary Blanchard
Nate Kaeding
George Blair
Steve Christie
Tony Franklin
Value
136.2
124.6
109.6
100.4
83.7
82.7
76.0
73.6
73.1
68.5
65.8
65.1
63.7
63.1
61.9
58.5
54.9
54.3
54.2
49.9
47.0
43.2
41.3
39.7
38.1
37.2
36.0
35.2
35.1
35.0
34.5
33.8
33.1
32.9
32.4
31.7
31.4
30.5
29.2
28.8
27.6
27.5
26.2
25.5
24.9
24.9
24.0
22.0
21.3
20.2
19.9
19.3
18.7
18.6
17.6
16.9
16.5
16.5
16.5
15.5
rkyr
1967
1978
1982
1982
1980
1966
1970
1963
1964
1992
1998
1982
1991
1988
1962
1949
1968
1993
1991
1984
1994
1989
1969
1964
1953
1974
1968
1969
1961
1977
1997
1994
1974
1971
1960
1960
1973
1983
1984
1956
1977
1981
2001
1985
1996
1972
1974
1996
1985
1971
1994
1995
1998
1984
1989
1992
2004
1961
1990
1979
14. John Carney
52. Mike Hollis
Page 26
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
Matt Bahr
Olindo Mare
Rian Lindell
Fuad Reveiz
Pete Gogolak
Rich Karlis
Jeff Jaeger
Jim Breech
Josh Brown
Mike Clark
Bob Thomas
Sebastian Janikowski
George Fleming
Pat Summerall
Paul Edinger
15.5
13.8
13.1
12.9
12.8
12.1
11.4
11.0
10.9
10.2
9.7
9.4
9.2
8.9
8.4
1979
1997
2000
1985
1964
1982
1987
1979
2003
1963
1975
2000
1961
1952
2000
When I ranked the RBs, I had a separate formula which awarded 10 points each year to the best RB, 9 points to
the second best, and so on. We can do the same thing for kickers. Lowery had two seasons as the NFL’s top kicker
(+20), four seasons as runner up (+36), two more seasons in the top three (+16), along with a #5, #7, two #9 and a
#10 finish. That totals 87, the most in this system. Stenerud had three seasons atop the charts (+30), two more
seasons at #2 (+18) or #3 (+16), one season at #5, one at #8, and three where he rounded out the top ten. Here
are the rankings in this scoring system:
Kicker
1. Nick Lowery
2. Morten Andersen
3. Jan Stenerud
4. Gary Anderson
5. Eddie Murray
6. Mark Moseley
7. Jason Hanson
8. Norm Johnson
9. Garo Yepremian
10. Jim Turner
11. Fred Cox
12. Matt Stover
13. George Blanda
14. Don Cockroft
15. Mike Vanderjagt
16. Jason Elam
17. Jim Bakken
18. John Carney
19. Gene Mingo
21. Bruce Gossett
22. John Kasay
23. Al Del Greco
24. Errol Mann
25. Pete Stoyanovich
26. Don Chandler
27. Jeff Wilkins
28. Sam Baker
29. Mike Mercer
30. Pat Leahy
31. Ryan Longwell
32. Adam Vinatieri
33. Tom Dempsey
34. Doug Brien
35. Toni Fritsch
36. Tony Zendejas
37. Efren Herrera
VALUE
124.6
109.6
136.2
100.4
83.7
76.0
68.5
65.1
82.7
73.1
73.6
63.7
58.5
54.9
65.8
54.3
61.9
63.1
32.4
31.7
39.7
54.2
49.9
36.0
43.2
28.8
47.0
38.1
35.1
37.2
34.5
22.0
35.2
33.8
32.9
21.3
33.1
rkyr
1978
1982
1967
1982
1980
1970
1992
1982
1966
1964
1963
1991
1949
1968
1998
1993
1962
1988
1960
1960
1964
1991
1984
1968
1989
1956
1994
1953
1961
1974
1997
1996
1969
1994
1971
1985
1974
Rk Score
87
77
76
70
63
56
53
53
52
52
51
51
50
49
47
46
45
44
42
39
38
37
36
33
32
32
30
29
29
27
26
26
24
24
24
22
21
1. Nick Lowry
Page 27
38. John Smith
39. Ray Wersching
40. Rolf Benirschke
41. David Akers
42. Dean Biasucci
43. Tony Franklin
44. Horst Muhlmann
45. Chester Marcol
46. Chris Jacke
47. Steve Christie
48. Paul McFadden
49. John Leypoldt
50. Fuad Reveiz
51. Paul Hornung
52. Rafael Septien
53. Raul Allegre
54. Todd Peterson
55. Jeff Jaeger
56. Joe Danelo
57. Joe Nedney
58. George Blair
59. Pete Gogolak
60. Bob Thomas
61. Paul Edinger
63. Roger Ruzek
64. Rian Lindell
65. Scott Norwood
24.0
31.4
27.6
18.7
18.6
15.5
41.3
24.9
17.6
16.5
29.2
20.2
12.9
- 4.4
35.0
30.5
19.9
11.4
- 8.2
24.9
16.5
12.8
9.7
8.4
3.4
-10.2
13.1
3.3
1974
1973
1977
1998
1984
1979
1969
1972
1989
1990
1984
1971
1985
1957
1977
1983
1994
1987
1975
1996
1961
1964
1975
2000
1999
1987
2000
1985
21
20
20
20
20
20
19
19
19
19
18
18
18
18
17
17
17
17
17
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
15
15
I want to make three quick Pro Football Hall of Fame notes:
•
Nick Lowery’s HOF case is pretty strong. Comparing across positions is very difficult, but if you want to
assume that Stenerud is a worthy HOFer, then I think Lowery should be considered one, as well. Stenerud
may be slightly better, and he likely had a greater impact on the game (as Gary alluded to in the comments
to Monday’s post, Stenerud was one of the first soccer style kickers and he changed the way many viewed
the kicker position). But still, Lowery was so accurate and successful for so long, that he should be a
HOFer. And, of course, his numbers are not inflated by playing in a domed stadium or a particularly nice
climate. Lowery kicked Stenerud out of KC in 1980 — the placekicker’s version of Young replacing
Montana.
•
At least for now — before we break field goal length down into even smaller increments and before we
introduce some sort of weather variable to our formula — I feel confident in stating that Morten Andersen
was better than Gary Anderson. This seems to be the prevailing opinion, at least among those who can
separate out which was which. What’s more important, though, is that both are clearly ahead of everyone
not named Stenerud or Lowery. Those four kickers are in a tier of their own. Is Andersen a HOFer? He’s
got the career records (points, field goals made, games) but I would still put Lowery in before Andersen.
•
Some will make a case for Vinatieri for the HOF one day. He certainly will look much better once I figure
out how to include some sort of variable to boost up cold weather kickers. But outside of that, Vinatieri’s
HOF case is absurd. Even if he didn’t have the two missed field goals in Super Bowl XXXVIII, his history of
clutch performances is not nearly enough to boost an otherwise weak resume. Vinatieri will get some love
from those who don’t know how to grade kickers, from those who love the Patriots, and from those who
enjoy sparking controversy, but he’s not a legitimate candidate when there’s just one pure placekicker in
the HOF.
Page 28
10. Bonus Scorers
“The seagull sees farthest who flies highest” - French proverb
BONUS POINTS SCORED ANNUALLY (last five years)
The bonus points are in addition to the standard three points for a FG. Every successful FG from 40 to 49 yards is
worth an additional point, and every 50+ yard FG is worth two additional points.
Avg/yr
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
4049
4049
50+
50+
Brown, Josh
14.2
8
14
13
14
22
35
48
18
27
Rackers, Neil
13.8
16
25
9
11
8
37
43
16
34
Crosby, Mason
13.0
15
11
14
20
6
11
Hanson, Jason
13.0
17
22
33
42
16
22
Folk, Nick
12.5
11
14
17
18
4
7
Bironas, Rob
12.3
Kasay, John
11.6
Elam, Jason
11.4
Carpenter, Dan
11.0
Janikowski, Sebastian
11.0
12
7
9
Longwell, Ryan
11.0
10
11
Brown, Kris
10.8
8
Nedney, Joe
10.3
Akers, David
9.4
Lindell, Rian
Kicker
5
8
13
9
6
17
17
33
44
8
13
7
12
16
10
13
32
40
13
25
15
11
8
11
12
43
55
7
13
11
9
13
1
1
19
8
27
39
14
30
4
12
18
29
39
13
20
6
11
17
12
36
48
9
15
14
9
6
12
29
34
6
11
19
7
6
3
12
35
51
6
14
9.2
1
13
12
8
12
30
44
8
11
Scobee, Josh
9.2
7
9
14
3
13
32
46
7
12
Graham, Shayne
9.0
13
7
10
6
9
35
43
5
10
Stover, Matt
9.0
13
11
8
8
5
39
52
3
6
Gould, Robbie
8.8
3
12
12
8
35
47
0
2
Kaeding, Nate
8.4
11
8
9
9
5
30
42
6
9
Dawson, Phil
8.2
8
5
8
9
11
29
40
6
10
Mare, Olindo
8.2
7
8
11
4
11
25
31
8
20
Feely, Jay
8.0
3
14
6
9
8
28
38
6
9
Prater, Matt
8.0
1
15
6
14
5
6
Nugent, Mike
7.7
Reed, Jeff
7.0
Suisham, Shaun
7.0
Tynes, Lawrence
6.8
Carney, John
7
8
8
0
17
22
3
9
6
6
4
10
27
39
4
8
0
3
12
13
22
32
3
7
7
8
11
8
0
22
32
6
11
6.6
9
8
7
2
7
25
35
4
5
Bryant, Matt
6.4
2
12
7
6
5
28
38
2
10
Vinatieri, Adam
6.4
11
4
9
0
8
28
37
2
7
9
Page 29
Kicker
Avg/yr
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
4049
4049
50+
50+
4
3
11
14
20
2
2
4
4
4
0
0
Gostkowski, Stephen
6.0
Hartley, Garrett
4.0
Rayner, Dave
3.8
Gramatica, Martin
3.5
Hauschka, Steven
2.0
Novak, Nick
2.0
1
3
Koenen, Michael
1.3
2
2
Barth, Connor
1.0
Mehlhaff, Taylor
1.0
0
3
10
5
0
13
19
1
5
3
4
4
8
17
3
4
2
0
0
1
2
2
6
10
0
1
0
1
2
7
1
1
1
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0

Josh Brown and Jason Hanson both climbed in the
rankings thanks to a big 2008.

Mason Crosby and Nick Folk are both off to a good start
after just two years.

Matt Stover Akers and Kris Brown are heading in
opposite directions.

John Kasay, Jason Elam, and Ryan Longwell have been
fairly consistent in this category from year to year.

Rob Bironas might be the current safest bet.

Stephen Gostkowski showed signs of improvement in his
third year.
We asked some NFL kickers to discuss any differences
in attempting a long field as compared to a medium or
short range kick. Here are their answers:
Robbie Gould
“No you keep everything the same. The only thing I would
say about long field goals is, if you have a 60-plus yarder
you are going to have to hit it a little bit lower.”
Mason Crosby
“I try to kick every ball exactly the same way, no matter the
distance. That keeps me from over swinging in long field
goal situations.”
Josh Brown scored in double digits in
bonus points the last four consecutive years.
John Kasay is the only other player to have
done the same.
Jeff Reed
“If you hit a 35-yard field goal good, it is going to go 50 yards. Sometimes you think about kicking a longer field
goal, and that is when you screw up. It is not because of the distance, it is because in your head you think that
you have to kick it harder. Once, I attempted a 65-yarder in a game before; that one, if you get too much height
on it, you are not going to make it. You have to drive it a little more. There is a point where when you try a really
long field goal, they are going to bring a rush up the middle and jump to try to block it. That is when things can
go bad for you.”
Page 30
Connor Barth
“You don’t try to, unless you’re really hitting a
bomb, like maybe outside of 60 yards. Maybe
like a potential game winner or something
before the half, then you might just try to really
give it all you’ve got. When we’ve been taught to
kick, it’s always pretty much the same thing.
You want to kick an extra point the same as you
would kick a 50 yard field goal. You don’t want
to change up your stroke at all. You want to
keep the same leg swing as you do when you’re
kicking a 30 yarder as you’re kicking a 50
yarder. It’s all about mental reps and continuing
to have the same leg swing over and over
again. That’s why for kicking a football they try
to use golf for a lot of the different situations. It’s
the same thing in golf; you want to have the
same motion every time. With kicking you really
don’t want to try to get out of your rhythm unless
you’re kicking maybe a long 50 yard field goal
into the wind. Then you might lower the
trajectory and hit more of a line drive, but for the
most part if you’re kicking on a normal day, no
wind, you just want to keep your stroke the
same from that extra point all the way out to 50
yards. You never want to break out of your
routine, because that’s what got you there. You
want to keep doing the same thing every time.”
Josh Scobee sets up for a field goal attempt.
Joe Nedney
“I make no technique adjustments on long field goals.”
Ryan Longwell
“None.”
Page 31
11. Consistent Scorers
“Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life. The only completely consistent people are dead.”
- Aldous Huxley
TEAM KICKING POINTS WEEKLY HIGHS AND LOWS
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
ppg
low
high
ppg
low
high
ppg
low
high
ppg
low
high
ppg
low
high
Ari
7.4
1
14
6.9
1
12
7.3
2
14
9.3
5
19
5.9
2
11
Atl
8.1
2
16
6.1
0
14
6.3
2
20
6.7
2
12
5.9
0
11
Bal
7.8
3
15
6.7
0
16
7.6
1
14
7.1
1
13
7.3
1
14
Buf
7.8
0
18
6.0
0
15
6.4
1
17
7.1
1
16
7.3
0
15
Car
8.1
3
15
6.2
1
13
6.3
2
14
7.6
3
14
6.2
0
20
Chi
7.4
2
12
7.9
1
13
8.9
1
16
5.8
1
13
4.2
1
11
Cin
5.3
1
11
8.1
3
21
7.2
3
11
8.2
3
13
7.6
2
16
Cle
6.8
0
17
7.5
1
15
5.5
0
19
6.3
0
10
6.3
0
16
Dal
6.4
2
15
8.2
4
13
6.8
1
11
5.9
1
15
5.7
1
13
Den
7.1
1
13
7.1
1
11
7.2
4
13
7.2
3
12
8.1
4
15
Det
5.5
1
11
7.6
2
14
7.3
1
15
5.3
0
10
6.3
1
14
GB
7.9
3
13
8.8
1
15
6.8
0
12
5.6
1
15
7.5
1
11
Hou
7.8
3
12
7.2
1
16
5.2
1
11
6.4
1
15
5.3
1
12
Ind
6.4
2
15
7.4
1
12
7.8
2
14
7.6
4
14
7.8
2
14
Jac
5.6
1
12
6.8
1
18
7.4
1
14
6.7
1
14
5.8
0
13
KC
4.9
0
15
4.9
1
12
6.7
1
13
7.8
2
14
6.8
3
10
Mia
6.4
2
14
5.6
0
13
6.3
0
16
6.8
0
14
5.2
1
9
Min
7.9
4
15
6.2
0
11
5.6
1
10
6.6
0
15
6.2
1
11
NE
9.3
4
17
8.6
4
12
6.4
0
16
6.3
3
11
8.8
3
17
NO
7.4
1
12
5.4
1
11
7.2
0
13
6.1
3
13
6.5
1
16
NYG
9.3
2
14
6.8
3
11
6.7
1
13
9.3
5
18
6.2
1
16
NYJ
7.1
2
17
6.9
0
16
6.6
0
14
5.6
0
14
6.6
1
11
Oak
6.1
0
11
6.1
1
16
4.4
0
9
5.6
1
13
6.6
1
14
Phi
9.0
1
16
6.8
3
12
6.4
3
11
6.1
0
13
7.6
0
17
Pit
7.3
2
15
7.1
2
14
6.3
0
13
7.3
1
11
7.8
1
17
SD
7.9
2
12
7.4
2
15
8.5
3
16
7.0
1
14
7.1
3
11
Sea
6.4
1
13
7.9
0
15
6.9
2
14
6.9
2
13
6.8
2
12
SF
7.6
3
15
4.6
0
10
7.3
0
14
6.2
2
15
4.8
0
9
Stl
7.0
1
13
6.1
1
13
8.2
0
18
7.3
1
13
5.6
1
11
TB
8.2
4
13
7.4
2
13
4.6
0
11
6.1
0
12
4.8
1
9
Ten
7.9
0
17
8.3
4
26
6.1
0
12
6.2
1
15
6.0
3
12
Was
6.4
1
14
7.3
1
15
6.1
2
13
5.8
0
10
5.1
1
14
Page 32
•
In certain fantasy leagues and competition formats, finding a
kicker that has steady weekly production and that doesn’t
have a dud week (one or zero points) can be an important
consideration. Unfortunately, over the course of a year, even
most good players have an off week.
•
The “low” columns above are highlighted with yellow for
teams that scored four of five kicking points in their worst
week of the year. Green highlighting indicates three kicking
points in their worst week of the year. Blue is the dreaded
zero.
•
The overall increase in kicker scoring in 2008 was also
reflected in the fact that only four teams had games where
they scored zero kicking points. That was the fewest of this
decade. In both 2003 and 2006 there were twelve teams that
had that dubious distinction.
•
A tale of two cities in Ohio. Up until 2008, Cincinnati had one
of the stronger streaks going. Cleveland has really struggled
in this category.
Stephen Gostkowski
The Patriots scored at least four
kicking points in every game over two
consecutive years (2007 - 2008). They
are the only team to have done so
during the last five years.
Page 33
12. Squandered Scoring Opportunities
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him split the uprights.” – author unknown
ANNUAL TEAM MISSED KICKING POINTS
‘08
‘07
‘06
‘05
‘04
‘03
‘02
‘01
‘00
‘99
‘98
‘97
‘96
‘95
‘94
‘93
‘92
Ari
-9
-28
-27
-6
-21
-25
-18
-15
-22
-24
-30
-31
-26
-27
-24
-21
-40
Atl
-6
-24
-27
-9
-15
-25
-25
-24
-18
-18
-16
-12
-21
-22
-12
-3
-12
Bal
-21
-15
-6
-15
-9
-18
-15
-15
-12
-15
-21
-24
-19
-12
-6
-18
-25
Buf
-24
-9
-6
-18
-12
-21
-24
-34
-27
-27
-24
-18
-15
-29
-12
-28
-19
Car
-9
-12
-9
-25
-16
-19
-30
-16
-12
-10
-23
-12
-25
-22
Chi
-9
-15
-12
-28
-27
-30
-18
-15
-18
-46
-16
-15
-21
-24
-24
-28
-21
Cin
-9
-9
-17
-12
-12
-9
-11
-34
-27
-27
-24
-14
-15
-21
-16
-24
-27
Cle
-18
-13
-24
-8
-15
-16
-19
-10
-9
-13
Dal
-6
-15
-24
-25
-18
-19
-21
-33
-24
-36
-18
-9
-13
-5
-21
-22
-34
Den
-28
-12
-6
-25
-15
-12
-31
-15
-24
-21
-13
-33
-21
-21
-21
-28
-15
Det
-4
-19
-12
-16
-12
-4
-15
-27
-18
-19
-14
-10
-15
-18
-28
-27
-15
GB
-21
-24
-28
-22
-12
-9
-18
-34
-15
-15
-14
-18
-20
-24
-23
-18
-21
Hou
-12
-12
-19
-24
-21
-12
-21
Ind
-15
-20
-10
-9
-19
0
-24
-19
-6
-12
-12
-27
-12
-30
-24
-16
-39
Jac
-18
-11
-18
-22
-21
-39
-24
-32
-6
-21
-15
-15
-18
-22
KC
-18
-24
-22
-19
-20
-13
-12
-25
-21
-21
-15
-4
-21
-21
-15
-18
-6
Mia
-12
-6
-30
-15
-13
-22
-22
-7
-10
-21
-16
-24
-34
-21
-21
-24
-23
Min
-15
-13
-13
-27
-12
-21
-21
-10
-3
-33
0
-25
-21
-30
-15
-28
-18
NE
-12
-9
-19
-16
-6
-28
-9
-19
-18
-22
-24
-12
-27
-30
-24
-36
-20
NO
-16
-21
-10
-21
-15
-25
-12
-12
-18
-16
-6
-12
-12
-35
-33
-21
-16
NYG
-9
-14
-12
-21
-18
-21
-17
-16
-18
-15
-18
-32
-9
-24
-22
-19
-15
NYJ
-15
-22
-10
-18
-16
-15
-26
-21
-33
-20
-31
-39
-22
-12
-10
-27
-33
Oak
-19
-27
-21
-30
-10
-10
-21
-19
-30
-39
-30
-29
-21
-19
-18
-29
-33
Phi
-21
-24
-15
-22
-16
-15
-12
-16
-14
-33
-23
-27
-12
-25
-12
-25
-31
Pit
-13
-6
-21
-15
-15
-28
-35
-45
-16
-13
-18
-9
-21
-21
-15
-6
-26
SD
-15
-9
-9
-9
-16
-15
-25
-39
-21
-16
-12
-16
-21
-16
-12
-29
-18
Sea
-9
-18
-18
-22
-6
-24
-18
-36
-15
-18
-15
-18
-18
-15
-13
-15
-24
SF
-12
-6
-18
-9
-12
-36
-9
-21
-23
-7
-29
-21
-12
-27
-17
-32
-28
Stl
-15
-24
-15
-12
-15
-9
-18
-18
-6
-24
-19
-36
-13
-34
-15
-23
-15
TB
-19
-15
-16
-15
-28
-31
-21
-21
-18
-15
-22
-15
-22
-21
-36
-18
-30
Ten
-12
-12
-18
-20
-14
-19
-18
-25
-19
-12
-9
-24
-18
-12
-12
-16
-18
Was
-30
-19
-24
-12
-24
-25
-28
-21
-26
-31
-31
-24
-18
-27
-26
-38
-30
Page 34

In fantasy leagues that penalize for missed kicks, avoiding
kickers that squander scoring opportunities is an important
consideration.

In recent years, Green Bay, Kansas City, Oakland
Philadelphia, and Washington have struggled the most in this
aspect.

Washington’s struggles extend back throughout much of the
past two decades.

Arizona and Atlanta both rebounded in 2008, after two backto-back difficult years.

Baltimore and the NY Giants have the best streaks going of
not squandering lots of points.

Cincinnati’s missed point totals have been in single digits
each of the last two years.

In 2008, nine different teams kept their missed kicking points
in single digits.

Looking at the entire chart emphasizes the increasing
accuracy of kickers over the years.
In 1999, the Chicago Bears triumvirate
of Chris Boniol, Jeff Jaeger, and Brian
Gowins had a rough year, missing a
combined 15 field goals and one extra
point leaving 46 points on the table.
Garrett Hartley
In 2008, The New Orleans Saints also
used three different kickers; however
they fared better as a group on the
strength of Hartley’s performance (13
of 13 on field goals).
Page 35
13. Field Goal Opportunities
“Ability is nothing without opportunity.” - Napoleon Bonaparte
COMPARISON OF ATTEMPTED FIELD GOALS TO TOTAL KICKER SCORING
pts 2007
2008
pts 2006
pts 2005
pts 2004
pts 2003
pts 2002
pts
FGA Arnk rnk FGA Arnk rnk FGA Arnk rnk FGA Arnk rnk FGA Arnk rnk FGA Arnk rnk FGA Arnk rnk
40
1
2
39
1
1
37
1
8
45
1
1
34
1
2
42
1
1
40
1
1
40
1
3
39
1
3
37
1
3
42
2
2
33
2
1
40
2
4
40
1
8
39
3
1
36
3
7
36
3
1
35
3
10
33
2
3
38
3
5
39
3
4
38
4
12
36
3
17
36
3
23
35
3
10
32
4
8
37
4
2
36
4
9
38
4
4
35
5
8
35
5
14
34
5
5
32
4
5
37
4
8
35
5
3
36
6
22
35
5
13
35
5
8
34
5
18
31
6
5
37
4
3
34
6
4
36
6
21
34
7
23
33
7
7
34
5
17
31
6
24
36
7
14
34
6
2
36
6
23
34
7
5
32
8
23
33
8
4
29
8
22
34
8
11
33
8
12
35
9
11
34
7
6
32
8
6
32
9
3
29
8
16
33
9
25
33
8
4
34
10
19
33
10
10
31
10
16
32
9
9
29
8
14
33
9
18
32
10
17
34
10
7
32
11
22
31
10
13
32
9
25
28
11
8
32
11
5
31
11
19
34
10
7
32
11
26
30
12
5
31
12
28
28
11
16
32
11
14
31
11
13
33
13
12
32
11
21
30
12
10
31
12
7
28
11
7
32
11
19
31
11
16
33
13
14
32
11
26
30
12
27
30
14
15
28
11
18
30
14
16
31
11
14
33
13
7
31
15
4
29
15
29
30
14
14
28
11
13
30
14
9
30
15
10
32
16
7
31
15
15
29
15
10
30
14
29
27
16
15
29
16
20
29
16
15
31
17
6
30
17
17
29
15
4
29
17
20
27
16
21
29
16
20
29
16
17
31
17
5
30
17
9
29
15
2
29
17
23
27
16
29
29
16
9
29
16
10
31
17
18
29
19
14
28
19
14
29
17
7
26
19
25
28
19
23
28
19
23
30
20
28
29
19
10
28
19
26
29
17
21
26
19
3
27
20
26
28
19
20
29
21
15
28
21
24
27
21
23
29
17
21
25
21
18
27
20
27
28
19
20
29
21
20
27
22
28
27
21
16
28
22
26
25
21
10
26
22
32
27
22
25
28
23
15
27
22
31
27
21
18
28
22
29
25
21
11
26
22
7
27
22
7
27
24
15
27
22
19
27
21
22
27
24
15
24
24
32
26
22
28
26
24
22
27
24
26
27
22
10
26
25
19
27
24
29
24
24
27
25
25
12
26
24
26
25
26
31
25
26
16
26
25
10
27
24
23
24
24
26
25
25
16
25
26
29
25
26
23
24
27
19
25
27
20
26
27
5
24
24
30
25
25
22
25
26
24
25
26
29
24
27
24
25
27
30
25
28
19
23
28
22
24
28
31
25
26
27
25
26
23
24
27
2
25
27
28
25
28
13
23
28
11
23
29
23
24
29
31
22
30
26
23
30
29
25
27
32
24
30
32
23
28
28
22
30
28
21
30
29
22
30
30
22
31
30
23
31
20
24
30
12
22
31
18
20
31
12
19
31
32
22
30
32
19
32
32
22
32
31
20
31
28
18
32
28
20
31
28
18
32
28
Page 36
COMPARISON OF ATTEMPTED FIELD GOALS RANKING TO TOTAL KICKER SCORING RANKING
pts.
top 5 FGA
top 6-10 FGA top 11-15 FGA top 16-20 FGA top 21-25 FGA
bottom FGA
rank
total
pct.
total
pct.
total
pct.
total
pct.
total
Pct.
total
pct.
1-5
63
64%
19
21%
7
7%
3
3%
2
2%
2
3%
6-10
23
23%
30
34%
20
20%
14
16%
7
8%
0
0%
11-15
6
6%
19
21%
23
23%
16
18%
12
13%
7
10%
16-20
5
5%
9
10%
27
27%
24
28%
12
13%
10
14%
21-25
2
2%
11
12%
13
13%
17
20%
29
33%
15
21%
26-32
0
0%
1
1%
9
9%
13
15%
27
30%
39
53%
•
It probably goes without saying that there is a strong correlation
between number of field goal attempts and kicker scoring. But since
this is the complete guide, we’ll mention it anyway.
•
The largest amount of attempted field goals each year is typically
around 40. The least is typically around 20.
•
The table above does highlight that there are always a couple
exceptions to the rule...
•
For example, the team that despite ranking only 27th in number of
field goals attempted in 2007, nonetheless ranked second in actual
kicker scoring. How did they do it? A record seventy-four extra
points by Gostkowski.
•
Conversely, Miami ranked only 23rd in kicker scoring in 2006 despite
having the third most field goal attempts. How did they do it? They
had very few extra points and Olindo Mare missed ten of those field
goal attempts.
In 1966, the Los Angeles
Rams’ Bruce Gossett
attempted a record 49 field
goals. He made 28 of them
(57.1%).
Page 37
14. Accuracy
"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything." - Wyatt Earp
COMPARISON OF ANNUAL FG% (ACCURACY) RANKING TO POINTS SCORED RANKINGS
2008
FG%
pts 2007
pts 2006
pts 2005
pts 2004
pts 2003
pts
%rnk rnk FG% %rnk rnk FG% %rnk rnk FG% %rnk rnk FG% %rnk rnk FG% %rnk rnk
95.5%
1
30 92.0%
1
16 93.3%
1
5
95.6%
1
1
93.9%
1
1
100%
1
2
93.5%
2
6
91.3%
2
29 93.1%
2
10 93.1%
2
20 92.0%
2
11 95.7%
2
23
92.3%
3
1
91.2%
3
5
92.0%
3
20 89.7%
3
21 90.6%
3
8
92.9%
3
1
90.9%
4
26 89.7%
4
3
89.7%
4
4
88.9%
4
15 89.3%
4
13 88.5%
4
7
90.3%
5
5
89.5%
5
32 89.7%
4
2
88.5%
5
5
87.1%
5
5
88.0%
5
12
90.0%
6
2
88.9%
6
28 88.9%
6
23 87.5%
6
3
85.7%
6
8
88.0%
5
22
89.7%
7
15 88.9%
6
10 88.9%
6
1
87.5%
6
12 85.7%
6
16 87.5%
7
5
89.3%
8
15 87.5%
8
19 88.9%
6
18 87.1%
8
7
85.7%
6
7
86.5%
8
3
88.9%
9
26 87.5%
8
2
88.5%
9
10 85.7%
9
10 85.3%
9
2
85.0%
9
4
88.0%
10
31 87.1%
10
15 87.9%
10
7
83.3%
10
14 84.8%
10
3
84.4%
10
14
87.9%
11
12 86.7%
11
9
86.5%
11
3
83.3%
10
2
84.4%
11
5
84.2%
11
5
87.9%
11
14 86.2%
12
14 85.2%
12
16 82.9%
12
10 82.8%
12
16 82.8%
12
9
87.9%
11
7
86.1%
13
7
84.0%
13
28 82.8%
13
7
82.8%
12
14 82.1%
13
23
87.1%
14
18 85.7%
14
24 83.3%
14
10 81.8%
14
4
82.6%
14
28 81.8%
14
28
86.1%
15
21 85.2%
15
19 82.9%
15
8
81.5%
15
23 81.8%
15
18 80.0%
15
12
85.3%
16
7
84.8%
16
10 81.3%
16
6
81.0%
16
27 81.8%
15
30 79.3%
16
20
84.4%
17
7
84.4%
17
22 80.6%
17
13 80.0%
17
19 81.5%
17
15 75.9%
17
20
84.2%
18
4
83.9%
18
4
78.6%
18
26 79.3%
18
21 80.0%
18
18 75.8%
18
18
84.0%
19
23 83.3%
19
24 78.3%
19
20 79.2%
19
32 80.0%
18
10 75.0%
19
28
83.3%
20
22 82.9%
20
8
77.4%
20
16 78.6%
20
29 79.2%
20
26 74.1%
20
27
82.8%
21
20 82.9%
20
13 77.3%
21
31 78.1%
21
25 78.6%
21
18 73.5%
21
11
82.5%
22
3
82.4%
22
6
76.9%
22
19 76.7%
22
15 78.3%
22
22 73.3%
22
16
81.5%
23
15 80.6%
23
17 76.0%
23
30 76.5%
23
5
77.4%
23
24 73.3%
22
9
80.0%
24
11 79.5%
24
1
75.7%
24
8
76.5%
23
18 76.9%
24
25 72.2%
24
14
80.0%
24
23 79.3%
25
10 74.3%
25
14 75.9%
25
23 76.9%
24
3
72.0%
25
16
80.0%
24
28 76.5%
26
23 74.1%
26
22 75.0%
26
9
75.9%
26
22 71.9%
26
19
79.4%
27
7
75.0%
27
21 73.3%
27
27 74.1%
27
29 73.9%
27
11 70.8%
27
31
78.9%
28
12 75.0%
27
26 72.4%
28
29 73.5%
28
17 70.8%
28
27 70.4%
28
26
76.0%
29
29 71.9%
29
26 72.2%
29
23 72.0%
29
13 70.4%
29
21 70.3%
29
8
73.5%
30
19 70.4%
30
31 72.0%
30
32 71.4%
30
26 70.4%
29
29 69.2%
30
32
72.7%
31
32 70.0%
31
17 71.9%
31
23 71.0%
31
28 62.5%
31
32 61.5%
31
28
72.2%
32
23 68.2%
32
30 71.4%
32
14 66.7%
32
29 62.5%
31
30 60.6%
32
25
Page 38
90-100%
Rank
85-89.9%
80-84.9%
75-79.9%
70-74.9%
50-69.9%
total
avg.
total
avg.
total
avg.
total
avg.
total
avg.
total
avg.
1-5
9
32%
21
32%
15
18%
6
11%
1
2%
2
6%
6-10
6
21%
17
26%
18
21%
7
12%
4
8%
2
6%
11-15
3
11%
10
15%
15
18%
9
16%
8
16%
1
3%
16-20
5
18%
7
11%
13
15%
14
25%
9
18%
1
3%
21-25
2
7%
6
9%
15
18%
11
19%
9
18%
5
16%
26-32
3
11%
4
6%
9
11%
10
18%
20
39%
21
66%
•
Similar to number of field goals attempted, there is an obvious correlation between field goal accuracy and
kicking points scored, although the correlation is not quite as strong.
•
The strongest correlation to being a top ten scorer is to have a field goal percentage in the upper 80’s, although
last year the near perfectionists staked their claim to many of the top spots.
•
Kickers down at the low end of the accuracy range are almost assured of not scoring many points.
•
In 2003, half the teams were connecting on less than 80% of their field goal attempts. In 2008, there were only
six teams.
Neil Rackers
In 2005, Rackers had a career year,
leading the Arizona Cardinals to the
top spot in both field goal accuracy and
kicker scoring.
Page 39
15. Why Do They Keep Getting Better?
“They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds.”
- Winston Churchill
Note: special thanks to Footballguys staff member David Yudkin, who raised this question in The Shark Pool,
FBG’s online football discussion forum… and thanks to all who contributed to that discussion. The question had
been half lingering in the back of my mind the last few years, but this prompted me to finally start organizing the
answers.
What do we mean by “better”?
In 2008, NFL kickers as a collective group were successful on
84.5% of their field goal attempts. That is the highest rate ever.
Six teams connected on at least 90% of their field goal attempts.
That is the most ever. Over the past two decades, the best annual
field goal percentage has been in the 90s. In 1998 it went all the
way to 100% with the perfect season by Minnesota’s Gary
Anderson, and again in 2003 by Indianapolis’ Mike Vanderjagt.
But as we starting heading back in time, we can see where those
numbers are better. Keep in mind these are the best numbers,
which means the league averages were obviously less. In the
1980s, the highest annual field goal percentage was typically in
the mid to upper 80s, although Jan Stenerud did achieve the first
ever 90+ season with 91.7% (22 of 24) in 1981 with Green Bay.
In the 1970’s it was typically in the upper 70s or low 80s. In the
1950s and 1960s it was in the mid 60s to mid 70s. In the 1940s
the best annual numbers ranged from 33.3% to 75.0%. In simple
terms, kickers’ accuracy has climbed steadily throughout the
history of the NFL. Why do kickers keep getting better?
Top Ten Most Accurate Kickers Ever
(minimum 100 successful field goals;
through then end of the 2008 season)
1. 86.466% Mike Vanderjagt
2. 86.131% Nate Kaeding
3. 85.938% Robbie Gould
4. 85.644% Shayne Graham
5. 84.496% Rob Bironas
6. 83.696% Matt Stover
7. 82.813% Phil Dawson
8. 82.653% Jeff Reed
9. 82.585% John Carney
10. 82.222% Ryan Longwell
Specialization
th
When American football developed in the latter part of the 19
century, there was no separate kicker position. Kicking tasks were
handled by players who also had full time roles on both offense
and defense. Needless to say, the players spent little to no time
studying, practicing, and perfecting kicking.
It wasn’t until 1961 that a true kicking specialist surfaced, and that
was only a result of injury. Cleveland Browns’ Lou “The Toe”
Groza was a Pro Bowl offensive lineman and kicker. A back injury
the previous year ended his ability to play on the line, but he
continued to kick until 1967. The idea of having a player
dedicated solely to kicking quickly caught on.
It was also not until recent decades, that professional football
players, and especially kickers, made enough money to make a
living playing football. Previously players had to work other jobs
during the off-season and in many cases also during the football
season.
Now that the position of kicker actually exists and can afford to
work on kicking year round, they are able to focus on studying,
practicing, and perfecting kicking.
Mike Vanderjagt remains atop
the list, but with each passing year
more kickers are getting closer.
Specialization of others has also helped to improve kicking. While the kicker is the one who puts his foot on the ball
in the end, the long snapper and holder are vital members of the placekicking process. While holding is still handled
as a secondary task by someone with another job, long snapping became a specialized role back in the 1970’s. It
was not until 2005 that long snapping was recognized for a Pro Bowl spot. In a few instances, teams also divide
placekicking and kickoffs in to two separate jobs.
Page 40
The creation of specialized roles also spread to the coaching ranks. In 1969, The Los Angeles Rams hired Dick
Vermeil as their special teams coordinator – a position that had never previously existing in the NFL. More recently,
some teams have also included a separate kicking coach. Steve Hoffman is probably the most notable example.
All these people can now spend all their time devoted to one thing – kicking.
Perfecting Their Craft
Once players had time, they were then able to start perfecting. They could perfect what to do with every part of their
body, from their head to their toe, before, during, and after a kick. Possibly more important than anything else, they
could perfect the timing between themselves and their long snapper and holder. With advances in science, they
could perfect their nutrition and conditioning. They could perfect how to adapt what they do as they aged. They
could perfect how to adjust for the less extreme things that Mother Nature might throw at them.
While many of the improvements evolved
gradually over time, the largest fundamental
change surfaced in the 1960’s and spread
quickly. It linked back to the origins of the
game. When American football emerged out
of English Football (or what Americans call
soccer) and out of Rugby, it soon diverged
significantly in many ways. Nearly a century
later, soccer resurfaced when a few
Europeans discovered that they could kick a
football more effectively soccer style, than
Americans were able to do in their straight
ahead approach. Pete Gogolak, drafted by
the AFL’s Buffalo Bills in 1964b and then
signed away by the NFL’s New York Giants
two years later, is credited with being the first
soccer style football kicker. Given his
success, others quickly followed and the
straight ahead kicker was soon extinct.
Somewhat unique to kickers’ perfection of
their craft is the fact that there is really
nothing opposing teams can do to counter it.
They’ve tried icing the kicker with a timeout,
but most agree that doesn’t really work. The
rules and methods don’t provide an
opportunity for teams to find new ways of
blocking kicks. Conversely, when offenses or
defenses start perfecting their craft or come
up with something new and effective, the
opposition soon finds a way to stop it. The
only one that can stop kickers from splitting
the uprights is the NFL – by changing rules,
the goalposts, or the ball.
With a tripod holder and several balls, Kris Brown is
ready to practice. The mismatched shoes are more
than just a fashion statement.
Technology
Just like virtually every aspect of life, technology has also helped to advance the kicking of footballs.
Although they are relatively lo-tech, practice equipment allows kickers more control over when they can and cannot
practice. The tripod holder allows them to practice whenever they want, even if a human holder is not around. The
JUGS machine allows them to not over kick, even when their team mates need to practice kick returns.
Video technology provides kickers the opportunity to go back and watch every little detail of their kicks, over and
over and over. They can pinpoint small adjustments to be made in their quest for perfection.
Page 41
The short-lived fad a barefoot kicking notwithstanding, the direct component of interaction with the ball is the shoe.
Rather than wearing the same exact shoes as their team mates, kickers now have shoes specifically for their task.
An individual kicker has shoes matched to his feet, typically differentiated between the kicking foot and the plant
foots specific needs.
Along the path leading to the ball, the kicker’s feet interact with the ground below, which has also been advanced
by technology. Care and maintenance of grass has improved, for those stadiums that still have the natural surface.
Recent decades have seen the advancement of artificial surfaces, which provide a uniform carpet for more uniform
kicking.
Expectations
I don’t have any stats to support this but I
believe as kicking accuracy has improved, that
in turn has increased the expectations of the
owners and coaches. In the old days I suspect
teams settled more so for whatever their kicker
happened to make (and miss). Now, if a kicker
doesn’t produce he is dumped, and teams are
more willing to search far and wide for a kicker
than can produce.
Competition
There is plenty of competition for the 32
placekicking jobs in the NFL.
The pool of available kickers has grown
exponentially over the years. As the popularity
of the sport grew, so did the number of kids
playing the game from an early age. This
created an increasing pool of football players,
including kickers.
David Akers practices kicking off
While soccer has no where near the popularity
in the USA as it does in the rest of the world,
and that is an understatement, it had risen from
the dead to a certain degree – especially at the
youth level. This has created a large pool of
potential football kickers. Many current NFL
kickers played soccer, not football, during their
early childhood years. Teams can now readily
find their soccer style kicker without having to
go to Europe.
With the proliferation of sports camps, including
many specific to kicking, the younger players
have access and exposure to many of the
kicking developments.
David Akers kicks off
Page 42
We asked NFL kickers why they keep getting better. Following are their answers:
Mason Crosby
“Kicking is becoming a very refined, detailed skill. There is more interest in the details and specialty of kicking.
There is truly a high level of veteran kickers in the NFL. The guys who have been around improving the field
goal percentages for years are becoming more and more accurate and pushing younger kickers to keep pace. It
is a great challenge to have. Now the precedent has been set… we have no choice to but to keep accuracy at
an all time high level.”
Robbie Gould
“It’s just a matter of kickers becoming more specialized. Guys are now kicking more often year round. We are
really getting a grasp of wind conditions and surface conditions.”
Jeff Reed
“It is kind of crazy. I look at my own stats because as a competitor you compare yourself to other guys no matter
where they kick. At times you like to use the excuse ‘he made all of those kicks because he plays in a dome,’
but you still have to make them. It can definitely be a helping factor, but sometimes it won’t make a difference
where you kick. Either way, with human error, nobody is perfect. To see guys kicking the way they are, and I
think I have a great percentage the past two years, sometimes I have not even been considered for the Pro
Bowl and other times I’m an alternate when I thought that I had an awesome year and our team had a great
year. If you are under 80% you are not considered very good, and that is crazy because 80% is 4-of-5, and I
would take that all day. If I finish at 80% - that is my goal every year. Obviously you want to be at 100%, but as a
human you realize that you are not going to make everything. There are 31 other kickers in the NFL and 500
guys waiting to do your job, so I guess you just put a little bit of pressure on yourself because so many games
come down to field goals.”
Joe Nedney
“Field goal accuracy has improved simply because placekickers have improved. The entire kicking position has
become more of a craft and the kickers in the NFL are all very good at what they do. Also, teams don't tolerate
a 70% kicker anymore like in decades past so there had to be improvement. The quality of the playing surfaces
has helped too. We're kicking off fairways today as opposed to some of the conditions years ago.”
Ryan Longwell
“It's a more specialized position now, and teams that want to win tend to leave the kicker, holder, snapper
combination together from year to year so there is no learning curve in starting each year. Plus games are so
close now in the league you need a proven guy who can make the ones he's supposed to.”
Where Do We Go From Here?
Rich McKay, NFL Competition Committee Co-chairman
"I think there was [such a discussion about again narrowing the goal post]. Maybe it's been eight or nine years.
There has not been since then. I have not really heard much discussion of it. I think that the numbers have
increased at a pretty high rate here with the accuracy.... It's just incredible how accurate the kickers have
become. Does that mean there will be some discussion of it going forward? I don't know. But I wouldn't doubt
that somebody is going to bring it back up because the accuracy is very impressive. I'll give them that. And
maybe that's something, because we're always going to look at the ratio of touchdowns to field goals, and one
of the things about accuracy of field goals is that ratio tends to go in the wrong direction. And so at some point
I'm sure somebody will bring it back up and we'll be back talking about it."
Page 43
16. Attempts-Adjusted Accuracy (AAA)
“Philosophy is like trying to open a safe with a combination lock: each little adjustment of the dials seems to achieve
nothing, only when everything is in place does the door open.” - Ludwig Wittgenstein
Section by guest freelance writer Andrew Brecher
Even more than other fantasy football positions, kickers are a product of talent and opportunity. Both are important
when ranking kickers, but just looking at kicker points in past years doesn’t help you distinguish between the two,
which is important considering how much scoring opportunity can change from year to year. However, a closer
look at kicker statistics can tell you a lot about a kicker’s talent – if you know what to look for.
Because missed PATs are so rare, field goal percentage is commonly used to measure kickers’ talent. But very
few people realize that it’s not a very good measure at all. Understanding what’s missing in that simple percentage
is the key to discovering a kicker’s actual value.
Let’s compare two hypothetical kickers. Suppose Kicker A makes 18 of 20 FGs (90%), while Kicker B makes 20 of
25 FGs (80%). Is it possible that Kicker B is really more talented?
The answer is yes. A straight percentage does not differentiate between short and long FGs. All kickers are more
accurate at shorter distances than at longer distances, so a kicker who only attempts shorter FGs will have a higher
percentage than a kicker who attempts longer FGs, even if the talent is the same. So if Kicker A’s attempts tended
to be of much shorter distance than Kicker B’s, comparing overall FG% doesn’t tell you anything about their talent.
Understanding this, many people look at short-distance accuracy, such as attempts of less than 40 yards,
separately from accuracy at longer distances.
But this gets you only halfway there. Adjusting for distance is certainly better than looking at aggregate FG% alone,
but it misses one crucial element of kicker performance. Let’s go back to our hypothetical Kicker A and Kicker B:
Kicker A
Kicker B
0-39 yds
40-49 yds
50+ yds
0-39 yds
40-49 yds
50+ yds
16/17 (94%)
2/3 (67%)
0/0 (-)
14/15 (93%)
4/6 (67%)
2/4 (50%)
Looking just at just the percentages, it is not obvious which kicker is better. So let’s take a look behind the
numbers.
You can see that Kicker A is good at the short distances, but he only attempted a handful of FGs of 40 yards or
more. Kicker B had more than three times as many attempts at long distances. What does this tell us? Most
likely, Kicker A’s coach must not trust him to make a long FG!
Kicker A’s coach probably knows that he is not very accurate at long distances, or may not have a strong enough
leg to even try for a long FG. This is certainly not the case with Kicker B. Once you realize this, it becomes
obvious that Kicker B is the better talent, and it’s not even very close.
So how can you get a handle on this kind of talent differential without swimming in numbers? The solution is a
rating measure called Attempts-Adjusted Accuracy (AAA). The AAA rating automatically adjusts for the extra
attempts that good kickers get to make to give you a better picture of kicker talent.
The AAA rating accounts for FG% under 40 yards (FG%[<40]) – attempts that every kicker should be expected to
make – as well as FG% of 40+ yards (FG%[40+]), but includes an adjustment for the ratio of attempts that are 40+
yards (FGA[40+]) to attempts under 40 yards (FGA[<40]). For the mathematically inclined, the exact formula is:
AAA = 100 * ((2/3 * FG%[<40]) + (1/3 * FG%[40+] * FGA[40+]/FGA[<40]))
Kicker B has an AAA of 75.6, which is about average for NFL kickers, but Kicker A has a terrible AAA rating of 66.7.
Page 44
This is not a perfect measure of talent; for example, a coach may avoid a long FG attempt because of bad weather,
not kicker talent. But unless a kicker changes teams, or a team is scheduled for a lot more outdoor December
games above the Mason-Dixon Line than in the past, the effect of weather does not change much from one year to
the next. So, for evaluating kickers for your fantasy team, this is not really a flaw.
The list below ranks kickers based on AAA rating for field goals over the past few years. Using this ranking, along
with your estimate of team scoring opportunities, will help you squeeze a few extra points from the kicker position
throughout the year
AAA
Kicker
1-39 1-39
made att
1-39
pct
4049
40- 50+ 50+
49 made att
total
FGM
total
FGA
Pct
97.0%
Carpenter, Dan
11
11
100.0%
9
13
1
1
21
25
84.0%
86.4%
Brown, Josh
72
76
94.7%
35
48
18
27
125
151
82.8%
85.3%
Kasay, John
76
77
98.7%
32
40
13
25
121
142
85.2%
84.5%
Folk, Nick
25
28
89.3%
17
18
4
7
46
53
86.8%
83.3%
Hanson, Jason
73
78
93.6%
33
42
16
22
122
142
85.9%
83.1%
Elam, Jason
86
89
96.6%
43
55
7
13
136
157
86.6%
82.0%
Rackers, Neil
83
89
93.3%
37
43
16
34
136
166
81.9%
81.9%
Bironas, Rob
68
72
94.4%
33
44
8
13
109
129
84.5%
81.5%
Hartley, Garrett
9
9
100.0%
4
4
0
0
13
13
100.0%
79.5%
Nedney, Joe
66
70
94.3%
29
34
6
11
101
115
87.8%
78.5%
Longwell, Ryan
72
79
91.1%
29
39
13
20
114
138
82.6%
78.4%
Janikowski, Sebastian
70
77
90.9%
27
39
14
30
110
145
75.9%
78.1%
Gould, Robbie
75
79
94.9%
35
47
0
2
110
128
85.9%
77.7%
Stover, Matt
99
103
96.1%
39
52
3
6
141
161
87.6%
77.5%
Kaeding, Nate
82
86
95.3%
30
42
6
9
118
137
86.1%
77.5%
Bryant, Matt
71
74
95.9%
28
38
2
10
101
122
82.8%
77.4%
Akers, David
77
84
91.7%
35
51
6
14
118
149
79.2%
77.3%
Suisham, Shaun
42
47
89.4%
22
32
3
7
67
86
77.9%
77.2%
Scobee, Josh
65
73
89.0%
32
46
7
12
104
131
79.4%
76.2%
Graham, Shayne
92
98
93.9%
35
43
5
10
132
151
87.4%
76.2%
Crosby, Mason
38
42
90.5%
14
20
6
11
58
73
79.5%
76.0%
Brown, Kris
71
82
86.6%
36
48
9
15
116
145
80.0%
75.9%
Prater, Matt
15
18
83.3%
6
14
5
6
26
38
68.4%
75.5%
Lindell, Rian
92
98
93.9%
30
44
8
11
130
153
85.0%
72.4%
Reed, Jeff
91
98
92.9%
27
39
4
8
122
145
84.1%
Page 45
72.2%
Feely, Jay
87
96
90.6%
28
38
6
9
121
143
84.6%
72.2%
Tynes, Lawrence
64
72
88.9%
22
32
6
11
92
115
80.0%
72.2%
Vinatieri, Adam
89
96
92.7%
28
37
2
7
119
140
85.0%
71.6%
Mare, Olindo
64
75
85.3%
25
31
8
20
97
126
77.0%
71.5%
Dawson, Phil
93
103
90.3%
29
40
6
10
128
153
83.7%
71.2%
Gramatica, Martin
18
22
81.8%
8
17
3
4
29
43
67.4%
71.2%
Carney, John
88
96
91.7%
25
35
4
5
117
136
86.0%
71.0%
Nugent, Mike
55
61
90.2%
17
22
3
9
75
92
81.5%
67.6%
Gostkowski, Stephen
61
68
89.7%
14
20
2
2
77
90
85.6%
66.7%
Rayner, Dave
28
35
80.0%
13
19
1
5
42
59
71.2%
63.3%
Barth, Connor
9
10
90.0%
1
1
0
1
10
12
83.3%
56.1%
Novak, Nick
13
19
68.4%
6
10
0
1
19
30
63.3%
55.6%
Mehlhaff, Taylor
2
3
66.7%
1
1
0
0
3
4
75.0%
Dan Carpenter
In his rookie season of 2008, Carpenter crushed the AAA
competition and landed way atop the list.
Page 46
17. The K-ball
“Just as there is a trend toward high tech today, there is another trend toward high touch - homemade and
wholesome.” - Meryl Gardner
The Official Game Balls
“In 1941, with "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins fast becoming the NFL's first great passing
quarterback, Wilson purchased "The Duke" name from rival Spalding. Ever since, Wilson has been the official
manufacturer of all NFL footballs. The Duke, also used by the American Football League from 1960 to 1969,
received a name change in 1969 when the two leagues merged. It is now simply called the NFL ball. Wilson
continued to improve the ball with such innovations as hand-sewn ends, triple lining and lock-stitch seams. In
1951, rubber footballs were tried briefly, and in 1956, the NFL approved the use of easier-to-see white footballs
for night games. This evolved into special night footballs with white stripes around each end—banned in 1976
because the paint made the balls slick. In 1955, Wilson developed the TD football, which featured a new
Tanned-in-Tack material, also known as Grip-Tite. This material has a tacky feel that makes the ball easier to
grip, especially when wet. The exclusive Tanned-in-Tack cowhide leather is supplied by the Horween Leather
Co., and has been since 1941. That's right. No pigskin. In 1981, a new Ultra Pebble design for the leather, which
further enhanced the grip, was introduced. Inside the ball is a high-tech three-ply polyurethane bladder. Two of
the layers are standard polyurethane but the third is a unique material, which is secret. In fact, Wilson's bladder
recipe is such a well-kept secret that factory tours in that area of the facility are forbidden. The lacing, once
fragile cotton, like shoelaces, is now made of an extruded polyvinyl chloride, which is more durable. The process
of fabricating a ball, whether it's for the shelf at Wal-Mart or the next Super Bowl, is surprisingly simple and has
remained basically unchanged since 1941. The four panels of the ball are cut cookie-cutter style from a large
sheet of leather. The panels are then checked for blemishes and weighed to make sure they meet
specifications. Linings for each panel and reinforcements for the bladder opening and valve ring are then added.
After the panels are hand-sewn together inside out, the ball is turned through the lace opening using an iron
post and a bit of muscle. The bladder is inserted and the ball is double laced by hand. It's then over-inflated to
80 psi so its appearance, stitching and shape can be examined. If it passes inspection, it's stamped "NFL,"
deflated and delivered.”
- from Popular Mechanics article by Scott Oldham, 2001
Behind the Scenes Modifications
Prior to 1999, all game balls were sent to a team during the week prior to a game. Equipment managers would then
prep the balls, typically by rubbing them down with a brush or towel, and possibly using a little rubbing alcohol to
get rid of the slickness. Anything more than that might create issues for the quarterbacks. But some kickers had
other ideas in a quest to create the ideal kicking ball. There are numerous stories regarding their methods to try to
make the ball softer, a little rounder, with looser seams and an inflated bladder.
What did they allegedly do? Soak them in water, lemonade, or evaporated milk. Bake them in an oven, either as is
or wrapped in aluminum foil. Nuke them in a microwave. Steam them in a sauna. Run them through clothes dryer
cycles. Bath them for several hours in a hot tub. Bash them against hard surfaces. Repeatedly drop heavy weights
on them. Over-inflate them for several days, and then deflate them back to regulation pressure prior to the game.
Deluxe treatments combined several of the methods, such as over-inflating, followed by rubbing alcohol, then
baking them, and finally deflating.
In 1994 the league made an attempt to curb the illegal doctoring of balls. They implemented levying a $15,000 fine
against the equipment manager of any team caught with a doctored ball. While this may have reduced occurrences
of tampering, it did not eliminate the problem.
The K-ball Arrives
The K-ball rule was implemented in 1999, and ensures that all kicking plays in games will use a brand new ball,
rather than one that has been “broken in” or possibly tampered with. They are the same regulation size, shape, and
weight as all other balls. From the NFL Rules:
The home club shall have 36 balls for outdoor games and 24 for indoor games available for testing with a
pressure gauge by the referee two hours prior to the starting time of the game to meet with League
requirements. Twelve (12) new footballs, sealed in a special box and shipped by the manufacturer, will be
Page 47
opened in the officials’ locker room two hours prior to the starting time of the game. These balls are to be
specially marked with the letter "K" and used exclusively for the kicking game.
The night before a game, 12 balls marked with a "K" are
delivered straight from Wilson Sporting Goods to the
officials. Two hours before the game, the officials were
to prepare the balls by rubbing them down and brushing
them off. They would then check the air pressure and
put the balls in a bag until needed for kicking plays in
the game. The minimal pre-game preparation often
didn’t occur at all, and in 2002 the rule was modified to
allow the home teams' equipment personnel 20 minutes
to wipe down the balls.
More Rule Changes
The K-ball rules were modified prior to the 2007 season, primarily as a result of QB/holder Tony Romo’s
mishandled snap on a field goal attempt in the 2006 playoffs. The NFL now hired 16 people with officiating
backgrounds (all are on the league's candidates list), to serve as K-ball Coordinators. They travel to and from
games with that day's crew and that day's footballs. There are 12 K-balls, however the ball coordinator takes only
two with him to the sidelines. The rest remain in another area, available if and when they're needed. The balls are
marked K-1, K-2, K-3 and so forth, with the K-ball coordinator introducing them in sequence. K-ball No. 1 will be
used on the opening kickoff and on every kicking play it's no longer available. Then the No. 2 K-ball will be put into
play, and subsequently used on every kicking play until it is no longer available. And so forth.
Also changed for 2007 was the pre-game preparation of the balls. The time allotment was increased to 45 minutes
and both teams, rather than just the home team, were allowed to do the rub down.
During Footballguys’ interviews with various NFL kickers, they discussed the K-ball’s impact:
Ryan Longwell
“Yea, it’s a huge difference. I always use the example: it’s the equivalent of going out to short stop and having
someone hit you ground balls while wearing a broken in baseball glove, and then giving you a brand new glove
right of the rack and taking the same ground balls. The leather’s just harder; it’s not as flexible. When you’re
kicking something like that, it doesn’t fly as far. A broken in football gets some moisture in the leather, so there’s
a little more weight to it, so it can cut through wind and fly a little farther. The K-ball was a big difference. I think
that’s why you see, over the seven or eight years it’s been in the league, that a lot more of the teams are going
with veteran kickers and proven guys that can hit the ball solid, than a lot more of the young guys with big legs.
Because the big leg doesn’t necessarily translate into accuracy with the new K-ball like it did with the old broken
in balls.”
“We get brand new balls basically every week [in practice]. I don’t think we kick enough to break them in totally
over the course of a week. We’ll always use brand new balls. It’s changed probably more for the equipment
guys around the league than it has for anybody else, because they’re probably going through a lot more
rotatings. It’s just a factor that when I first got in the league it wasn’t there and then they changed it. It’s
something you’ve got to deal with.”
Joe Nedney
“The K-ball has improved over the years, but it varies from ball to ball. Not all leather panels are the same.
Some balls are knobbier, more rigid, and just plain hard while others can be smoother, softer and more pliable.
The referees give equipment guys about 15 to 20 minutes of supervised time to rub down the 12 K-balls. That
translates to a little over a minute per ball. That's nowhere near enough time. A bad K-ball can cost a kicker
five yards on field goal distance. The sweet spot on a bad K-ball is much smaller which increases the chance of
a miss-hit.”
Robbie Gould
“The K-balls are brand new balls so they don’t travel as far. If you have a ball that is more worked in, it is going
to travel a lot further. The good thing about a new ball is that it doesn’t move quite as much. An older ball that is
a little more deflated will move right or left a bit more.”
Page 48
Mason Crosby
“K-Balls are brand new footballs for each game and are only worked in for 45 minutes before a game. This
makes them less forgiving, but you will get a few really nice ones. It all depends on the quality of the ball and
how well it is worked in. You don’t get much consistency from ball to ball and I think that is a big reason we use
a K-ball.”
Jeff Reed
“There is definitely a difference. I can’t speak for the NFL, but I have heard stories. I never paid attention to or
heard of a K-ball until I got to the NFL. You were able to practice with the balls all week in practice and then use
them in games – that is what I did in college. Luckily, our quarterbacks chose the balls in college and they liked
the older ones to throw. That benefited me with hang time and distance. It definitely affects it because you never
know what you are going to get. For home games, your equipments guys rub the balls down. Our guy knows
what we like and what other teams like because I talk to other kickers. When it comes to away games, it is either
hit or miss because you get fantastic balls because the kicker and punter know what they are doing and they tell
the guys (rubbing the balls) or you get the guys who don’t know what they are doing or they don’t care about the
football, and it could be terrible. It can be hit or miss. I think that K-balls definitely affect kickers no matter what
anybody says.”
Jay Feely
“The interesting thing is that you can get a good K-ball or a bad K-ball. A k-ball is not a different ball in anyway
than the regular game ball; it’s just a ball that has not been broken in. The balls the quarterbacks use, they’ll
take them down, they’ll rub them, they’ll break them in, and use them throughout the week to have them not be
so new. The K-balls are brand new right out of the box. You’re not allowed to do anything to them. You’re not
allowed to kick them at all before the game. You can get a good new ball, or a bad new ball. The difference
between a good new ball and a bad new ball is probably about ten yards on a kickoff or a field goal. If you get a
bad ball when you go to kickoff, I’ll even tell our guys on our kickoff team, “Hey it’s a bad ball, be ready for a
short kick.” Because I know regardless of how well I kick it, it’s not gonna come down probably any deeper than
the ten yard line.”
“You can tell when you hold it. You can tell by feeling it, because the seams ridge up. The ends, which are
supposed to be round, are kind of square. The difference between a nubby ball and a smooth ball, the nubby
balls are bad balls that are not going to go as far. The smooth balls, the way they’re supposed to be, they going
to go a lot farther.”
Connor Barth
“It was definitely an adjustment at first. Kicking in
college we used Nike balls and for the most part it
was pretty broken in compared to what we kick in
the NFL now. When I first started kicking the NFL
ball I was struggling getting the ball to the five yard
line on kickoffs. Barely kicking 50 yards. But it’s all
about finding the sweet spot on that new ball. It
takes a couple months. But once I got into a rhythm
towards the latter part of my workouts for the draft
and then when I got to minicamp, I found out how to
kick the NFL ball and where that new sweet spot
was. For the most part it’s kind of like kicking in
college again, because once you find out where to
hit the NFL ball, on what sweet spot, it goes pretty
far, especially if you have the wind behind you. In
the beginning it was kind of frustrating because I
wasn’t hitting the ball very far, but once I got used to
it, it was an easy adjustment.”
Rian Lindell and a referee admire a K-ball.
Fantasy Impact
The effect of the K-ball on fantasy football can be seen on rookies or players new to the NFL coming from some
other league. Many have difficulty adjusting to the ball. The statistics regarding their accuracy and range in college
or in another league often have no bearing on how they will perform in the NFL. The K-ball may also lead to a
significant drop in their effectiveness on kickoffs. That doesn’t matter during the regular season for fantasy players
(unless your fantasy league incorporates kickoffs in its scoring); however it can be a significant factor for kickers
competing for a job in the pre-season.
Page 49
18. The Kickoff
“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.”
- Swami Vivekananda
We asked NFL kickers to discuss any technique differences between kicking off and placekicking.
Following are their answers:
Ryan Longwell
“I think they’re both very unique. Field goals are much more precise than kicking off, meaning that you’re
probably not going to be as successful swinging 100% at a field goal as you will be swinging at 85% or 90%.
It’s very similar to what they say on the golf course; what the pros say about swinging a golf club. Kicking off,
however, is basically about how much power you can put into the ball without over-kicking it. So they’re two
different things. Like I said, with the new K-balls you’re not seeing the guys who are just pounding the ball
eight to ten yards deep. I think that’s why you’re seeing a lot more kickers that are great field goal kickers and
good kickoff guys, instead of the kickoff specialists with big legs because there’s just not that big a difference
anymore with the K-ball.”
Connor Barth
“It’s a big adjustment. That’s where a lot of people don’t
understand the kicking game as much. There’s a huge
difference between kicking off and kicking field goals.
Kicking field goals from a body and technique
perspective, you want to stay more upright and not
crunch as much. That’s going to let your leg extend up
and it’s going to give you more height. When you
kickoff, you want to almost do a hurdling motion and a
crunching motion. You’re pretty much trying to be as
aggressive as you can when you hit the ball, but you
don’t want to be overly aggressive where you’re out of
control. It’s almost like controlled aggression. That’s
what I call it when you attack that ball. You hit it really
well, but you’re under control and you know what you’re
doing and you have good technique. The main thing
with kickoffs, when you make contact with the football
you want to hurdle through it and land on your actual
kicking foot. I’m right footed so when I kickoff, when I hit
the ball I land on the same foot that I kick with. It’s like a
hurdling motion while I’m crunching. On a field goal you
want to skip through the ball. When you plant your foot,
you want to skip through that same foot. That keeps
your momentum through the ball. If you don’t skip
through the ball when kicking a field goal, all your
momentum goes into the ground and you lose the
distance. You want to make sure you take all your body
weight and get it through the ball. The main difference
between kicking off and kicking field goals is when you
hit the ball, when you make contact, on field goals
you’re kind of skipping through, but when you kickoff
you’re almost doing a crunch kind of like a hurdle.”
Jay Feely
“When you’re kicking a field goal you
come down on your plant foot. When
you’re kicking off you actually land on
your kicking leg, because you want to
explode through the ball. When you’re
kicking a field goal it’s a controlled
movement, where you’re working on
consistency. When you’re kicking off, it’s
an explosive movement where you’re
trying to kick the ball as high and as far
as you can.”
Mason Crosby
“It’s mainly in the approach. Kickoffs are more steps and the ability to tee the ball up allows for more hang time.”
Page 50
19. Do Good Offenses Produce High
Scoring Kickers?
“Bobby Knight told me this: 'There is nothing that a good defense cannot beat a better offense.' In other words a
good offense wins.” - Dan Quayle
KICKER SCORING RANK COMPARED TO OFFENSIVE SCORING AND YARDAGE RANKS
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
rnk O-pt O-yd ∆O rnk O-pt O-yd ∆O rnk O-pt O-yd ∆O rnk O-pt O-yd ∆O rnk O-pt O-yd ∆O
1
4
2
(2)
1
2
15
13
1
17
7
(10)
1
4
7
3
1
3
7
4
2
1
1
0
2
1
4
3
2
3
3
0
2
9
5
(4)
2
2
3
1
3
22
21
(1)
3
10
6
(4)
3
4
8
4
3
1
2
1
3
5
9
4
4
2
3
1
4
2
3
1
4
6
1
(5)
3
11
14
3
4
8
20
12
5
11
10
(1)
5
12
17
5
5
8
22
14
5
10
19
9
5
15
16
1
6
9
9
0
6
9
10
1
5
2
5
3
5
8
8
0
5
10
8
(2)
7
18
27
9
7
21
22
1
7
9
16
7
7
5
4
(1)
7
4
4
0
8
16
19
3
8
19
18
(1)
7
11
6
(5)
8
20
31
11
8
9
6
(3)
9
8
8
0
8
24
26
2
9
7
4
(3)
8
7
24
17
9
11
17
6
10
3
5
2
10
8
8
0
10
25
24
(1)
10
3
11
8
9
7
5
(2)
10
5
20
15
10
17
21
4
10
24
29
5
11
2
1
(1)
11
12
18
6
10
18
18
0
10
5
1
(4)
12
5
10
5
11
12
9
(3)
12
13
12
(1)
13
18
15
(3)
13
14
19
5
13
1
2
1
13
18
20
2
12
1
2
1
14
12
14
2
14
4
5
1
14
16
14
(2)
14
17
12
(5)
14
24
29
5
15
21
11
(10) 14
22
9
(13) 15
14
13
(1)
15
14
16
2
14
23
21
(2)
16
9
17
8
16
15
16
1
15
12
19
7
16
27
28
1
16
6
1
(5)
17
7
12
5
16
11
14
3
17
19
25
6
16
24
26
2
16
14
10
(4)
17
25
26
1
18
18
25
7
18
27
28
1
18
13
13
0
18
22
23
1
19
6
7
1
19
7
11
4
19
10
9
(1)
18
6
3
(3)
19
19
22
3
19
14
16
2
20
23
30
7
20
32
26
(6)
18
22
23
1
20
21
15
(6)
21
17
6
(11) 20
6
2
(4)
21
30
32
2
21
15
10
(5)
20
17
24
7
22
24
22
(2)
22
12
7
(5)
21
21
17
(4)
22
26
27
1
22
27
25
(2)
23
29
23
(6)
23
25
12
(13) 23
18
15
(3)
22
16
18
2
23
29
27
(2)
24
26
29
3
23
27
24
(3)
23
20
23
3
24
29
22
(7)
23
26
32
6
24
15
13
(2)
23
29
20
(9)
25
31
20
(11) 25
25
17
(8)
25
25
13
(12)
26
23
25
2
26
16
27
11
26
15
12
(3)
26
19
6
(13) 26
20
30
10
26
28
24
(4)
27
20
13
(7)
27
13
11
(2)
27
21
15
(6)
27
30
19
(11)
28
30
30
0
28
26
23
(3)
28
26
31
5
28
28
29
1
28
28
31
3
29
26
28
2
29
30
31
1
29
22
18
(4)
29
31
30
(1)
28
16
14
(2)
30
12
4
(8)
30
28
28
0
29
29
30
1
30
30
25
(5)
28
18
11
(7)
31
31
31
0
31
31
29
(2)
29
23
21
(2)
30
23
21
(2)
31
31
28
(3)
32
32
32
0
32
32
32
0
32
28
27
(1)
32
32
32
0
32
32
26
(6)
Page 51
Top 5 Kickers
rnk
O-pt
1-5
40
42%
36
6-10
33
34%
11-15
16
16-20
Top 6-10 Kickers
O-yd
rnk
O-pt
O-yd
38%
1-5
23
25%
26
28%
24
25%
6-10
28
30%
22
24%
17%
12
13%
11-15
21
23%
11
12%
3
3%
9
9%
16-20
13
14%
16
17%
21-25
4
4%
14
15%
21-25
7
8%
12
13%
26-32
0
0%
1
1%
26-32
1
1%
6
6%
The numbers in the lower two tables date back to 1990. They confirm what most of us already suspected. There
appears to be a strong correlation between kicker scoring and offensive rankings. 73% of top five kickers came
from top ten scoring offenses, while 60% came from top ten yardage offenses.
Shayne Graham
From 2004 to 2007, the Cincinnati Bengals were a top ten
offense, and they also ranked in the top ten in kicker
scoring each year. In 2008 the offense dropped to last
st
place and kicker scoring dropped to 31 place.
Page 52
20. Do Poor Red Zone Offenses Produce
High Scoring Kickers?
“The red zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. There is no stopping in a white zone.”
- male airport PA announcer
“No, the white zone is for loading. There is no stopping in the red zone.” - female airport PA announcer
“The red zone has always been for loading.” - male announcer
“Don't you tell me which zone is for loading and which zone is for unloading.” - female announcer
THREE YEAR STUDY OF RED ZONE STATISTICS
2005
K-rnk trips RZ%
TD
FG
2004
nil K-rnk trips RZ%
TD
FG
2003
nil K-rnk trips RZ% TD FG nil
Ari
1
46
51.6% 13
25
8
22
37
61.4% 18
11
8
32
43 55.8% 18
14
11
Atl
15
54
72.5% 31
19
4
22
50
66.9% 27
15
8
26
46 67.1% 24
16
6
Bal
10
42
54.4% 16
16
10
8
40
68.2% 20
17
3
4
50 62.6% 21
24
5
Buf
10
49
53.1% 17
21
11
8
62
60.4% 28
22
12
31
45 60.0% 21
14
10
Car
5
53
72.2% 31
17
5
18
52
72.8% 31
16
5
5
42 60.9% 17
20
5
Chi
28
43
62.5% 20
16
7
32
38
52.3% 16
9
13
14
45 62.2% 22
14
9
Cin
3
62
70.3% 35
20
7
5
55
64.9% 28
18
9
12
47 72.3% 28
14
5
Cle
20
39
50.2% 11
20
8
16
41
63.1% 19
16
6
23
42 60.5% 19
15
8
Dal
26
53
66.6% 28
17
8
25
40
65.4% 21
12
7
20
46 59.3% 20
17
9
Den
9
58
71.4% 35
15
8
2
53
59.8% 24
18
11
5
56 69.1% 31
18
7
Det
32
36
64.3% 18
12
6
16
43
62.1% 19
18
6
23
38 58.3% 17
12
9
GB
29
46
59.9% 22
13
11
7
52
69.2% 30
14
8
7
52 77.7% 34
15
3
Hou
18
37
62.9% 16
17
4
27
44
67.9% 26
9
9
28
34 75.6% 21
11
2
Ind
5
61
71.9% 37
16
8
3
67
72.3% 42
15
10
2
62 68.2% 32
24
6
Jac
15
49
72.3% 29
15
5
24
45
59.4% 19
18
8
25
45 56.8% 20
13
12
KC
4
54
67.7% 28
20
6
11
59
74.3% 40
9
10
12
54 86.5% 42
11
1
Mia
14
52
55.2% 21
18
13
28
38
59.8% 18
11
9
20
43 61.8% 21
13
9
Min
17
51
59.4% 23
17
11
18
58
66.5% 33
13
12
16
55 66.5% 31
13
11
NE
19
58
74.9% 37
15
6
1
63
72.3% 37
20
6
11
50 61.1% 22
20
8
NO
25
42
55.4% 16
17
9
15
47
65.7% 27
9
11
16
40 68.9% 22
13
5
NYG
2
59
61.7% 27
22
10
18
54
60.1% 26
15
13
27
47 50.2% 18
13
16
NYJ
29
43
59.1% 19
15
9
14
43
70.1% 25
12
6
14
40 64.6% 19
16
5
Oak
29
45
61.9% 21
16
8
13
40
65.0% 20
14
6
22
34 58.0% 15
11
8
Phi
23
41
66.2% 22
12
7
5
47
72.0% 30
9
8
9
51 77.0% 32
17
2
Pit
7
56
76.8% 34
21
1
3
61
60.7% 28
21
12
19
44 59.1% 20
14
10
SD
12
50
80.3% 35
12
3
10
63
78.7% 44
13
6
28
46 57.1% 22
10
14
Sea
13
60
79.5% 43
11
6
11
53
72.2% 31
17
5
9
50 74.0% 31
14
5
SF
21
28
63.8% 11
16
1
30
41
62.4% 20
13
8
8
62 58.5% 29
17
16
Stl
7
51
63.0% 24
19
8
26
42
67.0% 23
12
7
1
68 67.0% 34
27
7
TB
23
39
66.7% 20
14
5
30
40
64.3% 21
11
8
28
40 67.9% 22
12
6
Ten
21
46
60.9% 22
14
10
21
45
66.0% 25
11
9
3
60 66.9% 32
19
9
Was
27
47
72.9% 30
10
7
29
44
67.9% 23
16
5
18
45 67.6% 24
15
6
Page 53
Top 5 Kickers
Quan
RZ%
Top 6-10 Kickers
Quan
RZ%
0
75%+
5
75%+
7
70-74.9%
2
70-74.9%
9
65-69.9%
5
65-69.9%
5
60-64.9%
3
60-64.9%
2
55-59.9%
1
55-59.9%
1
54.9%-
2
54.9%-
A common assumption is that poor red zone offenses are good sources for kicker scoring, since the team would be
scoring more field goals than touchdowns. The numbers do not support that. More top ten kickers tend to come
from average to slightly above average red zone teams.
Dallas Cowboys kicker Nick Folk attempts a field goal over the
outstretched arms of the Philadelphia Eagles defenders.
Page 54
21. Do Good Defenses Produce High
Scoring Kickers?
“I always root for the defense.” - Wellington Mara
KICKER SCORING RANK COMPARED TO DEFENSIVE SCORING AND YARDAGE RANKS
rnk
2007
D-pt D-yd ∆D
rnk
2006
D-pt D-yd ∆D
rnk
2005
D-pt D-yd ∆D
rnk
2004
D-pt D-yd ∆D
rnk
2003
D-pt D-yd ∆D
1
6
11
5
1
3
5
2
1
26
8
(18)
1
2
9
7
1
17
17
0
2
4
4
0
2
7
10
3
2
14
24
10
2
10
4
(6)
2
20
10
(10)
3
8
5
(3)
3
28
23
(5)
3
22
28
6
3
19
29
10
3
13
13
0
4
13
9
(4)
4
23
21
(2)
4
16
25
9
3
1
1
0
4
6
4
(2)
5
24
27
3
5
1
1
0
5
5
3
(2)
5
21
19
(2)
5
10
8
(2)
6
6
15
9
6
4
2
(2)
5
2
11
9
5
3
10
7
5
9
3
(6)
7
16
28
12
7
28
30
2
7
3
4
1
7
23
25
2
7
11
16
5
8
32
32
0
8
29
29
0
7
31
30
(1)
8
6
6
0
8
21
15
(6)
9
21
30
9
8
32
26
(6)
9
4
15
11
8
8
2
(6)
9
7
22
15
10
1
3
2
10
17
30
13
10
10
5
(5)
10
11
18
7
9
16
19
3
10
5
14
9
10
8
14
6
10
24
29
5
11
29
31
2
11
1
7
6
10
3
2
(1)
10
13
11
(2)
12
13
13
0
11
22
26
4
12
28
28
0
13
11
8
(3)
13
19
19
0
13
7
16
9
13
31
30
(1)
12
19
29
10
14
22
24
2
14
20
13
(7)
14
15
18
3
14
4
7
3
14
22
12
(10)
15
28
19
(9)
14
25
12
(13) 15
18
22
4
15
28
32
4
14
8
20
12
16
2
1
(1)
16
11
16
5
15
6
6
0
16
24
15
(9)
16
23
25
2
17
27
17
(10) 16
24
25
1
17
19
21
2
16
18
22
4
16
14
18
4
17
19
18
(1)
18
6
20
14
18
32
31
(1)
18
16
20
4
18
24
23
(1)
19
10
12
2
19
2
6
4
19
17
26
9
18
26
28
2
19
15
9
(6)
19
17
7
(10) 20
10
18
8
20
11
17
6
18
17
13
(4)
20
2
1
(1)
21
9
10
20
15
15
0
21
30
32
2
21
30
27
(3)
20
3
11
8
22
22
6
(16) 22
11
9
(2)
21
29
19
(10) 22
12
12
0
22
26
30
4
23
29
29
0
23
15
22
7
23
27
23
(4)
22
14
14
0
23
12
14
2
24
15
16
1
23
8
7
(1)
23
8
1
(7)
24
7
11
4
23
25
21
(4)
24
12
20
8
23
5
4
(1)
25
28
14
(14) 25
27
16
(11)
25
18
6
(12)
26
26
22
(4)
26
31
32
1
26
12
10
(2)
26
25
17
(8)
26
30
32
2
26
31
21
(10) 27
27
31
4
27
9
9
0
27
15
23
8
27
29
26
(3)
28
18
31
13
28
14
8
(6)
28
1
2
1
28
20
8
(12)
28
27
31
4
29
30
23
(7)
29
22
27
5
29
20
7
(13) 29
5
3
(2)
28
31
27
(4)
30
25
26
1
30
25
24
(1)
29
23
12
(11) 30
32
24
(8)
28
4
5
1
31
14
13
(1)
31
21
17
(4)
29
25
27
2
30
9
5
(4)
31
5
2
(3)
32
20
25
5
32
18
3
(15) 32
21
20
(1)
32
13
21
8
32
32
24
(8)
1
Page 55
Top 5 Kickers
rnk
D-pt
1-5
28
29%
27
6-10
22
23%
11-15
20
16-20
Top 6-10 Kickers
D-yd
rnk
D-pt
D-yd
28%
1-5
20
21%
19
20%
22
23%
6-10
20
21%
15
16%
21%
19
20%
11-15
14
15%
19
20%
13
13%
7
7%
16-20
12
13%
14
15%
21-25
9
9%
12
12%
21-25
16
17%
11
12%
26-32
5
5%
10
10%
26-32
12
13%
16
17%
The numbers in the lower two tables date back to 1990. There appears to be a slight correlation between kicker
scoring and defensive rankings. 50% of top five kickers came from top ten scoring defenses, while 49% came from
top ten yardage defenses.
Jeff Reed (being held aloft)
In 2007 and 20087, the Pittsburgh Steelers had the top ranked defense,
th
th
however they only ranked 16 and 18 in kicker scoring.
Page 56
22. Do Personnel Changes Impact Kicker
Scoring?
"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." - Karen Kaiser Clark
A common assumption is that a team is more likely to succeed if there is continuity in their players and personnel
from one year to the next. Does that also apply to kicker scoring? The following table looks at turnover since 1990
for three key positions: the kicker himself, the head coach, and the quarterback. The “total” column is the yearly
turnover percentage for the entire NFL during that span at that position. The last two columns are the turnover for
teams that end up in the top ten in kicker scoring in that year. In all cases, the turnover in teams that ended up in
the top ten in kicker scoring was less than the NFL average. That is even truer for teams that ended up in the top
five.
total
top 5 K
top 6-10 K
K
24.4%
16.5%
17.2%
HC
22.8%
10.3%
17.2%
QB
38.2%
21.6%
22.6%
There are two other important personnel changes to watch which relate to kickers. The first involves the two other
players that are most directly involved in placekicking: the longsnapper and the holder. These two along with the
kicker need to develop a precise rhythm for the snapping-holding-kicking process. That development can take
weeks, more likely months, and possibly even years to reach full effect. When one or more of those three players
changes, the learning process starts over. It’s not unheard of for the decline in numbers by a normally reliable and
productive kicker to be partially or significantly attributed to working with a new holder.
The other important change of personnel to watch is the
entire offensive line. Much like the three players involved
on a kick, the five players on the offensive line need time
working together to develop into a cohesive effective unit.
If they haven’t then the entire offense can be hindered,
which in turn limits scoring opportunities for the kicker. A
top five kicker from the previous year could look like he
would be strong bet to repeat that performance. If his
team’s offensive is breaking in a new rookie or two, and/or
a new free agent or two, and/or shifting players within the
line to a different position, then the repeat performance
may be highly unlikely.
The impact of the last two personnel change categories
are fairly simple and straight forward, however they are
often overlooked factors. Paying attention to these
changes during the off-season, pre-season, and during the
regular season if they occur, can help identify kickers that
are more likely to under-perform.
Ryan Plackemeier and Shaun Suisham
With a new holder in 2008, the Washington
Redskins’ field goal accuracy declined.
Page 57
23. Domes vs. Outdoor Stadiums
“The sky's the limit if you have a roof over your head.” - Sol Hurok
During discussions on drafting kickers, someone usually suggests to draft a kicker from a team with a domed
stadium. Sounds reasonable. At least half their games will be indoors, without interference from Mother Nature. Do
kickers actually perform better indoors, or is it just a kickers' wives' tale?
DOMES vs. OUTDOORS vs. RETRACTABLE ROOF STADIUMS
FG Total
avg
FG
1-19
FG
20-29
Stadium
md
att
md att md
Dome
visitors
563
683 82.4%
6
6
Dome
Home
598
712 84.0%
9
9
Dome
total
att
FG
30-39
md
att
FG
40-49
md
att
FG
50+
POINTS
md att XPm XPa
Total
ppg
180 186 160 180 164 219
53
91
862
866
2551
6.9
199 202 180 206 161 218
49
76
915
925
2709
7.3
1161 1395 83.2% 15
15 379 388 340 386 325 437 102 167 1777 1791
5260
7.1
Outdoors
visitors
2245 2824 79.5% 33
33 753 794 720 850 611 894 127 250 3101 3142
9836
6.2
Outdoors
home
2427 3041 79.8% 37
38 831 871 800 943 633 928 126 258 3695 3748 10976
7.0
Outdoors
total
4672 5865 79.7% 70
71 1584 1665 1520 1793 1244 1822 253 508 6796 6890 20812
6.6
Retractable
visitors
151
178 84.8%
3
3
55
55
43
51
36
51
14
18
199
199
652
7.3
Retractable
home
126
151 83.4%
3
4
34
35
41
45
38
44
10
23
221
221
599
6.7
Retractable
total
277
329 84.2%
6
7
89
90
84
96
74
95
24
41
420
420
1251
7.0
The numbers support the assumption. Both field goal percentage and points-per-game were higher in domes
during the eight year span from 2001 to 2008. What if the numbers are skewed because some of the better kickers
(e.g. Vanderjagt & Wilkins) happened to kick in domes during that time? If we look just at the visitors, which provide
a broader spectrum of kickers, they also have better numbers in the domes. The retractable roof numbers are
limited since only the Texans’, Cardinals’, and Colts’ stadiums fell into that category for a portion of the time. The
Cowboys’ new stadium will also start adding to that category.
Metrodome, Minnesota
Soldier Field II, Chicago
Page 58
ANNUAL TEAM KICKER SCORING RANKINGS (w/ DOME TEAMS SHADED IN GRAY)
Ari
Atl
Bal
Buf
Car
Chi
Cin
Cle
Dal
Den
Det
GB
Hou
Ind
Jac
KC
Mia
Min
NE
NO
NYG
NYJ
Oak
Phi
Pit
SD
Sea
SF
Stl
TB
Ten
Was
‘08
‘07
‘06
6
11
12
5
15
31
22
26
19
30
7
23
22
28
24
7
5
9
4
15
8
1
23
5
20
23
1
10
29
14
10
7
14
29
32
23
7
2
15
1
20
28
3
18
7
26
14
21
4
7
23
10
19
31
29
24
2
30
19
17
26
21
16
10
6
32
26
10
3
13
4
6
16
23
28
19
10
16
18
32
20
22
2
13
8
3
31
26
27
‘05
1
15
10
10
5
28
3
20
26
9
32
29
‘04
22
22
8
8
18
32
5
16
25
2
16
7
‘03
32
26
4
31
5
14
12
23
20
5
23
7
‘02
29
1
22
12
29
23
28
20
32
9
20
4
‘01
21
7
7
29
25
13
30
21
26
3
27
15
‘00
28
21
1
12
5
26
31
30
18
2
19
2
‘99
27
29
8
13
6
30
28
31
23
8
17
12
‘98
13
8
25
2
21
24
28
‘97
26
16
13
20
22
27
28
‘96
18
19
25
17
1
21
13
‘95
15
4
13
6
19
10
8
‘94
22
17
7
7
‘93
18
10
22
15
22
9
17
21
5
5
11
4
3
1
7
5
5
14
30
11
5
2
2
17
6
3
18
14
2
7
2
4
5
15
4
14
17
19
3
24
11
28
18
1
15
18
14
13
5
3
10
11
30
26
30
21
29
2
25
12
20
16
11
16
27
14
22
9
19
28
9
8
1
28
3
18
19
25
7
13
15
10
3
16
17
4
2
8
26
17
10
24
4
14
27
2
28
14
20
31
11
11
19
15
6
7
3
5
24
17
1
10
23
18
6
17
23
10
11
15
15
25
19
8
6
14
27
22
24
12
4
8
28
1
4
13
2
21
16
25
21
13
7
26
20
10
3
24
5
17
17
10
14
12
10
17
1
7
23
20
8
27
30
16
19
18
15
26
21
3
29
7
1
11
7
24
10
22
20
5
29
19
15
16
18
4
14
30
11
25
2
9
27
26
20
5
28
22
29
15
10
16
7
12
4
23
23
3
7
20
26
18
9
7
23
26
25
30
21
22
1
24
15
14
25
20
11
10
2
4
5
18
24
15
16
13
1
25
11
27
21
28
20
13
11
15
23
8
13
23
1
25
9
6
19
12
28
26
5
27
2
29
29
23
7
12
13
21
7
23
21
27
28
10
10
What does the slightly higher field goal accuracy and points per game inside domes translate into in the fantasy
world? The average year end fantasy rank for kickers with a home dome is 14.7, while outdoor kickers average a
15.5 ranking. The Texans, Cardinals, and Colts retractable dome seasons were omitted, as were any instances
where a team split its home games between two stadium types within one year.
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis (retractable)
Page 59
24. Weather Report
“Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” - Mark Twain
A Conversation About Weather
Weather is probably the one and only universal topic that can enter any conversation. It can be the main topic or a
sub-topic. And of course, as a last resort, it can be the topic when there is no actual conversation.
Relative to fantasy football, weather potentially impacts the performance of teams and the individual players.
Weather comes in many shapes and sizes, each with varied results. Poor weather can be conducive to a sloppy
defensive battle. Field conditions may lead an offense to alter their play calling. Strong winds can deter deep
passes and long kicks. Heavy rain can create a challenge for any players that handle the ball. While the specific
ways in which weather can hinder players is certainly important, it is not the thrust of this particular conversation.
The primary question of this
section is where and when
does weather typically
strike? The simple answer
that often quickly surfaces
is in the north in December.
Is the answer truly that
simple? Northern cities and
December obviously do not
have a monopoly on
inclement weather, but are
they the only ones with a
high enough probability of
bad weather to merit the
concern of fantasy owners?
The tables on the following
pages show weather data in
three key categories:
temperature, precipitation
and wind. The monthly
averages, September
through December, are
NOAA Virtual Weather Map
based on years of
accumulated data.
Numbers were compiled
from Weather.com and the NOAA National Data Center. Values towards the extremes are highlighted.
Weather data is shown for all NFL cities, including those that presently have domed stadiums. The indoor venue
locations are included 1) in the interest of thoroughness, 2) for anyone doing tailgating research, and 3) for those
rare occasions when there are structural problems with the stadium roof and the team has to temporarily play
games at the outdoor stadium of a nearby university.
Page 60
TEMPERATURE
PRECIPITATION
WIND
Avg. Days
Mean Avg. Days
Avg.
Avg.
Avg. Wind Wind
High above Record High Temp. Low below Record low Precip.
Snow Precip. Speed Speed
(°F) 90°F
(°F)
(°F) 32°F
(inches) (inches) Days Avg. Max.
Arizona Cardinals
Sep
99
28
116°F (1950)
87
75
0
47°F (1965)
0.75
0.0
2
6.3
39
Oct
88
15
107°F (1980)
75
63
0
34°F (1971)
0.79
trace
2
5.8
37
Nov
75
15
96°F (1924)
63
50
0
27°F (1931)
0.73
0.0
2
5.3
31
Dec
70
0
87°F (1950)
56
44
1
22°F (1911)
0.92
trace
3
5.1
39
Atlanta Falcons
Sep
82
3
102°F (1925)
73
64
0
36°F (1967)
4.09
0.0
7
8.1
41
Oct
73
0
95°F (1954)
63
53
0
28°F (1976)
3.11
trace
6
8.5
35
Nov
63
0
84°F (1961)
53
44
4
3°F (1950)
4.10
trace
8
9.1
39
Dec
55
0
79°F (1991)
45
36
12
0°F (1983)
3.82
0.2
10
9.8
37
Baltimore Ravens
Sep
81
3
102°F (1998)
72
64
0
40°F (1974)
4.06
0.0
7
7.6
40
Oct
70
3
97°F (1941)
61
52
2
30°F (1974)
3.19
trace
7
7.9
73
Nov
59
0
87°F (1950)
50
42
11
12°F (1929)
3.45
1.0
8
8.6
58
Dec
49
0
85°F (1998)
41
33
21
-2°F (1917)
3.69
3.3
9
8.8
57
Buffalo Bills
Sep
70
1
98°F (1953)
62
53
0
32°F (1991)
3.84
trace
11
10.2
59
Oct
59
0
92°F (1927)
51
43
3
20°F (1965)
3.19
0.7
11
11.1
63
Nov
47
0
80°F (1961)
40
34
14
2°F (1875)
3.92
10.9
15
12.5
66
Dec
36
0
74°F (1982)
30
24
25
-10°F (1980)
3.80
24.4
19
13.1
60
Sep
82
4
104°F (1954)
73
63
0
38°F (1888)
3.83
0.0
7
6.6
20
Oct
73
4
98°F (1954)
62
51
1
24°F (1962)
3.66
trace
6
6.7
30
Nov
63
0
85°F (1961)
52
42
6
11°F (1950)
3.36
0.1
7
6.9
30
Dec
54
0
80°F (2007)
44
35
16
-5°F (1880)
3.18
0.5
9
7.3
38
Sep
76
2
99°F (1953)
67
57
0
37°F (1974)
3.21
trace
8
8.9
58
Oct
64
2
92°F (1971)
55
46
5
24°F (1981)
2.71
0.4
9
10.0
48
Nov
49
0
80°F (1950)
42
35
16
0°F (1950)
3.32
2.1
10
11.1
30
Dec
37
0
69°F (1982)
30
24
26
-20°F (1983)
2.63
8.6
11
11.0
46
7
7.4
36
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Sep
79
2
101°F (1954)
68
58
Oct
67
0
92°F (1951)
57
Nov
54
0
83°F (1950)
45
Dec
43
0
75°F (1982)
35
0
32°F (1942)
3.04
0.0
46
3
20°F (1925)
2.80
0.3
8
8.1
48
37
13
1°F (1929)
3.49
2.0
10
9.7
43
27
22
-13°F (1917)
3.02
3.8
12
10.0
40
Cleveland Browns
Sep
72
1
101°F (1953)
63
54
0
32°F (1942)
3.77
trace
9
8.9
41
Oct
61
0
90°F (1946)
52
44
2
19°F (1988)
2.74
0.6
11
9.9
46
Nov
49
0
82°F (1950)
42
35
12
3°F (1976)
3.38
5.1
14
11.7
47
Dec
37
0
77°F (1982)
31
25
24
-15°F (1989)
3.14
12.6
16
12.0
53
Page 61
TEMPERATURE
PRECIPITATION
WIND
Avg. Days
Mean Avg. Days
Avg.
Avg.
Avg. Wind Wind
(°F) 90°F
(°F)
(°F) 32°F
Dallas Cowboys
Sep
89
14
110°F (2000)
79
69
0
43°F (1983)
2.65
0.0
6
9.3
53
Oct
79
3
100°F (1979)
68
58
0
27°F (1993)
4.65
trace
6
9.7
10
Nov
66
0
89°F (1989)
56
47
3
17°F (1950)
2.61
0.1
6
10.7
20
Dec
57
0
89°F (1955)
48
39
10
1°F (1989)
2.53
0.2
6
10.8
53
Sep
79
2
100°F (1990)
61
44
0
14°F (1985)
1.16
1.6
6
8.0
10
Oct
68
0
94°F (1991)
50
33
8
2°F (1993)
1.32
3.8
5
7.8
20
Nov
54
0
84°F (1990)
38
23
24
-5°F (1993)
1.18
8.8
5
8.3
52
Dec
48
0
75°F (1998)
32
17
29
-24°F (1990)
0.86
7.9
5
8.4
54
Denver Broncos
Detroit Lions
Sep
75
1
100°F (1953)
66
56
0
33°F (2000)
3.27
trace
9
8.4
35
Oct
62
1
92°F (1963)
54
45
4
24°F (1988)
2.23
0.2
9
9.7
47
Nov
49
0
81°F (1950)
43
36
16
5°F (1958)
2.66
2.5
11
11.0
47
Dec
38
0
68°F (1982)
32
25
26
-5°F (1983)
2.51
10.2
13
11.3
49
Green Bay Packers
Sep
70
1
97°F (1931)
59
48
0
24°F (1949)
3.11
trace
9
8.9
39
Oct
58
0
88°F (1963)
47
37
8
12°F (1925)
2.17
0.2
9
9.8
36
Nov
42
0
74°F (1999)
34
26
21
-9°F (1976)
2.27
4.3
9
10.7
10
Dec
29
0
64°F (2001)
21
13
29
-27°F (1983)
1.41
11.4
10
10.3
39
Houston Texans
Sep
89
16
101°F (1956)
81
72
0
50°F (1967)
5.62
0.0
8
6.5
10
Oct
82
3
96°F (1962)
72
62
0
33°F (1993)
5.26
0.0
7
6.9
10
Nov
73
0
90°F (1973)
63
53
1
25°F (1976)
4.54
trace
8
7.6
37
Dec
65
0
84°F (1975)
56
47
5
9°F (1989)
3.78
0.0
9
7.7
20
Sep
76
1
100°F (1954)
66
55
0
30°F (1995)
2.56
0.0
7
7.9
46
Oct
65
0
90°F (1954)
54
43
4
20°F (1981)
2.85
0.2
8
8.9
44
Nov
51
0
82°F (1986)
42
34
14
0°F (1958)
3.66
1.9
10
10.5
30
Dec
39
0
73°F (1982)
31
23
24
-20°F (1989)
2.78
5.5
11
10.5
41
Sep
86
10
99°F (1925)
79
71
0
48°F (1967)
7.28
0.0
13
7.5
40
Oct
79
1
96°F (1941)
71
63
0
33°F (1989)
3.30
0.0
8
7.7
31
Nov
72
0
91°F (1931)
63
55
0
22°F (1959)
2.35
0.0
6
7.6
38
Dec
65
0
88°F (1913)
56
47
4
13°F (1962)
2.45
trace
7
7.6
40
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Kansas City Chiefs
Sep
80
4
106°F (2000)
71
61
0
34°F (1989)
4.17
trace
8
9.5
41
Oct
69
4
97°F (1963)
59
49
2
21°F (1972)
3.28
0.1
7
10.5
40
Nov
53
0
82°F (1980)
45
36
13
7°F (1991)
2.30
1.3
7
11.2
37
Dec
42
0
73°F (1982)
34
25
26
-19°F (1989)
1.45
4.5
7
10.9
40
Page 62
TEMPERATURE
PRECIPITATION
WIND
Avg. Days
Mean Avg. Days
Avg.
Avg.
Avg. Wind Wind
(°F) 90°F
(°F)
(°F) 32°F
Miami Dolphins
Sep
89
10
97°F (1987)
82
76
0
62°F (1903)
8.38
0.0
17
8.2
69
Oct
85
2
95°F (1980)
79
72
0
51°F (1943)
6.19
0.0
13
9.2
50
Nov
81
0
91°F (2002)
74
68
0
36°F (1914)
3.43
0.0
8
9.7
38
Dec
78
0
89°F (1902)
70
62
0
30°F (1989)
2.18
0.0
6
9.1
38
Sep
71
1
104°F (1931)
61
51
0
26°F (1974)
2.69
trace
9
10.0
39
Oct
58
0
90°F (1997)
49
39
7
10°F (1925)
2.11
0.5
8
10.6
43
Nov
40
0
77°F (1999)
33
25
22
-25°F (1875)
1.94
7.6
8
11.0
41
Dec
26
0
68°F (1998)
19
11
29
-39°F (1879)
1.00
9.6
9
10.4
39
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
Sep
73
1
97°F (1983)
62
52
0
30°F (2000)
3.78
0.0
8
11.2
47
Oct
62
0
87°F (2007)
51
41
0
20°F (1974)
3.98
trace
9
11.8
47
Nov
51
0
78°F (1982)
42
33
7
4°F (1989)
4.29
1.3
10
12.5
10
Dec
41
0
76°F (1998)
32
23
21
-14°F (1980)
4.19
8.2
11
13.3
51
New Orleans Saints
Sep
87
10
101°F (1980)
79
71
0
42°F (1967)
5.55
0.0
9
7.3
40
Oct
80
1
94°F (1998)
70
60
0
35°F (1993)
3.05
0.0
6
7.6
10
Nov
71
0
89°F (1936)
61
52
1
24°F (1970)
5.09
trace
7
8.7
10
Dec
65
0
84°F (1995)
55
46
3
11°F (1989)
5.07
0.1
9
9.0
46
New York Giants and Jets
Sep
74
1
99°F (1953)
66
58
0
38°F (1980)
4.05
trace
8
9.0
20
Oct
63
0
85°F (1954)
55
47
0
27°F (1988)
3.50
trace
8
9.4
48
Nov
52
0
81°F (1974)
45
38
5
14°F (1955)
4.00
0.6
9
10.2
30
Dec
42
0
70°F (1982)
35
28
18
0°F (1989)
3.86
5.8
10
10.8
55
Sep
75
1
109°F (1971)
66
58
0
48°F (1986)
0.33
0.0
1
11.1
39
Oct
72
1
103°F (1980)
64
55
0
43°F (2007)
1.33
0.0
3
9.4
45
Nov
64
0
84°F (1997)
57
49
0
36°F (1975)
3.14
0.0
7
7.5
51
Dec
58
0
75°F (1979)
51
45
1
26°F (1972)
3.23
0.0
10
7.1
54
Sep
77
2
102°F (1881)
69
61
0
35°F (1963)
3.88
0.0
8
8.3
49
Oct
66
0
96°F (1941)
57
49
1
25°F (1969)
2.75
trace
7
8.8
66
Nov
55
0
84°F (1950)
47
40
8
8°F (1875)
3.16
0.7
9
9.6
60
Dec
44
0
73°F (1998)
37
31
20
-5°F (1880)
3.31
3.4
10
10.0
48
Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Sep
76
1
92°F (2002)
64
53
0
35°F (1991)
3.13
trace
9
7.3
38
Oct
64
0
88°F (2007)
53
41
3
22°F (1988)
2.35
0.4
10
8.3
39
Nov
53
0
79°F (2004)
43
33
13
13°F (1991)
3.05
3.4
12
9.5
45
Dec
42
0
74°F (2006)
33
25
24
2°F (1988)
2.86
8.3
15
10.1
48
Page 63
TEMPERATURE
PRECIPITATION
WIND
Avg. Days
Mean Avg. Days
Avg.
Avg.
Avg. Wind Wind
(°F) 90°F
(°F)
(°F) 32°F
San Diego Chargers
Sep
77
1
111°F (1963)
72
66
0
51°F (1948)
0.21
0.0
1
7.1
31
Oct
74
1
107°F (1961)
68
61
0
43°F (1971)
0.44
0.0
2
6.5
31
Nov
70
1
97°F (1976)
62
54
0
38°F (1964)
1.07
trace
4
5.9
51
Dec
66
0
88°F (1963)
58
49
0
34°F (1987)
1.31
trace
6
5.6
46
Sep
70
1
91°F (1988)
61
53
0
41°F (1985)
1.61
0.0
8
8.0
20
Oct
60
0
82°F (1991)
53
46
0
31°F (1991)
3.24
trace
13
8.3
38
Nov
52
0
71°F (1980)
46
40
3
13°F (1985)
5.67
0.7
17
9.0
66
Dec
47
0
65°F (1980)
41
36
8
12°F (1983)
6.06
2.2
18
9.6
49
Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers
Sep
71
1
101°F (1971)
64
56
0
48°F (1955)
0.28
0.0
1
11.1
39
Oct
70
1
102°F (1987)
63
55
0
45°F (1949)
1.19
0.0
3
9.4
45
Nov
64
0
86°F (1966)
58
51
0
40°F (1994)
3.31
0.0
7
7.5
51
Dec
59
0
76°F (1958)
53
47
1
28°F (1990)
3.18
0.0
10
7.1
54
St. Louis Rams
Sep
81
4
99°F (1990)
71
61
0
35°F (1969)
2.69
0.0
7
8.2
41
Oct
69
4
94°F (2006)
59
49
1
28°F (1987)
2.81
trace
8
8.9
52
Nov
54
0
83°F (2003)
46
38
10
7°F (1976)
4.06
1.4
9
10.2
41
Dec
42
0
78°F (1970)
35
27
22
-17°F (1989)
2.56
4.1
9
10.3
39
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sep
89
15
96°F (1991)
82
74
0
57°F (1981)
6.54
0.0
12
7.6
30
Oct
84
2
95°F (1941)
76
68
0
40°F (1964)
2.29
0.0
6
8.3
10
Nov
78
3
90°F (2006)
69
61
0
23°F (1970)
1.62
0.0
5
8.2
10
Dec
72
0
86°F (1994)
63
55
1
18°F (1962)
2.30
trace
6
8.3
45
Sep
82
5
105°F (1954)
71
61
0
36°F (1983)
3.59
0.0
7
6.5
30
Oct
71
5
94°F (1953)
60
49
0
26°F (1987)
2.87
0.0
7
6.8
35
Nov
59
0
85°F (1935)
49
40
8
-1°F (1950)
4.45
0.4
9
8.4
39
Dec
49
0
79°F (1982)
41
32
17
-10°F (1989)
4.54
1.4
11
8.9
41
Sep
79
3
104°F (1881)
71
62
0
36°F (1904)
3.79
0.0
7
8.3
20
Oct
68
3
96°F (1941)
59
50
0
26°F (1917)
3.22
0.0
7
8.7
39
Nov
57
0
86°F (1974)
49
40
4
11°F (1929)
3.03
0.8
8
9.4
43
Dec
47
0
79°F (1998)
39
32
16
-13°F (1880)
3.05
3.0
9
9.6
40
Tennessee Titans
Washington Redskins
Page 64
Assorted observations, confirmations and thoughts based on the historical weather data shown on the
preceding pages:
1. It’s hot in the desert. There’s a decent chance on any given day, even into November, that temperatures
will climb into the 90’s in Phoenix.
2. Also not surprisingly, it’s warm in September in the south, i.e. Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
3. Many cities experience frequent cold temperatures in December. Colder temperatures tend to arrive a little
earlier (November) in Denver, Green Bay, and Minnesota.
4. Where is it wet during the first half
of the season? Houston and
Miami. Tampa and Jacksonville
get honorable mentions in
September.
5. Where is it wet during the Second
half of the season? New Orleans,
Seattle and Tennessee.
6. The Lake Effect: snow can be
found in December in any of the
cities in range of the Great Lakes.
Being located a mile up in the
Rockies also seems to be
effective for bringing snow.
7. Brutal cold may be more poetic,
rain and snow may paint a more
vivid picture, but wind can be
equally if not more artistic.
Chicago is nicknamed
accordingly. The other Lake cities
are also breezy during the second
half of the season. The wind also
picks up in November and
December in the scattered
locations of Dallas, Kansas City,
Indianapolis, St. Louis, and the
swamplands of New Jersey.
Weather comes in many shapes and sizes
8. Both sides of the Bay (San
Francisco and Oakland) are breezy in September.
9. It can be windy throughout the entire football season in Minnesota, Buffalo, and New England.
10. Intrastate rivalries: Pittsburgh’s weather is a little worse than Philadelphia’s, and Cleveland’s weather is a
little worse than Cincinnati’s.
11. While a few other cities may come to mind as the worst weather locations, the numbers give the honors to
Buffalo. It’s got it all: cold, rain, snow, wind, and then more snow.
Page 65
25. Kickers vs. Mother Nature
“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as
bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” - John Ruskin
We asked NFL kickers to discuss any technique differences between kicking in different adverse weather
conditions. Following are their answers:
Ryan Longwell
“You’ve just got to hit the ball solid, whether it’s wind or rain or snow or a perfect day. You gotta hit the ball solid
and you’ve got to start it on the line you’re aiming at. Whether that’s in Lambeau or in the Metrodome it really
doesn’t differ. It’s just a lot less elements to factor in when you’re kicking in a covered stadium.”
“Bitter cold is more mental than anything else. You just have to understand that the ball is not gonna fly. That
same field goal that’ll fly 55 or 60 yards in August is probably going about 40 yards in December. You have to
realize that the ball is going to be hard and it’s not going to fly very far.”
Jay Feely
“In rain you have to slow down your approach a little bit, because of the time for the snapper and the holder to
get a good snap and to catch it and put it down. Other than that you don’t kick it any differently. With wind you
definitely do. You have to pick a spot maybe out wider because the wind is blowing across. If it’s in your face
you’ve got to kick the ball a little lower, with a lower trajectory so that it doesn’t get up in the wind, to just die in
the wind. There’s a lot of different things you have to do.”
Joe Nedney
“All adjustments to the elements are made during the pre-game warm-up. Wind direction and intensity will alter
the flight of the ball, and it's the responsibility of the kicker to figure all that out before game time so he can do
his job successfully during the game. Rain usually affects the snapper and holder more because they are
handling the ball. Field conditions vary in wet or cold weather and footing can be challenging. Again, this
should be handled during pre-game.”
Robbie Gould
“When kicking in the rain, you have to be aware of your plant foot. With the wind you have to judge it and play
the ball according to how far the wind may pull the ball left or right. In bitter cold, you just have to hit a low-ball
when you are further out.”
Mason Crosby
“The adjustments are all slight. I may change plant shoe cleats to longer ones for rain. It all depends on the field.
In windy conditions the main thing is to not over play the wind or over think it. Inside 40 yards, most winds will
not affect the ball an extreme amount. Bitter cold is mainly controlling and containing body warmth and staying
loose on the sidelines. It is all about focus in the cold and making sure you do not over swing trying to get more
power.”
Jeff Reed
“Whether it is windy or raining, the ball is not going to travel as far in cold weather. Depending on your strategy
going into the game as far as kickoffs go, you can either drive the ball if you are looking for a deeper kick,
although that won’t have as much of a hang time, or use your normal kick and the guys know that your deep
kick is going to be right around the eight-to-ten-yard line. As far as the wind, it is windy everywhere, whether it is
Florida or Pennsylvania. You have to adjust. If you are a teacher and you are teaching a young kid to kick, you
would say ‘don’t play the wind – use your fundamentals.’ When you get older, you have to realize that
sometimes when the uprights are moving, if you don’t aim a little right or left depending on the wind conditions,
you won’t make it. As far as field goals, you don’t necessarily have to change the way you kick in the cold, but
when the field gets soggy, I take shorter steps so that I don’t slip.”
Page 66
Connor Barth
When it’s raining out, although the only game it really rained at was our preseason game against Arizona, our
head coach (Coach Edwards last year) would come up to me before the game and during the game and ask me
where I feel comfortable from. When you go out on the field the conditions completely change and the fields a
lot softer, especially on grass. If you look at other teams, a lot of places like New England or Cincinnati where
there’s FieldTurf, it doesn’t really matter as much because the footing is pretty much the same. But when you
get on grass, like Kansas City, it gets a lot softer and it starts getting muddy. You really gotta worry about your
cleats and stuff. The main thing I do if it gets wet out is I really try to be conscious of my steps, try to be a little
bit lighter on my feet. When I plant my foot right before I kick it I don’t want to be quite as heavy on it. I want to
be lighter on it so that way I don’t slide through the grass as much. That in turn kind of takes a little bit from your
distance. The main thing is that we as a kicker try to relay to our special teams coach and then the head coach
what we think our distance is now. Because when we go out in the rain and it’s a little bit soggier on the field we
have to make sure our footing is okay. For the most part we have good enough cleats to where it shouldn’t
affect us too much, but if there’s a really heavy rain you really gotta be careful about slipping, so you gotta be a
little lighter on your feet.
“Windy yea, that’s Kansas City right there for you. I’ve experienced many games this year where it’s been
windy. With the wind it’s the same thing. You get out there, especially in pregame, and really kind of test where
that wind is at. For the most part when you get out in pregame warm-ups it’s not going to change too much from
then until the game time. For me it’s just getting a bunch of repetitions before the game, throwing a lot of grass
up, and seeing where it blows. Every stadium is different. The one thing I learned, especially in the San Diego
game, is that for the most part winds blowing in Kansas City, no matter what end of the field you’re on, you have
to aim to the right upright. The wind blows in a different direction at both ends of the field. You just really gotta
make sure to trust yourself. If the winds blowing from right to left I gotta make sure I put the ball to the right
upright a little bit. Or if it’s blowing from left to right I gotta make sure I aim to the left of the upright. It all depends
on the wind speed too. If it’s blowing 25 to 30 miles an hour, you have to be conscious of it. But I think anything
under 15 miles an hour you really don’t have to change too much, except maybe if you get outside of 50 yards.
For the most part, unless you have a really gusty game, it’s not going to affect you too much. With the Miami
game at the end of the season and especially when it gets colder out, the ball doesn’t quite travel as well
through the air, that’s when you really gotta make sure you are consistent with where you want to put the ball
and where you’re aiming.”
“Regarding bitter cold temperatures: Well, the last two
games at Kansas City were eight degrees and minus
twenty with the wind chill. I’ve definitely kicked in a
few of them. The main thing there is again really
making sure you’re on the same page with your
special teams coach and your head coach about
where you feel comfortable kicking from. If it’s 60 or
70 degrees out, then 60 yards and in you’re usually
pretty good. But when you get into the colder
situations, the ball’s harder. Especially when it gets
below freezing, the ball is just completely different. It
impacts your foot; it [the ball] doesn’t come off quite
as well. What I did against San Diego and Miami, I
went out in pre-game and got back as far as I could
and saw where I felt comfortable. Usually it was
around 50 or 53 yards in that cold weather. In regular
sunny conditions where it’s 70 degrees I can probably
hit 60 yarders. You really gotta make sure you test out
the ball, because a ball in practice is not the same as
the game ball. The game ball is going to be a little bit
harder because they’re newer. So you have to take
that into to account too. When you get that ball you
really have to test it out and see how you like it and
see how it feels off your foot. In the end for the most
part it’s probably going to take maybe ten yards off
your kick in freezing weather like that.”
Connor Barth
With a wind chill of minus 12 degrees
at kickoff, the December 21, 2008
game was the second coldest game in
Arrowhead Stadium’s history.
Page 67
26. Grass vs. Synthetic Turfs
“When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled” - African proverb
SURFACE TYPES
Grass
Grass is the stuff that grows naturally and has been
around for a long, long time. For purists, it is real (not
manmade). It is typically cooler, softer, and more
forgiving than the artificial surfaces, which supports the
general belief that it “causes” fewer injuries. It is generally
more sustainable (environmentally friendly) than the fake
stuff, however it does need water, which can be an issue
in dry climates. It needs sunlight, which means it cannot
grow indoors. It typically requires more maintenance than
artificial surfaces. It also does not hold up as well under
heavy use or some types of adverse weather.
Grass belongs to the Gramineae plant family, which
includes most plants grown as grains, and for lawns and
playing surfaces (turf). Commonly used grass types for
football fields include Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial
Ryegrass, Tall Fescue, and Bermudagrass, depending on the climate zone in which the field is located. See the
following links for additional information on how grass works and on athletic field turf grasses.
Astroturf
The old generation of synthetic
turf, Astroturf was one of the
brand names; however the term
became generically utilized when
referring to artificial turf. It was
invented by two employees of
Monsanto in 1964, and was
initially called ChemTurf. The
product has since changed
owners countless times. In
essence, it was a carpet,
typically installed over concrete.
While it made indoor stadiums a
viable venue, its abrasive and
unforgiving nature became an
issue. Consequently its use
declined and the newer artificial
turf technologies took hold. In the
NFL, Indianapolis and St. Louis
were the last to still use Astroturf.
They both finally switched over to
FieldTurf for the 2005 season.
The Astrodome (the Eighth Wonder of the World)
The first dome stadium opened in 1965 and featured a newly developed
artificial surface, which would hence also use the Astro name.
Fieldturf
The new generation of synthetic turf, FieldTurf is one of the brand names; however it has already become a
generically used term. The product more closely simulates grass, as opposed to carpeting. The synthetic “grass
blades” are typically made of polyethylene. The synthetic “earth” is made of sand and ground up rubber (FieldTurf
and Momentum Turf), or just the rubber bits (Astroplay and RealGrass).
Page 68
In their product literature, FieldTurf describes their system as follows:
“Stable, firm not spongy, non-abrasive and uniform in traction, FieldTurf is engineered to play and feel like
natural grass. On FieldTurf, players perform with confidence - and never experience the accelerated fatigue
and muscle / joint stress associated with lightweight, rubber- filled systems. Like blades of natural grass,
FieldTurf's fibers are soft and easy to slide on. They are surrounded and stabilized by FieldTurf's patented,
heavy fill - the «artificial earth» that so clearly sets FieldTurf apart. Composed of smooth, rounded silica sand
and cryogenically frozen and smashed rubber particles, FieldTurf's patented infill is engineered to stay «in
suspension» providing years of proper biomechanics, shock absorbency and durability. A patented process of
precision layering ensures infill uniformity. The result is a stable, resilient, predictable place to play - grass-like
performance of the highest quality.”
In their product literature, Sportexe describes their Momentum Turf system as follows:
“Sand / Rubber infill creates a fast, dense, firm surface. Exclusive Strenexe fiber is more durable and less
abrasive than previous slit-film fibers. Low G-Max means Momentum is safe, yet firm. High Fiber Density helps
make Momentum a lush, long-lasting surface. Equal Fiber Matrix provides stability and consistency.
QuadbackT provides durability and improved tuft bind. Seams sewn edge-to-edge to eliminate bumps.”
Page 69
2008 NFLPA Field Surface Rankings
The National Football League Players Association bi-annually ranks the field surfaces of all the NFL stadiums. The
following 2008 results are based on the votes from 1565 active NFL players from all 32 teams. The top four spots
were all grass fields, although the artificial surfaces made a strong showing thereafter with seven of the next eight
slots.
1. Arizona
2. Tampa Bay
3. San Diego
4. Carolina
5. Indianapolis (FieldTurf)
6. Seattle (FieldTurf)
7. Baltimore (Momentum)
8. Jacksonville
9. Atlanta (FieldTurf)
10. Detroit (FieldTurf)
11. New Orleans (Momentum)
12. New England (FieldTurf)
13. Denver
14. Green Bay
15. Washington
16. St. Louis (FieldTurf)
17. Miami
18. Houston
19. New York Giants/Jets
(FieldTurf)
20. Tennessee
21. San Francisco
22. Cincinnati (FieldTurf)
23. Kansas City
24. Minnesota (FieldTurf)
25. Cleveland
26. Philadelphia
27. Buffalo (Astroplay)
28. Chicago
29. Dallas (RealGrass)
30. Pittsburgh
31. Oakland
University of Phoenix Stadium
NFL players voted the Arizona
Cardinals’ home field as the best
playing surface in the league. The
stadium features a retractable roof
and the first ever retractable field.
The grass field sits in a single
massive tray which typically
resides outside the stadium. The
tray is rolled into the stadium for
games.
View a video of the retractable field
system here.
We asked NFL kickers to discuss any differences between kicking on grass versus artificial surfaces.
Connor Barth
“To my surprise, when I kicked in the ACC in North Carolina, for the most part all the fields in the ACC were
pretty nice. Only one field I think, Wake Forest, was FieldTurf when I played in college. Mostly I kicked all on
grass surfaces. And I love kicking off grass, because in North Carolina and South Carolina the ground has a
lot of time to grow, they’re just a lot of fun, and the weather is usually pretty mild. Now that I kick in the NFL,
the stadiums are only nice for about the first three games or four games. Then they start getting torn up
because of the weather and stuff. I love kicking off FieldTurf now. I wish that Kansas City would go to it just
because it’s a flat surface; there are no bumps. It doesn’t matter how much you play on it, it always stays the
same. The big adjustment with the grass in the NFL now is... I don’t know what it is, perhaps there’s more play
on it, I guess maybe because the hashes are closer together in the NFL, it gets torn up more. It’s a lot harder
to find good spots on the NFL fields I feel. Kicking on FieldTurf, like when I got to kick in Cincinnati and places
like that, it was so easy because every spot on the field was nice. It was all flat and there were no disruptions
from when people were running around on it. I’m a grass guy, I like kicking off grass because I feel more
comfortable. But now that I’ve kicked on more and more FieldTurf fields now that I’ve been in the NFL, I’m kind
of leaning towards the FieldTurf just because it’s more of a flat surface and you never have the bumps and
divots that you get in grass fields.”
Page 70
Ryan Longwell
“Kicking in the Metrodome, not having to worry about your foot sticking in the ground is a big advantage.”
“The biggest is whether or not your plant foot is going to slip or not. On wet or soft grass you have to be able to
adjust on the fly if it slips.”
Jay Feely
“It’s [FieldTurf] helpful because you get better footing, you get consistent footing. On a grass field, even if it’s a
real nice grass field, you may hit a loose spot and lose your footing, and that makes it tough to kick and be
consistent. Probably the easiest stuff to kick off of is the old Astroturf that nobody has anymore. Sometimes
FieldTurf gets thick and you kind of chunk it, like you would hit a golf shot thick.”
Mason Crosby
“The only difference is in the plant shoe. I wear
longer cleats in grass and shorter on turf. Other
than that, I do not make big adjustments.”
Jeff Reed
“It depends on the kind of grass and the field you
are playing on. It is easier on your body, whether
you are a player or a kicker, when you play on
grass. At times, when you get mud or sand, you
have to adjust your steps because I attack the ball
so I don’t want to slip. Field turf is nice because you
can always attack the ball whether there is rain or
snow. Sometimes, when it snows, if the field turf
isn’t heated, there is snow on top of the field, so it is
interesting, to say the least. I have had some
crummy games dealing with that. Overall, as a
kicker, I want grass. If the grass is slick, or it
doesn’t hold over an entire season, artificial turf is
better for me because I can trust it more.”
Joe Nedney
“Field turf is different than grass, obviously. Some
field turf has longer, thicker synthetic grass blades
which makes striking the ball "clean" a little more
difficult. Natural surfaces "give" so if a kicker
strikes the ground before the ball, he will make a
divot. Field turf doesn't allow for that. A kicker's
foot may skip off the turf if he hits the ground before
the ball, causing a miss-hit. There is, in my
opinion, less margin for error on field turf and
striking the ball "clean" becomes that much more
important.”
Jeff Reed kicks a field goal on the grass
surface of Heinz Field.
Page 71
KICKING RESULTS ON VARIOUS SURFACES
The big question of course, is how do the various surfaces affect the kicking game?
FG Total
Stadium
Astroplay
visitors
Astroplay
home
Astroplay
total
Astroturf
Visitors
Astroturf
home
Astroturf
total
FieldTurf
visitors
FieldTurf
home
FieldTurf
total
Grass
visitors
Grass
home
Grass
total
grass (heated)
visitors
grass (heated)
home
grass (heated)
total
Momentum Turf
visitors
Momentum Turf
Home
Momentum Turf
total
RealGrass
visitors
RealGrass
home
RealGrass
total
avg
FG
1-19
md
att
65
84 77.4% 0
0
80
104 76.9% 0
FG
20-29
md att md
FG
30-39
FG
40-49
FG
50+
POINTS
att
md
att md att
md att XPm XPa Total ppg
22
23
21
26
19
27
3
8
97
97
292
5.7
0
35
39
28
30
13
27
4
8
110
110
350
6.9
145 188 77.1% 0
0
57
62
49
56
32
54
7
16
207
207
642
6.3
258 309 83.5% 3
3
75
78
84
93
75
96
21
39
365
367
1139
6.9
266 331 80.4% 2
2
96
99
74
85
74 111
20
34
412
417
1210
7.4
524 640 81.9% 5
5
171 177 158 178 149 207
41
73
777
784
2349
7.2
630 769 81.9% 7
7
214 224 181 210 179 244
49
82
914
918
2804
6.7
682 797 85.6% 10
10 220 225 231 263 176 221
45
77
1018 1028 3064
7.3
1312 1566 83.8% 17
17 434 449 412 473 355 465
94 159 1932 1946 5868
7.0
1550 1957 79.2% 26
26 536 558 480 578 414 617
94 177 2178 2208 6828
6.2
1666 2104 79.2% 22
24 561 588 533 630 456 665
94 196 2621 2659 7619
6.9
3216 4061 79.2% 48
50 1097 1146 1013 1208 870 1282 188 373 4799 4867 14447 6.6
224 289 77.5% 2
2
67
74
85
95
61
98
9
20
316
322
988
6.5
207 272 76.1% 8
8
71
75
70
94
50
78
8
17
282
290
903
5.9
431 561 76.8% 10
10 138 149 155 189 111 176
17
37
598
612
1891
6.2
128 148 86.5% 3
3
45
47
41
43
27
36
11
18
150
150
534
6.8
144 166 86.7% 4
4
48
49
51
53
35
48
6
12
198
199
630
8.0
272 314 86.6% 7
7
93
96
92
96
62
84
17
30
348
349
1164
7.4
92
111 82.9% 1
1
26
28
29
30
29
38
7
14
119
122
395
6.7
81
104 77.9% 2
2
28
28
22
27
23
35
6
10
153
154
396
6.7
173 215 80.5% 3
3
54
56
51
57
52
73
13
24
272
276
791
6.7
Surface Notes and Observations

The field goal percentage numbers are typically better on artificial surfaces than they are on grass.

FieldTurf and Momentum Turf are the only two surfaces where the home kickers’ field goal percentage is better
than the opponents’ kickers.

The numbers for Astroplay, RealGrass, and Momentum Turf are limited since they are only used in one or two
stadiums each.
Page 72
27. Profile of a Top Five Kicker
“The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” - Aristotle
In summary of various sections above, a Top Five kicker can be profiled as follows:

Could end up just about anywhere in the rankings the year afterwards

Nearly half of them ranked between 6th and 15th the preceding year

87% of them ranked in the top ten in number of field goal attempts

Kickers with a field goal completion percentage from 85%-90% have the best odds of being a top five scorer

73% come from top ten scoring offenses

60% come from top ten yardage offenses

52% come from top ten scoring defenses

51% come from top ten yardage defenses

A team with a new kicker is less likely to be in the top five in kicker scoring than one with an incumbent

A team with a new quarterback is less likely to be in the top five in kicker scoring than one with an incumbent

A team with a new head coach is less likely to be in the top five in kicker scoring than one with an incumbent

Kickers with a home dome stadium do slightly better than those outdoors, but the difference is small
Page 73
28. Profile of the Year Prior to Being a Top
Five Kicker
“We basically can take the people who have already purchased a product, profile those people compared to the
base and identify people who have similar traits that would buy that product.” - Tim Barnes
From 1991 to 2007, there were 45 instances of a team scoring at least 130 kicking points. Following is a look at the
statistics from the prior year for those teams.
TEAMS THAT SCORED AT LEAST 130 KICKING POINTS IN A YEAR
The Year
Team
year
pts
The Year Before
rnk K HC QB XPA FGA
Min
1998 164
1
Stl
2003 163
Ind
N
pts
rnk
O-pt O-yd D-pt D-yd
Rec
Post
LD
34
27
70.4%
90
24
11
8
20
29
9-7
1
37
25
76.0%
94
24
23
9
23
13
7-9
2003 157
2
34
31
74.2%
103
19
17
12
7
8
10-6
LWC
Was
1991 149
1
41
40
75.0%
131
2
4
4
13
14
10-6
LD
Ari
2005 149
1
N
28
29
75.9%
94
22
26
27
12
12
6-10
NYG
2005 148
2
N
33
28
78.6%
99
18
22
23
17
13
6-10
Car
1996 145
1
28
33
78.8%
105
19
25
27
8
9
7-9
Ind
1999 145
1
23
31
87.1%
104
14
19
16
29
29
3-13
Mia
1999 144
2
34
27
81.5%
99
17
16
18
1
3
10-6
LD
Chi
2006 143
1
27
31
71.0%
92
28
26
31
1
2
11-5
LD
Pit
1995 141
1
32
29
82.8%
104
13
16
12
2
3
12-4
LC
NE
2004 141
1
38
34
73.5%
112
11
12
18
1
7
14-2
WSB
GB
2007 141
1
32
35
74.3%
109
14
22
9
25
12
8-8
Buf
1998 140
2
N
21
30
80.0%
93
20
29
25
23
11
6-10
Atl
2002 138
1
N
28
37
78.4%
115
7
23
11
24
30
7-9
Bal
2003 137
4
N
33
26
80.8%
96
22
24
26
19
22
7-9
NE
2007 137
2
44
26
76.9%
103
19
7
11
2
6
12-4
Ten
1998 136
3
32
35
77.1%
113
11
14
20
12
22
8-8
Ten
2003 136
3
36
31
80.6%
111
14
14
20
11
9
11-5
SD
2006 136
2
49
24
87.5%
112
12
5
10
13
13
9-7
SD
1994 135
1
33
40
77.5%
124
6
10
14
13
17
8-8
Ind
1996 135
2
34
33
69.7%
103
20
17
23
5
7
9-7
Bal
2000 135
1
32
33
84.8%
116
8
14
22
6
2
8-8
Den
1997 134
1
46
28
75.0%
109
14
4
1
7
4
13-3
LD
Jac
1997 134
1
27
36
83.3%
117
9
14
3
19
15
9-7
LC
Sea
1999 134
3
41
24
79.2%
98
18
10
23
10
28
8-8
Mia
1991 133
2
37
25
84.0%
100
14
14
15
4
8
12-4
LD
Phi
2002 133
2
38
31
83.9%
115
7
9
18
2
7
11-5
LC
Ten
2007 133
3
32
28
78.6%
98
26
16
27
31
32
8-8
N
FG%
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
LC
LC
LC
Page 74
Oak
1993 132
1
N
28
26
57.7%
73
23
23
20
11
8
7-9
Min
1994 132
2
N
28
35
74.3%
105
15
20
19
12
1
9-7
Den
1995 132
2
29
37
81.1%
119
3
10
5
25
27
7-9
Det
1995 132
2
40
27
66.7%
93
18
6
15
19
24
9-7
Ten
1996 131
3
33
31
87.1%
114
10
15
24
7
3
7-9
Den
2000 131
2
29
36
80.6%
116
8
18
13
11
6
6-10
GB
2000 131
2
38
30
83.3%
113
12
10
9
20
17
8-8
Cin
2005 131
3
41
31
87.1%
122
5
10
19
21
19
8-8
Stl
2006 131
3
N
36
31
87.1%
117
7
11
6
31
30
6-10
Dal
2007 131
4
N
N
49
28
71.4%
109
14
4
5
20
13
9-7
LWC
Dal
1993 130
2
N
48
35
68.6%
119
4
2
4
5
1
13-3
WSB
Det
1993 130
2
30
26
80.8%
93
13
19
19
20
20
5-11
SF
1996 130
4
54
28
71.4%
111
14
1
2
2
1
11-5
LD
Jac
1999 130
4
45
26
80.8%
108
12
8
11
17
25
11-5
LD
NO
2002 130
3
32
31
87.1%
113
11
13
8
27
19
7-9
Cin
2007 130
5
42
30
83.3%
115
10
8
8
17
30
8-8
N
N
N
LWC
LWC
In summary of the known items before a team scored at least 130 kicking points in a season:

Of the 45 teams, 38 had the same kicker as the prior season, 38 had the same head coach, and 35 had the
same primary quarterback

They averaged 35.2 extra point attempts the prior year

They averaged 30.6 field goal attempts the prior year

They averaged scoring 107 kicking point the previous season

Four ranked in the top five in kicker scoring the prior year, nine ranked from sixth to tenth, and the other 32
ranked outside the top ten

Sixteen ranked in the top ten in offensive scoring, and fifteen in offensive yardage the previous season

Sixteen ranked in the top ten in defensive scoring, and nineteen in defensive yardage the previous season

Twenty-one had winning records, nine at .500, and fifteen had losing records the year before

Twenty were in the playoffs, although none were the Super Bowl loser the year before
Page 75
Identifying which kickers are likely to score points in the forthcoming year is a difficult task, but it is one of the most
important goals from a fantasy perspective. Looking at not just those teams listed above, but at all kickers over a 15
year span, the following statistical scenarios stood out more than any others:
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT METHOD
This is by far the simplest approach. Simply draft the kicker from a team that has had sustained kicking success
in recent years, and that returns with the same coaches and players. Unfortunately there are very few kickers
that meet these criteria in a given year.
SUPER BOWL SPECIAL METHOD
In reviewing how playoff teams fared the following year (including the kicker), only the Super Bowl participants
yielded any significant patterns.
Super Bowl winners: if the SB winner was a top 10 offense that year, and has the same HC and QB heading
into the next year, consider drafting their kicker. Ten teams met these criteria and resulted in 5 top five
kickers, 2 top ten, 1 top fifteen, and 1 top twenty.
Super Bowl losers: don’t draft their kicker the next year. Very often they flop. The exception is if they were
also in the SB two years prior (win or lose).
EXTRA POINT METHOD
Teams that scored an unusually high number of touch downs, and that have the same QB the following year,
have a strong tendency to score lots of kicking points the following year. Perhaps it’s just the law of averages
(TDs one year, followed by FG’s the next)?
50 or more TDs and same QB: Eleven teams met these criteria and resulted in 6 top five kickers, and 5 top
fifteen.
44 or more TDs and same QB: 24 teams met these criteria and resulted in 16 top five kickers, 2 top ten, 4
top fifteen, and 2 in the bottom half.
COMBO METHOD
This method combines the yearly ranking turnover and surrounding team information discussed earlier. Start
th
th
with the turnover information to see where top 5 kickers come from. Half of them come from the 6 – 15 ranks
the prior year. The best odds are to target those from that tier.
9-thru-14: list the teams whose kicker ranked 9-14 last year. Eliminate any that have a new head coach or
quarterback this year. Eliminate any whose team ranked below 15 on offense or below 20 on defense
(exception: kickers who connected on 84% or better of their field goals can remain on the list). Thirty-one
teams met these criteria and resulted in 16 top five kickers, 5 top ten, 7 top fifteen, and 3 in the bottom half.
6-thru-15 alternate: exactly the same as above except expand the initial list to teams whose kicker ranked 615 last year. 54 teams met these criteria and resulted in 24 top five kickers, 8 top ten, 12 top fifteen, and 8 in
the bottom half.
Page 76
29. Drafting a Kicker
“An architect's most useful tools are an eraser at the drafting board, and a wrecking bar at the site.”
- Frank Lloyd Wright
INTRODUCTION
There are various approaches to drafting a kicker. There are no right or wrong answers, although some have
greater potential rewards and risks than others. In the end, selecting which approach to use is just as much about
comfort level as it is about drafting a high scoring kicker.
The question of WHO to draft is based upon the scoring system for kickers in your league, in conjunction with the
information discussed in many of the preceding sections. This section looks at WHEN to draft a kicker. Like many
fantasy football questions, all answers are prefaced with knowing your league’s rules. First answer the following
questions:
How many teams are in the league?
How many players are on each team’s roster?
Are there a minimum or set number of kickers required to be carried on a roster?
How many kickers must be started each week?
Can a kicker(s) be picked up on the weekly waiver wire?
Can a kicker(s) be picked up on the waiver wire before the first game?
Must a kicker(s) be drafted, or can one be added later?
EARLY STUD
Each year there are usually one to three highly
ranked kickers heading into drafts. To get one
of those, you’ll need to draft him early. The ADP
for those kickers the last two years in a typical
12 team league is the tenth and eleventh
rounds. The top kicker can go as early as the
sixth or seventh round in a few leagues. One
potential concern is that these kickers are
highly ranked most likely because of a big year
they had the year before. You’ll be spending an
early round pick on them assuming they have a
very good chance of duplicating those results.
Unfortunately, that usually doesn’t happen.
Since 1991, teams kicking over 140 points in a
given year average only 109 points the
following year (high of 126, low of 91). The
decrease in points averages 41 the following
year (minimum 17, maximum 74).
Sebastian Janikowski
SECOND WAVE
Once the flavor-of-the-year kickers are gone,
there will be a handful of kickers that get drafted
scattered over the next few rounds. These are
typically the kickers that have been in or near
the top ten in scoring the last few years, but
didn’t have an exceptionally big year the year
before.
Kickers are not typically taken early in fantasy drafts, nor
are they in the real world. Back in 2000 was the last time
a kicker was drafted in the first round, when Oakland
th
selected Janikowski with the 17 overall pick.
NEAR THE END
One of the most common drafting “rules” is to just wait until the last round to draft a kicker. Before getting to that
point, you need to answer the league rule questions listed above, to get an idea of just how many kickers are
probably going to be drafted in your league. There are only 32 starting kickers in the NFL. In fantasy leagues with
many teams and larger rosters, there will be fewer available kickers at the end. Drafting one a round or two before
the final round will eliminate having to pick from the scraps.
Page 77
LAST ROUND
Again, depending on your league size and rules, there could be many good kicker bargain kickers available in the
final round. If you did your homework on who to draft, some of the less obvious choices will probably still be
available towards the end.
EARLY STRENGTH-OF-SCHEDULE
If your league allows for weekly waiver pickups throughout the regular season, you can elect to work the waiver
wire to find a kicker that has a good matchup every week. This approach assumes that your league structure
provides enough available kickers to select from each week. It also assumes that you’re willing to believe that
weekly kicker scoring can be predicted to some degree. If that’s not the case, skip over this paragraph. For drafting
purposes, target kickers that have a favorable matchup(s) or SOS (Strength of Schedule) in the first week or two of
the regular season. After that, you’ll just work the waiver wire to cycle through kickers.
NO KICKER
This is the same as the previous Early SOS approach, except as follows. It assumes that you are not required to
draft a kicker, and that you can pickup up a waiver wire kicker prior to week one. If those are true, then you can
elect to not draft a kicker at all, and add one later.
TWO KICKERS
If you’re in a league that requires two or more kickers, then you’ll need to adjust the above approaches accordingly.
There will be less available kickers to select from towards the end of the draft.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

As with every position, remember to pay attention to bye weeks. In some leagues you may need to draft a
second kicker to cover your starter’s bye week. In some leagues you can opt to not bother with a replacement
kicker on the bye week, assuming you’re willing to take the zero kicking points that week. In most leagues you
can handle the bye week via the waiver wire. If you don’t want to ever tie up more than one roster spot with a
kicker, then considering drafting one with late bye week. By the time his bye arrives, you can swap him for one
of the kickers who already had his bye week.

Some fantasy owners who prefer to counter-balance their weekly scoring options may elect to draft a kicker
from the same team as their quarterback or goal line running back. The thinking is that once the team gets into
scoring range, one or the other is likely to score.

Some fantasy owners like to draft players whom they think will perform particularly well during the fantasy
playoffs, typically weeks 14 through 16. This again assumes that you’re willing to believe that weekly kicker
scoring can be predicted, and that it can be done months in advance.
Page 78
30. Buying a Kicker in an Auction
“Competitive bidding will be increasingly utilized as a method to sell all types of goods in all segments of the
economy. The National Auctioneers Association (NAA) will unify and lead the competitive bidding industry to fulfill
this vision.” - from NAA Code of Ethics
Just like Drafting a Kicker, knowing your league rules is the first step. The two main criteria to determine
are:

How many of the 32 starting kickers are likely to be bought during the auction?

What is the potential for obtaining kickers off the waiver wire during the season?
And just like drafting, there are not necessarily any wrong or right approaches. Work with what you’re
comfortable from the following ideas:

In a typical fantasy auction league ($1 minimum bid, with a $200 cap), the top kickers will probably not go for
more than $4 or $5. The same risks of overpaying for a kicker in hopes of their having a second career year
apply, as discussed for Early Studs in the drafting section above.

Most Kickers will go for either $2 or the minimum $1. Some people go by the rule of never paying more than the
minimum for a kicker, while others are willing to splurge with an extra dollar.

If you’re willing to spend $2 on a kicker, consider starting the bid at $2 for a particular kicker that interests you.
Unless they’re one of the top prospects, it’s unlikely someone will go to $3. If they do, you’ve then pushed them
to spend an extra dollar. If you open at $1, there’s a greater chance someone else will go to $2, then forcing
you to bid $3 or to pass on the player.

If the league includes a waiver wire system, consider using that to obtain a backup kicker, or even your starting
kicker if rules allow it.

Consider nominating a kicker very early in the auction. Most people are focused on the skill positions early, and
not interested in kickers at that stage of an auction. You might have better odds of getting a higher ranked
kicker at a better value or even the minimum in the beginning.
Page 79
31. Dynasty Leagues
Section by guest FBG staff members
Mike Anderson, Will Grant, Maurice Tremblay, and Jeff Pasquino
“From nobody to upstart. From upstart to contender. From contender to winner. From winner to champion. From
champion to Dynasty.” – Pat Riley
FBG’s own dynastic staff members provided the following thoughts on kickers in dynasty leagues:
MIKE ANDERSON

Dynasty kickers are a tough nut to crack. Every year there is going to be a kicker on a team that gets stalled in
the red zone that will explode in points. However, long term you can't bank on that as teams change
personnel, and most importantly, those kickers get so many attempts that if they hit a slump, they end up as the
scapegoat for the entire offense.

I rank those kickers on year in and year out high powered offenses that get TONS of XPs (that I know can be
counted on) at the top of my list. The Colts, Patriots and Rams kickers have been higher in my rankings over
the past number of years based on this. They will get points, they seem to stay in place long term, and the XPs
keep them up towards the top year in and year out. The next group for me is the kickers that are on poorer
teams that get a ton of opportunities for short to mid range FGs. Lastly, the Kickers on average teams that
don't get as many FG attempts, or as many Automatic XPs. At the end of the day, I would say that my dynasty
kicker rankings have been based on their team’s offense as my heaviest weight.

Know your league rules!

If I remember correctly, the LAST ROOKIE kicker drafted in the annual draft of rookies in ANY of my leagues
was Sebastian Janikowski and before that Jason Hansen. That's how rare that is from my experience. There
are always kickers to pick up on the waiver wire, I'd take a shot at a "1% chance of making it" RB over a
starting kicker every time unless it is a phenom (Janikowski).

I STRONGLY believe more than... well, anyone I seem to have ever played against... that the key to a dynasty
kicker is to get an accurate one on a high powered offense, and know that you will be getting 4 XPs a game for
years to come while still getting an average if not better than average number of FGs. I value the kicker
position in dynasty more than others might.

I never carry a defense in the off-season, and have gone without a kicker and even a TE in the off-season
many times when I didn't have one really worth keeping. However, if I could keep my choice of Vanderjagt or a
team’s #3 RB, I kept Vanderjagt.
WILL GRANT

Kicker in a dynasty league is a position that you want a guy that will be solid to good and then you forget about
him and move to the rest of your team.

I take a kicker higher than most, and in a 'draft from scratch' league, here is what it shook out to in a 53 man
IDP roster. In 2006, I took Rackers as the first kicker overall taken... at 19.04, 220 overall. Next kicker was
Feely at 235. Next was Graham (me again!) at 267. Next came Tynes at 290. Akers next at 314 and then
people started taking them pretty regularly. To me, I took two guys who would be solid and I wouldn't have to
worry about... at least for a couple years. To everyone else, even with a 53 man roster, backup defensive guys
were more important than a starting kicker.

In '06, the only rookie kicker that anyone drafted was Gostkowski... and he was a 6th round 'flyer' type of pick.
This is about what you would expect drafting a rookie kicker in a dynasty league. In a 12 team league, I
wouldn't spend anything higher than a 4th rounder on a rookie kicker. There are just too many variables and
too many guys who come out of nowhere. Once you have an established roster, it's much easier just to grab a
kicker off the waiver wire.
Page 80
MAURILE TREMBLAY

I'll never use a roster spot on a kicker during the offseason (including during/after the draft) unless the rules of
the league force me to. I'd rather forego kickers and defenses completely, and use all my roster spots on
QBs/RBs/WRs/TEs, then pick up a kicker/defense off of waivers before the first game.
JEFF PASQUINO

Kickers are one of the least coveted players, even in dynasty. Keeping a solid kicker is easier in many leagues,
as in a true dynasty you'd have 12-16 teams (typically) with one solid K and then each owner could claim a
waiver wire guy for his bye week that year.

Granted, money kickers are desired more, but they aren't that big of a commodity. Similarly, on dynasty draft
day, few kickers (if any) are selected due to rookie uncertainty and so few job opportunities - just like in the real
NFL. For every Vinatieri or Vanderjagt, there are vets who surprise (Rackers, Feely) and newcomers every
year.

As for what to look for - I'd like youth and a big leg, as well as teams that have a lot of FG chances, but that
varies each year. Teams that stall in the Red Zone often work to fix that the next season, so lots of
opportunities in one year can lead to fewer the next. It is more important to me that the kicker has the
confidence of both his team and his coach. Having a big leg means nothing if the coach is afraid to try from
50+ yards.

I'd rather take a flyer on a rookie / young RB, QB or WR than take a kicker. I can always find a kicker on the
waiver wire. Starting offensive players are harder to find.
Page 81
32. The Stadiums: Vital Statistics
“A multi-purpose stadium is an absolute must in order to invigorate our downtown and, simultaneously, let the rest
of the country witness that we can get things done.” - Alan Autry
Team
Stadium
Capac
Opened
Ari
University of
Phoenix
Stadium
63,000 9/10/2006
Atl
Georgia Dome
Bal
Prior Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
9/12/88 thru 2005
In/out
Surface
Old Surface
retractable Grass
Grass thru 2005
71,149 9/6/1992
dome
FieldTurf
Astroturf thru 2002
M&T Bank
Stadium
69,084 9/6/1998
outdoor
Momentum
grass thru 2002
Turf
Buf
Ralph Wilson
Stadium
75,339 8/17/1973
outdoor
Astroplay
Car
Bank of America
73,250 9/14/1996
Stadium
outdoor
Grass
63,000 9/29/2003
Memorial Stadium 2002,
outdoor
Soldier Field thru 2001
Grass
01 grass, 02
Astroturf
Grass (heated) thru
2003
Chi Soldier Field II
Astroturf thru 2002
Cin
Paul Brown
Stadium
65,600 9/10/2000
outdoor
FieldTurf
Cle
Cleveland
Stadium
72,300 9/12/1999
outdoor
Grass
(heated)
Dal
Cowboys
Stadium
80,000 6/6/2009
Texas Stadium thru
2008
retractable RealGrass Astroturf thru 2001
Den Invesco Field
76,125 9/10/2001
Mile High Stadium thru
2000
outdoor
Grass
Det Ford Field
65,000 9/22/2002 Silverdome thru 2001
dome
FieldTurf
GB Lambeau Field
72,515 9/29/1957
outdoor
Grass
Hou Reliant Field
69,500 9/8/2002
retractable Grass
63,000 9/7/2008 RCA Dome thru 2007
retractable FieldTurf
73,000 8/18/1995
outdoor
Grass
79,409 8/12/1972
outdoor
Grass
Ind
Lucas Oil
Stadium
Jacksonville
Jac Municipal
Stadium
KC
Arrowhead
Stadium
Astroturf thru 2001
Astroturf thru 2004
Astroturf thru 1993
Page 82
Team
Mia
Stadium
Dolphins
Stadium
Min Metrodome
NE
Capac
Opened
Prior Stadium
Surface
Old Surface
75,000 8/16/1987
outdoor
Grass
64,035 9/12/1982
dome
FieldTurf
Astroturf thru 2003
outdoor
FieldTurf
Grass thru 11-14-06
Gillette Stadium 68,000 9/9/2002 Foxboro thru 2001
NO Superdome
In/out
2005 Katrina temps:
69,082 9/28/1975 Alamodome (RealGrass) dome
LSU Tiger Stadium
astroturf thru 10-26Momentum
03
Turf
Astroplay remainder
NYG Giants Stadium 79,469 10/10/1976
outdoor
FieldTurf
grass 2000-02,
Astroturf prior
NYJ Giants Stadium 79,469 10/10/1976
outdoor
FieldTurf
grass 2000-02,
Astroturf prior
outdoor
Grass
Oak
Oakland
Coliseum
63,146 9/18/1966
Phi
Lincoln
Financial Field
68,500 9/8/2003
Veterans Stadium thru
2002
outdoor
Grass
Pit
Heinz Field
64,500 10/7/2001 Three Rivers thru 2000
outdoor
Grass
SD
Qualcomm
Stadium
71,294 8/20/1967
outdoor
Grass
SF
Candlestick
Park
64,450 10/10/1971
outdoor
Grass
Sea Qwest Field
68,000 9/15/2002
Husky Stadium 2000-01,
outdoor
Kingdome thru 1999
StL
Edward Jones
Dome
TB
Raymond
65,657 9/20/1998
James Stadium
66,000 11/12/1995
FieldTurf
grass 2001
dome
FieldTurf
Astroturf thru 2004
outdoor
Grass
Ten LP Field
67,000 9/12/1999
outdoor
Grass
Was FedEx Field
80,000 9/14/1996
outdoor
Grass
(heated)
NexTurf 2001-02
Page 83
33. The Stadiums According to Kickers?
“San Francisco has always been my favorite booing city. I don't mean the people boo louder or longer, but there is
a very special intimacy. When they boo you, you know they mean you. Music, that's what it is to me. One time in
Kezar Stadium they gave me a standing boo.” - George ‘Papa Bear’ Halas
We asked NFL kickers to discuss any stadiums that are more challenging to kick in than others. Following
are their answers:
Ryan Longwell
“Probably Lambeau, Soldier Field, and up in Foxboro. Those are three stadiums that I think are toughest to kick
at. It’s a combination in all three of the field, the wind, and the temperatures which are always a factor in those
three stadiums.”
“The obvious things with kicking in Lambeau were the wind and the temperature, which were always a factor.
Probably a bigger factor that no one really realizes is that the field was always pretty torn up. A lot of the times it
was just painted green for TV, and there was really no grass on it. So your footing wasn’t really stable there at
times, which was a factor depending on the kick.”
Jay Feely
“There are some that are easy and some that are tough. Dallas is one that’s pretty easy, because it’s usually hot
down there and the way their stadium is shaped it keeps most of the wind out. I would say that the hardest
stadium to kick in is probably Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. They have an open end, it’s on the river, and it’s windy
like Giants Stadium. On top of that they don’t have FieldTurf, they have grass there. The high school teams use
that field, Pitt uses that field, so a lot of teams are using that field and it gets chewed up. Towards the end of the
year you’re basically just kicking on sand there.”
“Giants Stadium is probably one of the windier stadiums in the NFL. It took a while throughout the off-season
last year to really get a handle on that. The approach we took was let’s turn it into an advantage for us rather
than a disadvantage, because we get a lot more time in that stadium than the visiting team does obviously. We
know the wind better, and so that way we understand what that wind is going to do and how tricky it is, whereas
they’re getting one warm-up session before the game to try and figure it out.”
Connor Barth
“I’ve heard that New York, the Jets and the Giants stadium, is a tough place to kick, but luckily when I played
there this year the wind wasn’t too bad. I would probably say the worst stadium I’ve kicked in so far has been
Kansas City’s, just because the winds are so much different. From the goal line out to the 30 yard line out to
midfield, there are all different winds and different patterns, so it’s really hard to get used to it. So far my home
field’s actually one of the harder places I’ve kicked. Denver, we got lucky out there. I love kicking out there
because it’s a mile high, and it was 60 degrees out so it was nice. For the most part I haven’t kicked in too many
stadiums yet, but Kansas City has been the most difficult just because the winds are so different all the time.
And that’s been the big difference between college and the NFL. Kicking over here on the east coast [during
college], I played in some windy games, but nothing like what it’s like kicking in the Midwest.”
Robbie Gould
“Pittsburgh, Chicago, Green Bay, or any cold weather place that has a lot of wind is pretty tough.”
Mason Crosby
“It’s game to game on this one. Each stadium holds its own challenges. Any outdoor stadium may cause
problems with wind and weather. NFL fans are die hard, so playing away games are always loud. Lambeau is a
great place to play and can pose many weather related issues and our fans know how to bring it to keep
opposing teams on edge.”
Shaun Suisham
“It really depends on what the weather is like on gameday. So it could be tough to kick in a certain stadium one
day and not as tough the next day. The weather is a much bigger factor than the stadium.”
Page 84
Jeff Reed
“I think that ours is the worst – not because I play here and that is an excuse for me - but because of how I can
go from happy to play to ‘oh, it’s going to be one of these days.’ Other kickers compliment me (about having
such success at Heinz Field), but I am not looking for compliments. They say ‘you can have this job’ and stuff
like that. Miami and Oakland have the baseball dirt – that is brutal. I have seen (Sebastian) Janikowski and
Olindo Mare kick fine on it, while I have only kicked on it once. I didn’t know how to play it but I made my only
kick from the dirt, but I really didn’t know how to play that. In our division, Cleveland is just as tricky as our field
because of the lake (Lake Erie). There can be hurricanes and tornadoes in Miami so just because it is (usually)
90 degrees doesn’t mean that it is always ideal conditions for a kicker to kick in.”
Joe Nedney
“Any outdoor stadium with grass in November and December can be a challenge. Some that stand out are
Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Arrowhead Stadium in K.C., Candlestick Park in S.F., Soldier Field, Lambeau,
Meadowlands, and Buffalo. Love those domes....”
Heinz Field, Pittsburgh
When Heinz Field first opened in 2001, it was brutal on kickers. Although it has
improved somewhat since then, it is still not kicker friendly. It remains the
stadium most often mentioned by kickers as a difficult stadium in which to kick.
Page 85
34. The Stadiums: Kicking Results
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein
Following are monthly breakdowns since 2001 for each stadium. The numbers include both the home and visiting
kickers combined.
MONTHLY KICKING RESULTS FOR STADIUMS
FG Total
Team
Ari
Month
Stadium
md att
POINTS
md att md att md att Total ppg
14
17
82.4%
3
4
4
4
1
3
66
6.6
University of Phoenix Stadium
19
24
79.2%
2
3
10
12
2
4
81
8.1
Ari
November University of Phoenix Stadium
18
22
81.8%
7
8
2
2
0
3
87
7.3
Ari
December University of Phoenix Stadium
25
30
83.3%
11
12
4
6
1
3
123
7.7
Atl
September Georgia Dome
36
53
67.9%
9
13
7
16
2
5
164
6.3
Georgia Dome
53
60
88.3%
18
19
13
18
3
4
236
7.4
Atl
November Georgia Dome
58
69
84.1%
16
20
17
21
2
4
262
7.3
Atl
December Georgia Dome
42
53
79.2%
15
19
9
14
4
6
221
6.5
Bal
September M&T Bank Stadium
41
55
74.5%
11
12
13
24
3
5
165
6.9
M&T Bank Stadium
46
54
85.2%
15
17
6
11
2
3
178
6.4
Bal
November M&T Bank Stadium
68
73
93.2%
21
22
24
27
4
5
270
8.4
Bal
December M&T Bank Stadium
76
87
87.4%
24
26
15
20
1
5
322
7.3
Buf
September Ralph Wilson Stadium
43
56
76.8%
17
20
11
17
2
6
183
6.5
Ralph Wilson Stadium
40
46
87.0%
13
13
11
13
2
6
193
6.4
Buf
November Ralph Wilson Stadium
53
73
72.6%
15
18
12
24
5
6
231
6.8
Buf
December Ralph Wilson Stadium
48
59
81.4%
18
20
10
16
2
3
218
6.4
Buf
December Rogers Centre (Toronto)
4
5
80.0%
1
1
1
2
1
1
13
6.5
Car
September Bank of America Stadium
34
42
81.0%
7
8
14
16
4
9
150
5.8
Bank of America Stadium
55
64
85.9%
17
18
17
20
6
10
224
6.6
Car
November Bank of America Stadium
42
56
75.0%
9
15
10
13
1
4
192
6.0
Car
December Bank of America Stadium
49
65
75.4%
13
16
13
22
2
6
230
6.4
Chi
September Soldier Field II
24
34
70.6%
9
11
9
14
0
1
114
6.3
Soldier Field II
48
60
80.0%
10
14
18
23
6
9
195
7.5
Chi
November Soldier Field II
27
37
73.0%
14
17
4
10
2
3
125
6.3
Chi
December Soldier Field II
42
56
75.0%
17
25
9
14
1
2
193
6.0
Cin
September Paul Brown Stadium
39
48
81.3%
14
17
10
14
2
3
165
6.3
Paul Brown Stadium
50
60
83.3%
14
17
14
20
2
2
229
6.7
Cin
November Paul Brown Stadium
47
57
82.5%
13
13
14
18
1
4
233
7.3
Cin
December Paul Brown Stadium
59
72
81.9%
23
27
14
19
2
5
246
6.8
Cle
September Cleveland Stadium
47
53
88.7%
15
17
11
15
3
3
199
6.6
Cleveland Stadium
48
59
81.4%
15
15
14
22
4
6
207
6.9
November Cleveland Stadium
60
80
75.0%
22
27
10
22
2
4
235
6.9
Ari
Atl
Bal
Buf
Car
Chi
Cin
Cle
Cle
September University of Phoenix Stadium
avg
FG 30-39 FG 40-49 FG 50+
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
Page 86
FG Total
Team
Month
Stadium
md att
avg
FG 30-39 FG 40-49 FG 50+
POINTS
Cle
December Cleveland Stadium
35
47
74.5%
10
17
10
12
0
0
168
4.9
Dal
September Texas Stadium
35
41
85.4%
12
13
9
12
3
4
156
7.1
Texas Stadium
57
68
83.8%
17
17
16
23
6
10
250
6.6
Dal
November Texas Stadium
50
68
73.5%
8
12
20
27
5
10
243
6.4
Dal
December Texas Stadium
47
60
78.3%
15
15
12
21
0
3
205
6.8
Den
September Invesco Field
51
64
79.7%
11
12
15
20
5
12
218
7.3
Invesco Field
53
61
86.9%
15
16
16
19
7
11
239
6.6
Den
November Invesco Field
42
51
82.4%
8
9
14
21
6
6
186
6.6
Den
December Invesco Field
58
66
87.9%
14
15
19
23
4
7
248
7.3
Det
September Ford Field
36
45
80.0%
14
16
10
13
3
7
168
7.0
Ford Field
29
36
80.6%
7
7
12
15
4
8
132
6.6
Det
November Ford Field
71
79
89.9%
12
13
26
30
7
9
288
7.6
Det
December Ford Field
47
51
92.2%
21
22
9
10
4
6
212
7.1
GB
September Lambeau Field
47
55
85.5%
19
20
12
17
3
4
208
6.9
Lambeau Field
40
55
72.7%
16
21
8
17
5
6
200
7.1
GB
November Lambeau Field
39
52
75.0%
16
17
10
19
1
3
192
6.4
GB
December Lambeau Field
55
74
74.3%
24
32
12
19
0
3
244
6.1
Hou
September Reliant Field
25
30
83.3%
10
11
5
7
0
2
119
6.0
Reliant Field
59
66
89.4%
18
21
16
18
9
11
252
7.9
Hou
November Reliant Field
34
47
72.3%
9
12
9
16
4
7
162
6.2
Hou
December Reliant Field
53
61
86.9%
11
12
21
25
3
4
238
7.0
Ind
September Lucas Oil Stadium
7
7
100.0%
2
2
1
1
1
1
30
7.5
Lucas Oil Stadium
2
2
100.0%
2
2
0
0
0
0
10
5.0
Ind
November Lucas Oil Stadium
10
10 100.0%
5
5
1
1
1
1
37
9.3
Ind
December Lucas Oil Stadium
7
8
87.5%
3
3
0
1
1
1
33
5.5
Ind
September RCA Dome
31
41
75.6%
9
10
11
16
0
2
149
6.8
RCA Dome
39
46
84.8%
11
12
11
15
3
4
176
7.3
Ind
November RCA Dome
36
51
70.6%
11
14
12
19
0
4
187
6.7
Ind
December RCA Dome
69
80
86.3%
19
21
21
26
3
7
297
7.8
Jac
September Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
38
52
73.1%
12
15
12
19
1
3
162
5.8
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
43
56
76.8%
16
21
15
21
5
7
188
6.3
Jac
November Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
44
56
78.6%
8
12
14
21
2
3
198
6.2
Jac
December Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
56
76
73.7%
22
27
17
25
1
6
249
6.6
KC
September Arrowhead Stadium
45
54
83.3%
14
16
13
17
5
6
189
7.3
Arrowhead Stadium
31
42
73.8%
11
13
9
15
2
5
167
5.2
KC
November Arrowhead Stadium
69
77
89.6%
25
27
14
16
3
6
280
8.2
KC
December Arrowhead Stadium
46
62
74.2%
20
22
14
23
1
5
238
6.6
Mia
September Dolphin Stadium
36
49
73.5%
7
11
9
14
4
8
162
5.8
Dal
Den
Det
GB
Hou
Ind
Ind
Jac
KC
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
Page 87
FG Total
POINTS
Team
Month
Stadium
md att
Mia
October
Dolphin Stadium
41
47
87.2%
13
15
14
17
3
4
174
7.3
Mia
November Dolphin Stadium
50
60
83.3%
18
19
9
15
3
6
202
6.3
Mia
December Dolphin Stadium
56
67
83.6%
12
13
15
22
4
7
257
6.1
Min
September Metrodome
58
71
81.7%
8
12
18
25
4
6
235
7.3
Metrodome
38
47
80.9%
6
8
11
13
6
11
169
6.5
Min
November Metrodome
47
56
83.9%
14
15
15
18
4
9
224
6.6
Min
December Metrodome
53
62
85.5%
12
14
13
18
7
9
250
6.9
NE
September Gillette Stadium
26
32
81.3%
11
13
6
10
1
1
134
6.1
Gillette Stadium
47
63
74.6%
15
19
14
25
0
2
204
6.8
NE
November Gillette Stadium
41
52
78.8%
13
17
9
15
1
1
174
6.7
NE
December Gillette Stadium
49
59
83.1%
19
22
11
16
0
1
219
6.4
NO
September Superdome
25
28
89.3%
16
17
5
5
1
1
122
6.8
Superdome
57
68
83.8%
21
23
15
19
6
10
247
7.7
NO
November Superdome
33
37
89.2%
11
12
10
11
1
3
151
7.6
NO
December Superdome
59
70
84.3%
15
16
12
20
6
8
274
6.9
NY
September Giants Stadium
82
99
82.8%
28
32
17
23
2
4
361
6.9
Giants Stadium
97 120 80.8%
39
42
21
35
4
9
417
6.5
NY
November Giants Stadium
91 115 79.1%
22
30
32
39
3
11
412
6.4
NY
December Giants Stadium
116 142 81.7%
44
54
24
32
4
9
512
6.6
Oak
September Oakland Coliseum
41
55
74.5%
13
14
10
17
0
6
189
7.3
Oakland Coliseum
37
46
80.4%
14
16
11
16
2
3
165
6.3
Oak
November Oakland Coliseum
44
62
71.0%
14
17
8
14
3
11
197
6.2
Oak
December Oakland Coliseum
68
88
77.3%
22
26
12
20
4
7
302
6.9
Phi
September Lincoln Financial Field
28
35
80.0%
11
12
4
9
3
4
136
6.2
Lincoln Financial Field
41
47
87.2%
11
12
15
16
4
8
164
7.5
Phi
November Lincoln Financial Field
28
33
84.8%
13
13
7
11
0
1
139
6.3
Phi
December Lincoln Financial Field
47
59
79.7%
10
11
12
21
3
4
213
7.1
Pit
September Heinz Field
44
53
83.0%
15
16
12
17
0
2
192
7.4
Heinz Field
35
44
79.5%
7
7
11
18
0
1
165
6.3
Pit
November Heinz Field
44
63
69.8%
21
26
10
19
0
4
206
6.1
Pit
December Heinz Field
43
61
70.5%
12
16
14
25
1
3
222
5.3
SD
September Qualcomm Stadium
39
44
88.6%
12
14
12
13
1
3
190
6.8
Qualcomm Stadium
30
38
78.9%
10
11
8
14
1
2
168
6.5
SD
November Qualcomm Stadium
46
59
78.0%
17
18
12
21
2
2
219
6.8
SD
December Qualcomm Stadium
59
72
81.9%
17
20
10
15
5
9
276
6.9
Sea
September Qwest Field
44
51
86.3%
18
20
8
11
3
5
195
7.5
Qwest Field
35
45
77.8%
12
14
9
13
6
9
154
7.0
November Qwest Field
56
68
82.4%
23
24
16
22
2
6
244
6.8
Min
NE
NO
NY
Oak
Phi
Pit
SD
Sea
Sea
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
October
avg
FG 30-39 FG 40-49 FG 50+
Page 88
FG Total
Team
Month
Stadium
md att
avg
FG 30-39 FG 40-49 FG 50+
POINTS
Sea
December Qwest Field
35
44
79.5%
14
19
12
12
3
7
173
6.2
SF
September Candlestick Park
51
57
89.5%
19
21
11
15
2
2
212
7.1
Candlestick Park
48
58
82.8%
15
20
18
19
1
5
221
6.9
SF
November Candlestick Park
48
60
80.0%
16
17
16
22
3
5
211
7.0
SF
December Candlestick Park
47
56
83.9%
18
20
11
16
0
0
217
6.0
StL
September Edward Jones Dome
49
58
84.5%
15
17
9
13
9
12
201
7.7
Edward Jones Dome
45
63
71.4%
13
17
18
28
4
8
222
7.4
StL
November Edward Jones Dome
55
60
91.7%
17
17
21
23
5
7
236
7.9
StL
December Edward Jones Dome
61
70
87.1%
14
15
13
20
12
13
292
7.0
TB
September Raymond James Stadium
33
41
80.5%
5
7
11
15
3
5
136
6.2
Raymond James Stadium
43
56
76.8%
10
12
14
20
5
10
185
5.8
TB
November Raymond James Stadium
53
64
82.8%
23
25
13
18
1
3
235
6.5
TB
December Raymond James Stadium
56
65
86.2%
18
20
10
13
4
6
249
6.6
Ten
September LP Field
38
44
86.4%
14
18
12
13
2
3
166
6.4
LP Field
42
52
80.8%
12
14
12
16
4
7
193
6.9
Ten
November LP Field
40
59
67.8%
16
21
10
21
2
5
194
6.1
Ten
December LP Field
63
83
75.9%
18
24
15
22
4
8
293
7.0
Was
September FedEx Field
47
60
78.3%
18
21
12
17
1
6
195
7.0
FedEx Field
38
48
79.2%
13
17
11
15
3
5
182
6.1
Was
November FedEx Field
37
53
69.8%
12
15
13
23
1
4
160
5.7
Was
December FedEx Field
54
73
74.0%
26
30
11
20
0
4
245
5.8
SF
StL
TB
Ten
Was
October
October
October
October
October
October
Azteca Stadium (Mexico City)
6
6
100.0%
0
0
4
4
0
0
21
10.5
October
Wembley Stadium (London)
7
9
77.8%
2
2
1
2
0
0
30
7.5
Gillette Stadium, New England
A game in December of 2008 featured
snow and wintry mix.
Page 89
35. K-defensive Factors
“We must take care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments, in a respectable defensive posture.”
- George Washington
Kicking Points-per-game Allowed and K-defensive Factors
2008
2007
2006
TEAM
ppg
allow
rank
home
factor
away
factor
ppg
allow
rank
home
factor
away
factor
ppg
allow
rank
home
factor
away
factor
Arizona
7.0
13
0.57
1.12
7.7
22
1.21
1.21
8.4
31
1.20
1.15
Atlanta
5.9
6
0.98
0.67
8.1
26
1.38
1.07
6.6
16
0.76
1.20
Baltimore
5.5
3
0.60
0.93
9.1
31
1.07
1.08
4.4
1
0.81
0.56
Buffalo
8.5
24
1.00
1.18
7.4
17
0.92
0.86
6.2
9
0.73
0.85
Carolina
6.4
10
0.72
0.99
7.4
19
1.13
1.15
6.4
12
1.19
0.71
Chicago
7.3
19
0.89
0.93
6.9
13
1.04
0.93
5.1
2
0.89
0.57
Cincinnati
6.6
12
1.01
0.79
7.3
16
0.90
1.28
5.7
7
0.88
0.70
Cleveland
6.1
7
0.78
0.91
8.4
29
1.20
1.32
7.1
22
1.08
1.01
Dallas
9.2
31
1.41
0.93
6.8
12
0.79
1.10
6.5
14
1.00
0.83
Denver
9.0
28
1.17
1.17
7.7
22
0.70
1.38
8.1
28
0.84
1.24
Detroit
8.6
25
1.46
0.90
6.5
11
0.81
0.87
8.1
29
1.15
1.12
Green Bay
7.1
17
0.76
1.02
6.3
9
0.79
1.21
7.3
24
1.18
0.90
Houston
7.4
21
1.03
0.98
7.9
25
0.88
0.85
7.1
22
1.08
1.17
Indianapolis
7.8
23
1.07
1.13
4.5
2
0.81
0.47
7.0
20
1.12
1.00
Jacksonville
7.6
22
1.22
0.65
5.4
7
0.73
0.66
5.1
3
0.59
0.92
Kansas City
9.0
28
1.53
0.88
8.4
30
1.13
1.06
6.9
19
1.10
1.18
Miami
7.2
18
1.04
0.79
8.3
28
0.93
1.03
6.1
8
1.09
0.88
Minnesota
7.1
16
0.71
1.26
7.2
15
0.82
0.90
8.3
30
1.27
1.12
New England
5.3
2
1.12
0.52
4.4
1
0.47
0.78
5.6
6
0.79
0.78
New Orleans
8.7
26
1.10
1.22
7.6
21
1.31
0.91
5.1
3
0.87
0.73
NY Giants
5.5
3
0.59
0.91
6.3
9
0.90
0.70
6.6
16
0.83
0.87
NY Jets
7.0
13
0.84
1.01
7.7
22
1.45
0.96
5.2
5
0.74
0.80
Oakland
7.0
13
1.09
1.02
7.4
17
1.06
0.97
7.9
26
1.18
1.09
Philadelphia
6.3
8
0.72
1.08
7.5
20
1.00
1.09
7.0
20
0.88
1.31
Pittsburgh
5.8
5
0.84
0.81
5.2
5
0.54
0.93
6.2
9
0.69
1.12
San Diego
6.4
10
0.59
1.00
4.5
2
0.39
0.77
6.3
11
1.15
0.71
Seattle
9.4
32
1.13
1.19
5.8
8
0.79
0.84
6.6
15
0.86
1.02
San Francisco
8.9
27
1.33
1.18
8.1
26
1.29
1.27
8.5
32
1.44
1.31
St. Louis
9.1
30
1.20
1.10
9.1
31
1.27
1.56
6.4
12
1.19
0.89
Tampa Bay
7.3
20
0.97
1.04
4.8
4
0.63
0.60
6.7
18
0.97
1.05
Tennessee
5.3
1
0.73
0.59
5.3
6
0.99
0.59
7.6
25
0.84
1.32
Washington
6.4
9
0.76
0.90
6.9
13
0.73
0.87
7.9
26
1.17
1.38
The K-defensive factors indicated in the “home” and “away” columns are the median by which teams allow kicking
points, as compared to their opponents average scoring. Smaller numbers under 1.0 equal better kicking defense,
larger numbers over 1.0 = not so good.
Page 90
36. The Lesser Known
“Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?” - Harold Pinter
We asked NFL kickers to name one thing about being a kicker that most people probably don’t realize.
Robbie Gould
“In game situations, you have to be an athlete and want the ball. If you don’t like pressure and don’t want the
ball at the end, you’re not going to have much success on game winning kicks.”
Mason Crosby
“Kickers have to run and lift like everyone else. We cannot just walk out every year and kick without training.”
Connor Barth
“I would say the preparation. People feel like you can kind of just go out there and do it every week. People
don’t realize how much we practice, and how pinpoint our accuracy and everything has to be from the snap to
the hold to the kick. People think that we can just go out there and every kick should be just automatic. But
there’s a ton of things that go into it from the line blocking to the snap and the hold and the kick. I’d say
preparation is one thing that people don’t understand how much we do for practicing the field goal. That’s
probably the big thing because I think a lot of people fell that we can just go out there and do it and that it’s one
of the easier jobs. But actually we prepare pretty hard to make those field goals on Sunday.”
Jeff Reed
“You hear the comment ‘you are just a kicker’ and that gets frustrating. I wouldn’t say anything to the person
who said that to me because I have heard it a million times in my life. I work out just as hard as the (other) guys
and I train just as much as the guys. I don’t train for speed, I train for leg speed. I am not going to beat Ike
Taylor in a 40-yard dash, I’m not going to out-lift James Harrison and I am not going to out-throw Ben
(Roethlisberger), but I work out just as hard as those guys because I realize it is hard to get to the NFL, and it is
hard to stay here. I think people have a misperception that kickers are outcasts and are the nerd football
players. I am a football player who happens to be a kicker. If I wasn’t a kicker in this sport, I would be playing
soccer. People (teammates) love it when you make a big (kick) – when you miss one, somebody isn’t around
here giving me crap because I am a fool and a jokester. Deep down inside they know how I want to make every
kick and be perfect. I was voted a captain, which shocked me, and that was because my teammates see my
work ethic as a fellow player.”
Joe Nedney
“I don't think the average fan
realizes the amount of strength it
takes to hit a kick-off 70 yards or
make a 50 yard field goal. We
are considered by most to be
non-athletes, but everyone I've
ever taken out onto the field to
watch me kick first-hand leaves
with a different perspective. We
make it look easy, but it's not.”
Ryan Longwell
“How hard we work out for our
job. And how much pressure
there really is on every time we
go out on the field...not just those
last second kicks.”
Joe Nedney, an athlete, makes the tackle on a punt return.
Page 91
37. Bibliography and Other Kicking
Information Resources
“When your hobbies get in the way of your work - that's okay; but when your hobbies get in the way of themselves...
well...” - Steve Martin
In addition to the wealth of information available at Footballguys.com, the following websites also have kicker
related information:
Pro Football Reference
Stats, stats, and more stats
http://pro-football-reference.com
Retired NFL kickers’ websites
Morten Andersen:
http://www.mortenandersen.com/
Gary Anderson:
http://garyandersonperfectseason.com/index.html
Nick Lowry: http://www.nicklowery.com/
NFL.com
Official website of the NFL
Game logs, history, records, etc.
http://www.nfl.com
Halls of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame:
http://www.profootballhof.com
American Football Kicking Hall of Fame:
http://www.americanfootballkickinghalloffame.com

College Football Hall of Fame:
http://www.collegefootball.org
NFL Draft History
Sortable data on the annual draft
http://www.drafthistory.com
Resources and information for aspiring kickers
and punters
Kicking.com: http://www.kicking.com/home.asp
National Kicking Combine Series:
http://www.combineseries.com/home.asp?eventi
d=1
ProKicker.com: http://www.prokicker.com
Coach Gary Zauner:
http://www.coachzauner.com
Pro Form Kicking: http://www.proformkicking.com
Kicking World: http://www.kickingworld.com
Longsnap.com
News on longsnappers
http://www.longsnap.com
NFL Players Association
Contract and salary information
http://www.nflplayers.com
Wilson Sporting Goods
Manufacturer of official game ball of the NFL
http://www.wilson.com/wilson/football/index.jsp
Other kicking sports and leagues
Soccer (a.k.a. football throughout the world):
http://www.fifa.com
Rugby: http://www.irb.com
Canadian Football League (CFL):
http://www.cfl.ca
Australian Football League:
http://www.afl.com.au
Arena Football 2 http://www.af2.com
Indoor Football League http://goifl.com
NCAA.org
College football statistics
http://web1.ncaa.org/mfb/mainpage.jsp
Wikipedia
The free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Stadiums of the NFL
Detailed information on past, present, and future
stadiums
http://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com
Lou Groza Award
Annual award to the best college kicker
http://www.lougrozaaward.com
Kickology on Twitter
http://twitter.com/HermanKickology
Page 92