I've noticed a strange thing happen in the NFL in recent years.
The number of missed "easy" field goals keeps going up and up.
Years ago, when a kicker lined up for a 30 yard field goal, or an extra point, it was just assumed that they would make it.
Anything under 35 yards was pretty much automatic. To miss one was truly a fluke.
Not anymore. Kickers are missing extra points and "chip shot" field goals all over the league.
(see Zane Gonzales and Daniel Carlson in Week 2)
There were some truly automatic kickers in the NFL for many years. Gary Anderson, Morten Anderson, Adam Vinatieri, Matt Stover, Ryan Longwell, etc.
I remember as a Vikings fan, watching Fuad Reveiz make 31 feild goals in a row.
Extra points were completely automatic, and nobody missed those.
The older players have all retired, and now, the NFL is full of kickers in their 20's.
These new kickers are amazingly inconsistent! Missing extra points and 30 yard field goals all day seems to be the new reality.
My theory is that Millennials are terrible kickers!
The Ravens' Justin Tucker is a consistent young kicker, but he was born in 1989. The cut-off date for kicking consistency seems to be 1990.
Here are some of the young kickers' performances from Week 2.
Daniel Carlson - born 1995 - Missed all 3 attempted field goals including 2 game winners in overtime. The teams tied.
Zane Gonzales - Born 1995 Missed 2 of 4 field goals and missed 2 extra points. His team lost by 3 points.
Chris Boswell - Born 1991 - Missed a field goal and an extra point this week, and missed their only other field attempt last week to keep their game a tie.
I just found out the Vikings fired Daniel Carlson today. I hope he finds a job that he's good at.
I don't know why, since there are some great young players at every other position, but young people just suck at kicking field goals...
Thoughts?