Tag: Bucs kickers

The 3 longest field goals in Buccaneers history

Take a look at which players have kicked the longest field goals in team history.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had issues over the years finding stability at the kicker position, and the whole debacle surrounding former second-round pick Roberto Aguayo certainly didn’t help matters.

But the Bucs are hoping their 2019 fifth-round selection, Matt Gay, will pan out and become the franchise kicker they desperately need. Gay had an up and down rookie season, missing eight field goals and five extra points. His toughest game came in Week 3’s loss to the New York Giants, where he missed a potential game-winning field goal at the end. Tampa Bay, and especially Tom Brady, is hoping Gay will have a much better year two. The former Utah star has flashed his potential and big leg in practices, even nailing a 62-yarder last year.

So, in honor of Gay and his position, let’s take a look at the three longest field goals in Bucs history.

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Bucs claim K Elliott Fry off waivers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed a new kicker off waivers from the Carolina Panthers.

Last week, I wrote about how instability at the kicker position was something Tom Brady never had to worry about in his 20 years in New England, during which time Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski were the primary kickers.

The Bucs, meanwhile, have notoriously struggled at the position for years, and the second-round drafting of Roberto Aguayo in 2016 only magnified the problem after the kicker lasted just one year in Tampa Bay.

While 2019 fifth-round pick Matt Gay has plenty of talent and range, he struggled at times last year, especially in Week 3’s loss to the New York Giants. And for a Bucs team looking to make a serious run at the postseason, and maybe even the Super Bowl, inconsistency like that isn’t going to cut it.

Maybe that’s why the Bucs are making sure they leave all options on the table, as they claimed a new kicker off waivers yesterday.

Fry played at South Carolina from 2013-2016, going 161-for-162 on extra points and 66-for-88 on field goal attempts. Remember, the extra point in college isn’t kicked from the 15-yard line like it is in the NFL.

Fry played most recently for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football, going 14-for-14 in his eight weeks with the team before the AAF suspended operations.

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There’s one weakness on the Bucs Tom Brady has never dealt with before

The Tampa Bay Bucs offense looks unstoppable with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski leading the charge. But this one area is cause for concern.

The Buccaneers added more pieces to their ever-growing roster of talent through the NFL draft, the most notable being offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs of Iowa.

The Buccaneers have championship expectations heading into 2020 after the signing of quarterback Tom Brady and the trade for tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will come out of retirement to reunite with Brady in Tampa. The offense seems all but unstoppable right now, and postseason expectations are high for Bruce Arians’ squad.

But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the future Hall of Fame QB’s new team. The Bucs have had issues over the years finding a reliable kicker, and last year, rookie Matt Gay had a nightmare performance in Week 3’s loss to the New York Giants that brought back memories of Roberto Aguayo.

During his time in New England, Brady had only two kickers for almost the entirety of his 20-year run: Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski. With stability like that at the position, it made two-minute drills and pressure situations more manageable knowing there was a reliable kicker waiting in the wings. After all, Vinatieri kicked game-winning field goals in the Patriots’ first two Super Bowl championships.

But how much faith should the Bucs have in Gay entering 2020? The 2019 fifth-round pick missed eight field goals last season, going 27-for-35, while also going 43-for-48 on extra points. Tampa Bay will obviously go into training camp with Gay, but competition could be good to ensure the team finds the best kicker they can for this championship run.

Oh, by the way, Gostkowski was released by the Patriots last month. Just saying…

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Fantasy football owners weren’t happy with Bucs K Matt Gay on Sunday

Buccaneers rookie kicker Matt Gay missed three extra points yesterday against the Falcons and fantasy football owners were none too pleased.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie kicker Matt Gay can thank his lucky stars that the team got a relatively easy win over the Atlanta Falcons yesterday, 35-22, because Gay had another nightmare outing, reminiscent of Week 3’s loss to the New York Giants.

The fifth-round pick out of Utah was just 2-for-5 yesterday on extra points, missing two and having another blocked. Back in Week 3, Gay missed an extra point and had another blocked against the Giants, and, ultimately, missed a potential game-winning field goal at the end of the game. His performance even drew the ire of a deodorant company.

Those three missed extra points yesterday could’ve been costly against the Falcons, especially when you consider the Bucs’ habit of blowing big leads. Fortunately, for Gay, the misses ultimately didn’t matter in the end… except, of course, to fantasy football owners.

Suffice it to say, fans and fantasy players had plenty to say yesterday about Gay’s performance.

Take a look.

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