Tag: chad ryland

Bill Belichick responds to question on K Chad Ryland’s job status

Is Chad Ryland still the starting kicker for the Patriots? Bill Belichick responded on Wednesday.

New England Patriots rookie kicker Chad Ryland could be on thin ice after whiffing on 35-yard field goals in back-to-back games. But a change at kicker doesn’t appear imminent, per Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

“He’s on our roster,” Belichick responded, when asked if he was sticking with Ryland.

Earlier in the week, when appearing on “The Greg Hill Show,” Belichick admitted Ryland hasn’t been good enough. The Patriots then had multiple kickers in for a workout on Tuesday, which signaled a potential change at the position.

If anything, the Patriots are likely hoping it lights a fire under their rookie fourth-round draft pick. They’ve invested a lot into Ryland this season, including moving on from a steady veteran kicker in Nick Folk. So far, that decision has looked like an absolute bust for the Patriots.

Of course, there’s still hope that Ryland can turn it around. He has a big leg and great distance on his kicks, but he isn’t kicking with the same confidence right now. Missing two chip shot field goals in critical moments of games likely isn’t going to help improve that confidence, either.

The fact remains that Ryland could be one major mistake away from watching the rest of the season from the sidelines.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report: Patriots work out multiple kickers amid Chad Ryland struggles

The Patriots reportedly worked out several kickers on Tuesday.

The New England Patriots worked out several specialists on Tuesday afternoon, as the struggles of rookie kicker Chad Ryland continue.

Ryland missed a game-tying 35-yard field goal against the New York Giants on Sunday, in what was a microcosm of his shaky season. He has gone 12-of-18 on field goal attempts, and he has made all 14 of his extra points.

The group of specialists included kickers B. T. Potter, Henry Brown, Matthew Wright, Parker White and John Parker Romo, as noted by KPRC2’S Aaron Wilson. Matthew McCrane was also in on a visit.

New England is trying to find an answer at the position with Ryland in a bit of a slump.

Sunday’s game could be make-or-break for Ryland, assuming he gets the start. If anything, the recent impromptu specialist search should light a fire under the rookie fourth-round draft pick.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Patriots special teamer shares words of encouragement for K Chad Ryland

Patriots special teamer Brenden Schooler revealed the conversation he had with kicker Chad Ryland after Sunday’s game.

New England Patriots rookie kicker Chad Ryland had a difficult day on Sunday, missing the potential game-tying field goal as the Patriots fell 10-7 to the New York Giants.

However, special teams veteran Brenden Schooler offered words of encouragement to Ryland.

It has been a difficult season for the Maryland product to begin his career. He has a 66.7 field goal percentage. It is worth noting the distance of his kicks. He has 10 attempts from 40-plus yards, which are not exactly layup attempts.

The game-winning attempt on Sunday sailed wide left, as the Patriots fell to 2-9 on the year. When asked what he said to Ryland after the game, Schooler revealed the conversation he had with the rookie specialist.

“‘Just keep your head up,'” Schooler told NESN.com. “‘I mean, you’re a great young kicker who’s just getting started in this league. So, you’re gonna have misses and you’re gonna have makes. Just remember this feeling and move on from it, and we’ve got your back, I got your back. Everyone on this team knows you’re a good kicker. So, just keep chugging along, and you’ll get better every week.'”

Ryland obviously has room to grow and develop only one season removed from college football. He also has the dubious task of filling the shoes of Nick Folk, who was a model of consistency during his time in New England

If anything, the missed field goal was a microcosm of what has been a difficult season overall for the Patriots.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

The Morning After…major draft blunder comes back to haunt Patriots

One of Bill Belichick’s worst drafting blunders came back to haunt him against the Giants.

The tanking crowd had plenty to celebrate as the significantly lighter New England Patriots bandwagon sputtered to 2-9 on Sunday.

A late fourth-quarter comeback drive by quarterback Bailey Zappe and the Patriots offense was ultimately foiled, due to a missed 35-yard field goal attempt by rookie kicker Chad Ryland.

As if the fan-base needed further reminding, the loss to the Giants cemented the fact that the Patriots are one of the worst teams in football. It also kept them in position to have a shot at coming away with one of the top-two quarterbacks, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, in the 2024 NFL draft.

Let’s get into some leftover notes from Sunday’s game.

Bill Belichick shares brutally honest take on K Chad Ryland’s missed field goal

Bill Belichick admits rookie kicker Chad Ryland hasn’t been good enough over the last couple of games.

In consecutive games, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has watched rookie kicker Chad Ryland whiff on 35-yard field goal attempts.

But the worst of the two misses came on Sunday in a potential game-tying kick that would have sent the Patriots’ Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants into overtime.

The snap was there. The hold was there. Everything was seemingly in place for Ryland to kick what should have been a chip shot through the uprights to solidify a late comeback drive by quarterback Bailey Zappe and the offense.

But it was no good.

“Chad’s a very talented player, but this is two weeks in a row we’ve basically missed extra points. It’s not good enough,” said Belichick, when appearing on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” via NESN’s Zack Cox.

Belichick’s decision to trade up in the fourth-round of the 2023 NFL draft to select Ryland was always a bit of a head-scratcher considering the team already had a reliable veteran kicker in Nick Folk on their roster.

The Patriots passed on some really good football players for Ryland, including Los Angeles Rams’ breakout star receiver Puka Nacua. If anything, it serves as a reminder of how bad this Patriots team failed before even taking a snap this season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Ranking 8 most disappointing players for Patriots in 2023

Who are the eight most disappointing Patriots players so far in 2023?

An all-around disappointing season for the New England Patriots has led to an endless blame game from outsiders. Who is most responsible for the Patriots’ current predicament—the coaches, quarterback, receivers or offensive line?

The easy answer is there’s no singular individual responsible for the team imploding and falling to 2-8 on the season. It takes a village to create the colossal failure the Patriots have become this year.

With that said, there are certain players that have disappointed more than others. These are the players that were expected to play major roles in helping the Patriots turn things around from last season.

Yet, those expectations have only led to further disappointment for a franchise that’s unrecognizable from the perennial contender that reigned during the Tom Brady era.

Here are the eight most disappointing players for the Patriots this season:

Studs and duds in Patriots’ ugly 10-6 loss to Colts in Germany

Studs and duds from the Patriots’ Week 10 loss in Germany.

The New England Patriots packed up their offensive problems and brought them along for the ride in Sunday’s head-to-head clash with the Indianapolis Colts in Germany.

A hopeful field goal drive to start the game devolved into one of the worst offensive performances of the season for the Patriots. They only mustered two field goals against a Colts defense that ranked as the third-worst in the NFL in points allowed heading into the game.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, the unit somehow managed to overcome missing team captain and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, along with other star playmakers, to hold the Colts’ top-10 scoring offense to only 10 points.

Here are the studs and duds from the game on Sunday:

Studs and duds in Patriots’ surprising comeback win over Bills

Who were the Patriots’ studs and duds in Sunday’s win over the Bills?

Somehow, someway, the New England Patriots managed to do the unthinkable by knocking off the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.

Not only did the Patriots upset the odds, but they delivered a crucial blow to a division rival that has big-brothered them for the last two seasons. The win on Sunday put an end to the Patriots’ four-game losing streak to the Bills, while also breathing new life in their season overall.

It was a complete team effort with the defense creating opportunities, the offense putting points on the board and special teams consistently making big plays to put the Patriots in position to pull off the upset.

You won’t find many duds on this list, despite it being far from a perfect game for the Patriots. The defense had some tackling issues, and Kendrick Bourne coughed up a bad fumble. But the team was still able to come away with a big win in the end.

Let’s take a look at the studs and duds of the game:

Ranking 6 biggest 2023 mistakes by Bill Belichick that led to current disaster

Ranking Bill Belichick’s six biggest 2023 mistakes

The New England Patriots haven’t even reached the halfway point, and somehow, the season already feels like it’s in shambles.

Granted, they technically have time to turn things around and completely change the narrative that was created over the first five games of the season. It would take a herculean effort with the team sitting dead last in the AFC East division with a 1-4 record.

They have a shot at getting back in the win column in Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but then they’ll turn around and have to face the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.

So there probably is no saving this Patriots team as currently constructed. If anything, it’s a good time for reflection to find out exactly how the franchise with one of the NFL’s highest all-time winning percentages is now one of the worst teams in the league. How did things get to this point?

It starts at the top with the general manager/coach Bill Belichick.

Today, we’re ranking the six biggest 2023 mistakes by Belichick that led to the current disaster in New England.

Bill Belichick explains decision to go with K Chad Ryland over Nick Folk

Why did Bill Belichick choose rookie kicker Chad Ryland over Nick Folk? The Patriots coach has a short explanation.

New England Patriots rookie kicker Chad Ryland has had a difficult start to the year.

He is 4-for-8 on field goals and has struggled to find a groove. Ryland, a fourth-round draft pick, replaced Nick Folk, who is currently 13-for-13 on field goals for the Tennessee Titans.

The rookie did not make a field goal in his only attempt on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has been taking criticism for his personnel moves as of late. He appeared on “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday and discussed why the organization decided to go with Ryland instead of Folk.

“I think Chad’s a quality kicker, NFL leg, and we went with the younger guy here,” said Belichick. 

Electing to go with a younger player in the game of football is understandable, given the physical nature of it. However, one has to wonder if Belichick missed the mark at the kicking position.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]