The New England Patriots may be 6-1 after an impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there is some growing concern over one of their longest tenured players.
We all know who that is- Stephen Gostkowski.
For the second consecutive week, Gostkowski botched a simple 33-yard extra point. From 2006-2015, Gostkowski played in 152 regular season games and missed just one of his 503 extra point attempts with the Patriots. Of course the rule changes have been the biggest difference maker, but extra points are still must make kicks in the NFL.
In last year’s AFC Championship Game, against the Denver Broncos, Gostkowski missed a critical extra point attempt. That one point may not seem like the end of the world, but it made the difference as the Broncos won, 20-18. Tom Brady and the Patriots were forced to go for two because of the missed extra point.
But extra points aren’t the only issue.
Gostkowski has also been struggling with his field goal kicking. The 32-year-old kicker has missed three kicks already this year, identical to the amount he missed all of last season. Gostkowski’s field goal percentage is currently at a mediocre 75 percent, the lowest of his 11-year career.
As previously stated, the rule changes that have increase extra point yardage and age may be a factor. However, there is another theory floating around Foxborough at the moment as to why the Patriots star kicker is struggling more than ever before. Head Coach Bill Belichick has been tweaking with Gostkowski’s kickoffs, having him kick the ball just shy of the end zone, thus making the opposing team return the ball instead of simply opting for the touchback. It is possible that Gostkowski’s new kickoff technique is having a damaging effect on his field goal kicking.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
