Cory's Corner: Will NFL kickers be extinct?

The NFL must have a beef with its kickers.

Last year, the league changed what was the easiest aspect of an NFL game — the extra point. And now, it is studying data in order to make field goal posts narrower.

According to the Toronto Sun, the NFL will be placing microchips in balls to find out how far inside the uprights the ball sails through.

“That would be one way to affect both the extra point and the field goal,” NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino told the Sun. “(Success rates) have continued to climb over the years as our field-goal kickers and that whole process has become so specialized, from long snapper to holder to kicker. We'll do some studies this year.”

The thing I have a problem with is why success is being tinkered with. Last year, 30 NFL kickers made at least 80 percent of their field goals. In 2014 that number was 26 and in 2013 it was 25.

Narrowing the uprights won’t heighten the fan experience and make the NFL game better. But it will put kickers in the cross hairs of becoming extinct.

Just a few months ago, we heard from Packers coach Mike McCarthy, Ben Roethlisberger and others say that they would rather go for two most of the time as opposed to kicking a 33-yard extra point. By tightening the uprights, how many coaches will elect to go for it on fourth down instead of taking the three points?

And with college football beginning discussions about eliminating the kickoff, how far are we away from wiping out the place kicker altogether?

I didn’t like moving the extra points back and I don’t like the idea of moving the uprights either. Kicking has been engrained in the game of football. From Tom Dempsey to Matt Prater to Scott Norwood, the game has not only been decided by kicks or misses, but many interesting records as well. How much weight does Prater’s 64-yard field goal have if the NFL moves the uprights?

This is just semantics, but if the kicking game has such a minor role in the sport, can we still call it football? With all of the recent changes in the rules and how it has made strides to protect quarterbacks, maybe we should just call it armball.

The NFL is once again trying to tinker with something it doesn’t need to tinker with. Of the five networks that carry NFL games, ESPN was the only one that saw its ratings drop. And a lot of that is due to just an awful slate of games combined with the fact that people are ditching cable.

It’s refreshing to know that the league has an eye on the future. But toying with the kicking game isn’t going to keep this sport viable for the next generation. 

 

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.

__________________________

Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn

__________________________

0 points
 

Comments (17)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
NickPerry's picture

July 19, 2016 at 06:53 am

When will the NFL figure out the product on the field is just fine, but they're slowly taking away the game we all love to watch. I understand it's an issue of Player Safety on Kickoffs but I still don't like it. Desmond Howard's KO and PR plays in the Playoffs were some of the MOST exciting moments that season and postseason.

The rule changes they've made in favor of the offense makes it damn near impossible to play defense. My God, how do these guys rush the passer or play CB nowadays? Pass rushers who glance the QB's helmet with their finger tips will sometimes have a 15 yard penalty against them. Gimme a break! The CB's have it just as bad, some games it seems there's a flag on every pass. In Arizona last year Abby gets mugged on the play before the pass to Janis, yet John Brown began blocking Casey Hayward backwards and interfering long before the pass was even made and there was no flag. That play put Arizona up and it should have been a flag. There's just no consistency from crew to crew.

At some point the NFL need to quit messing with the game because at some point they WILL pass the point of no return and they'll begin to lose viewers. I just hope I'm not around to see that day.

0 points
0
0
RCPackerFan's picture

July 19, 2016 at 07:56 am

I have often wondered what the game will be like 10 years from now. The kick returns have been such a huge part of the game that it would completely change the game if they took it out. Where would we be without Desmond Howards KR for a TD in the Super Bowl?

I have wondered if they would try to adjust how the kick return is done before they would get rid of it. Maybe they do an alignment adjustments for the players so they don't have as big of a running start. On offense they have to have a certain number of players on the LOS. Perhaps they do something like that. Maybe they make the Kick return team have to have a certain number of players within 10 yards of the LOS.

I do hope they try making adjustments to the kickoffs before they would get rid of it completely.

I do agree to about the NFL needs to quit trying change the game before its to late.

0 points
0
0
Ibleedgreenmore's picture

July 19, 2016 at 08:59 am

Can I give you several likes for this, hey I been watching since the mid 1950s and as you said why mess with it that is part of the game.

0 points
0
0
Handsback's picture

July 19, 2016 at 07:20 am

Nick is right! If the NFL is serious, they would hire full-time refs to make sure the games are called consistently across the board. That would make the product better.

Cory is also correct in that people are cutting their CATV cord and saying goodbye to ESPN. I used to really like that station, but now I doubt I watch it but once a month if that. That doesn't mean the NFL isn't as popular. My problem is that the NFL has lost their edge. One of my favorite games last year was the Bengals and Steelers playoff game. That was football that I hadn't seen in years.

0 points
0
0
marpag1's picture

July 19, 2016 at 08:14 am

As things stand right now, I have very little time for NBA basketball. On the other hand, I LOVE college basketball and I think that the NCAA tourney is one of the greatest events in all of sport.

What's the difference if both of them are "basketball?" The difference is that the stuffed suits at the NBA felt a need to make the game "more exciting," and now it sucks. No more traveling, no more three seconds, no more team defense, and any ball whipped towards the rim from this side of the court is called "continuation."

You payin' attention, Roger Goodell?

Just my opinion, I guess....

0 points
0
0
Big Moe's picture

July 20, 2016 at 05:37 pm

Could not agree about hoops more, I Never watch pro ball, but I'm glued to the ncaa tourney.

0 points
0
0
lebowski's picture

July 19, 2016 at 09:35 am

How big was the Queen's missed field goal against Seattle in the playoffs last year?!! The kicking game is fine, Dean

0 points
0
0
4thand1's picture

July 19, 2016 at 08:04 pm

that kicker may never be the same

0 points
0
0
NickPerry's picture

July 20, 2016 at 05:28 am

One can only hope! I hope he chokes on every game winning or game tying kick until he's kicked off the team, well just as long he's a Viking. Then a second chance with an AFC team would be just fine.

0 points
0
0
HarlanHuckleby's picture

July 19, 2016 at 10:48 am

We can't let the majestic kicker go extinct. The NFL needs to start a breeding program...infuse soccer stadiums with pigskin pheromones or something.

0 points
0
0
John Galt III's picture

July 19, 2016 at 03:06 pm

No kicking - no punting - it isn't safe

So exactly why is it called FOOTball?

0 points
0
0
4thand1's picture

July 19, 2016 at 08:07 pm

it'll be foosball like mama says.

0 points
0
0
PaulRosik's picture

July 19, 2016 at 03:38 pm

Kicking has become too easy. In the growing distant past a 40 yard field goal was a risky bet and now its a given. The NFL should be trying to make it more difficult to make a field goal and make teams have to think whether to go for it more often or not. What would you rather see, more 45 yard field goals, or more 4th down attempts?

0 points
0
0
Tundraboy's picture

July 19, 2016 at 07:48 pm

Leave game alone. Narrow goal posts if they must. Kickers are now specialists that have benefited over the years by playing in domes and partially enclosed stadiums removing the difficulty of playing in bad weather, so why not adjust schedules to account for locations. Playing regular season games like Lions in Detroit in December are absurd. Same with Thanksgiving. Minnesota playing us at Lambeau in Sept or October. Us playing them in Minn late in the year at the metrodome in the past. Too much attention it seems is paid to avoiding cold weather. Its football afterall and look what a difference it made last year with Minnesota playing outdoors in the playoffs. As a kid I loved watching bad weather late season games in snowy weather. Still do.

0 points
0
0
Big Moe's picture

July 20, 2016 at 05:50 pm

Indeed, the bad weather games are the best, I'll never forget Edgar Bennet running all over the Bears in a monsoon, he was one of the few players who had the balance to stay upright in that sloppy wet mess, it was awesome to watch, or the Tampa game when it snowed so hard at Lambeau the Bucs road whites were almost impossible to see, lol good stuff. lets get the Cards at the end of Dec in GB instead of playing them at home at the beginning of Sept.

0 points
0
0
Tundraboy's picture

July 20, 2016 at 10:09 pm

Thanks for the Edgar/Bears game reminder. That was a great one. They called him a 'mudder'" type runnng back as I recall.

0 points
0
0
WinUSA's picture

July 20, 2016 at 04:11 pm

"Kicking has been engrained in the game of football. From Tom Dempsey to Matt Prater to Scott Norwood, " And let's not forget the Cypriot with tiny hands: Garo Yepremian! Now that was entertainment LOL

0 points
0
0