Merged: Kicker Situation

[GoRavensNTerps]

I wouldn't be surprised if we brought in a few kickers to take a look at this week. You have to be able to trust your kicker in close games and ours has had two opportunities to be clutch. Harbaugh said that his first miss will just make him more focused to make the next one. And what does he do? Miss it left, just like the Vikings game. Do you see the Ravens sticking with Steve Hauschka?

[neepo13]

I've never trusted him and that certainly hasnt changed. It was clear in the preseason that we needed a kicker, we didnt get one. Now we are stuck with what we have.

[PuRock]

I don't see how anyone could trust our kicker after he blew 2 big pressure kicks.

He's a fine kicker if we have the lead and are tacking on more points. But when its on the line. He can't kick.

Is this a problem that can be solved with time? Who knows. One would have thought he would have sured up after the Minny game.

[Ed_Reed20]

I don't trust Hauschka but I don't know if they are better options walking the streets. The team may be stuck with him.

What I want to know is if everyone in the organization still thinks of him as the kicker of the future.

[Moderator 2]

If you recall before Denver they brought in kickers.

[PurpleChaos]

[quote name='PuRock' date='08 November 2009 - 08:00 PM' timestamp='1257728424' post='277981']
I don't see how anyone could trust our kicker after he blew 2 big pressure kicks.

He's a fine kicker if we have the lead and are tacking on more points. But when its on the line. He can't kick.

Is this a problem that can be solved with time? Who knows. One would have thought he would have sured up after the Minny game.
[/quote]
He makes me nervous even on the kicks he makes Ever notice his field goals never have any power behind them and are kinda like line drives and just float in? I thought it was my imagination but I really started watching other guys around the league and dude is a serious feather foot

[GoRavensNTerps]

Plus, part of the reason that we brought him in and kept him was for kickoffs. It might just be me, but i haven't seen a kick off go in the endzone for awhile. The returners keep catching it at the ten yard line. Right now, unless we have a lead and there is no pressure, he is pretty much a wasted roster spot.

[kash96ravenstotalfan]

[quote name='Moderator 2' date='08 November 2009 - 08:02 PM' timestamp='1257728556' post='277985']
If you recall before Denver they brought in kickers.
[/quote]
I know that, but they didn't sign anyone

[wolfzie06]

Not only do I not trust him in pressure situation kicks, but for having a strong leg he kicks pretty short on a good amount of his kickoffs. I think that the Ravens need to acknowledge that they made a mistake in keeping Hauschka, and when the Colts release Stover when Vinatieri is back they need to bring Matt back in.

[PuRock]

I won't be shock if we tried out those same kickers again, but with different results.

Last time we tried out some kickers because Haush showed up on the injury report. This time will because he can't be trusted.

[btully27]

This is basically his rookie yr..give the kid a break if u recall a K known in Baltimore as "AUTO-MATIC" MATT, he went 16 for 22 his 1st yr.21 for 29 his 2nd yr. n 16 for 22 his 3rd..so he went 54 for 73 his first three yrs of his career, thts only a 73% fg percentage...Give the kid a break n focus more on our inconsistant D-Fense.

[VA_Fan]

Harbs should tell Steve that if he misses one more field goal like that, the only thing that he'll be kicking are cans down the alley while on his way to work at McDonalds.

<sarcasm off>

[kash96ravenstotalfan]

[quote name='btully27' date='08 November 2009 - 08:14 PM' timestamp='1257729258' post='278004']
This is basically his rookie yr..give the kid a break if u recall a K known in Baltimore as "AUTO-MATIC" MATT, he went 16 for 22 his 1st yr.21 for 29 his 2nd yr. n 16 for 22 his 3rd..so he went 54 for 73 his first three yrs of his career, thts only a 73% fg percentage...Give the kid a break n focus more on our inconsistant D-Fense.
[/quote]
Not going to give the kid a break. His main job is to kick field goals. Twice he has missed clutch FG's. We pay him to do a job that so far he has proven he can't do. Step-up, or get lost. It's that simple IMO

[Flacco-the-Unitas]

I like saying his name. STEEEEVVVEEEEEE HHHAAAUUUSSSSCCCHHHKA!!!!! We should keep him. It's not like he lost us the game. He missed another kick because he's new. Give the man some room to grow. I consider him a longterm investment. Although someone should penalize his checkbook the next time he misses a FG!

[J-man]

I taking lessons from Matt Stover. I should be on the field for the Indy game.

[Shawn`]

I was really PO'd at Hauschka, I wasn't mad at him for blowing the Vikings kick, because he's a young guy, a lot of pressure and it was the last second game winner.

If he had made it 10-17 that last drive would've been ALOT different, we could've been playing for overtime, not desperation football which caused those sacks.

[PurpleChaos]

[quote name='Shawn`' date='08 November 2009 - 08:26 PM' timestamp='1257729967' post='278025']
I was really PO'd at Hauschka, I wasn't mad at him for blowing the Vikings kick, because he's a young guy, a lot of pressure and it was the last second game winner.

If he had made it 10-17 that last drive would've been ALOT different, we could've been playing for overtime, not desperation football which caused those sacks.
[/quote]
Totally agree It would have been a one possession game and it definately took the wind out of our sails and pretty much sealed the deal after a decent drive

[admartian]

lol Should this even be a question? I'm pretty sure this guy SHOULD be cut. WHether or not Ozzie/Harbs is MAN ENOUGH to admit they make a mistake and move onto Vinatieri or Stover (or anyone else really) is a different story.

[CorvusCorax]

I think the kicker situation is the least of our worries at the moment.

[Slim]

Shoulda been Graham Gano... but it's too late now

[PuRock]

[quote name='VA_Fan' date='08 November 2009 - 08:18 PM' timestamp='1257729484' post='278013']
Harbs should tell Steve that if he misses one more field goal like that, the only thing that he'll be kicking are cans down the alley while on his way to work at McDonalds.

<sarcasm off>
[/quote]

That'll be too much pressure. He'll miss the first kick he attempts.

[BmoreFlacco]

Well I sure most fans were prepared to deal the shift in power at the Kicking postion with the release of Stover. I personally understood why the decision was made (mostly because of having to occupy 2 roster spots for the postion when stover was here due to his kickoff inefficiencies) But Serousily WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THIS KID? Even if the other offense and defense performed better, would we seriously be a real threat in the playoff looking for another SB appearance this year with a rookie kicker?? We all watched the training camp 'competition' between Hauscka and Gano, and how he apparently 'beat out' Gano but this Has to be one of the mostly costly decisions so far this past offseason (arguably Foxworth being the worse,) Sure there was no 'Game winner' chance for him today but the Fact is we would not be sitting here ,even after this dissapointing loss today, at 4-4 if he make that field goal in Minnesota.
Sure, you cant expect him to be perfect coming out the back, but with the Intense practice hes been forced to do since then (apparently over the bye he had to kicking over 40 field goals attempts in practice per day) How in the world does he miss a easy 35yard field goal in the middle of the game with barely no wind, or wide left in a freakin' dome for that matter????
I was willing to give him time but how many losses if enough knowing that were not asking him for miracle 55+yard field goals... hes not even making the ones he should easily make!! Even the players are losing belief in him.. [b]Did you guys see the look on Ed Reed when he missed that after Reed got that turnover? [/b]WE NEED AN ALTERNATIVE OPTION NOW unless weve given up on the season..

b.t.w what team did Graham Gano sign with?

[BmoreFlacco]

[quote name='PuRock' date='08 November 2009 - 08:50 PM' timestamp='1257731455' post='278061']
That'll be too much pressure. He'll miss the first kick he attempts.
[/quote]

Announcer-" And itssss.....NO GOOD!!! WIDE LEFT OF THE DUMPSTER...WOW!"

[PuRock]

[quote name='BmoreFlacco' date='08 November 2009 - 09:57 PM' timestamp='1257735426' post='278184']
b.t.w what team did Graham Gano sign with?
[/quote]

Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League

[Alexir]

[quote name='PuRock' date='08 November 2009 - 10:03 PM' timestamp='1257735790' post='278197']
Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League
[/quote]


He's probably better off there than this train wreck of a team......[img]http://boards.baltimoreravens.com/public/style_emoticons/default/Dancing_Banana_Homer_by_zorkky.gif[/img]

[BmoreFlacco]

[quote name='PuRock' date='08 November 2009 - 10:03 PM' timestamp='1257735790' post='278197']
Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League
[/quote]
OMG seriusly? UFL? Ozzie or somebody needs to pluck him outta there and give him another look or a 1 yr deal and see what happens this offseason..

[Ravens 09]

[quote name='BmoreFlacco' date='08 November 2009 - 09:59 PM' timestamp='1257735594' post='278191']
Announcer-" And itssss.....NO GOOD!!! WIDE LEFT OF THE DUMPSTER...WOW!"
[/quote]


Its UP! It's Dead center! No wait! its hooking left! Is he gonna make it?! Its going its *commercial*

[JO_75]

[quote name='BmoreFlacco' date='08 November 2009 - 09:57 PM' timestamp='1257735426' post='278184']
[b]b.t.w what team did Graham Gano sign with?[/b][/quote]

Checking up on the Kicker we released because Steve "won" the Kicking job, Gano is now kicking in the UFL for the Las Vegas Locomotives(yes that is actually the team's name) and to Gano's credit he will forver be known as the player who put up the first points of this new UFL League by converting a [b]32 Yard Field Goal[/b] and currently has the LONGEST FG in the UFL with a [b]53 Yard FG[/b]

That's pretty impressive and looking back, if Gano is the kicker..... Ravens beat the Vikings; Gano probably makes that 38 yard kick Steve missed today and Flacco from there probably takes the Ravens down field to take the Ravens/Bengals game into OT. That sits us at 5-3 one game behind the Bengals and tied with Pittsburgh. Can we take Gano off the UFL team now or do we have to wait for the league to end?

There's the update on the Kicker the Ravens cut in favor of Steve Hauschka.

[neepo13]

[quote name='Ed_Reed20' date='08 November 2009 - 08:01 PM' timestamp='1257728491' post='277982']
I don't trust Hauschka but I don't know if they are better options walking the streets. The team may be stuck with him.

What I want to know is if everyone in the organization still thinks of him as the kicker of the future.
[/quote]

"Better"? It will probably be kind of hard to do worse than Hauschka right now. Maybe Martin Grammatica is available or when Phil Dawson gets back to the Browns, maybe we can pick up the guy they've got filling in. We've really got to do something. We are going to be in a lot of close games the rest of the season. We either need to get a new kicker or we need to give our current kicker a vote of no confidence and play to score a TD every time out instead of playing for a field goal.
[quote name='CorvusCorax' date='08 November 2009 - 08:32 PM' timestamp='1257730332' post='278031']
I think the kicker situation is the least of our worries at the moment.
[/quote]

The team played horribly today and vs. Minn but you know what, they still could have won if the kicker makes those kicks. Kicker isnt our only problem but its high up there. When we get into situations like we were today, we wont have all available strategies open to us because our kicker freaking sucks.

[JO_75]

Matt Stover is 6/6 on Field Goals made this season. Stover's longest being a [b]40 Yard FG!!![/b] How much longer is Vinateri out, because Ozzie should sign Matt as soon as the Colts cut Stover and bring him back and give stover a 2-3 year deal and cut Hauschka.