Tag: Field Goal

Spencer Rattler was an offensive spotlight in the first half vs. Raiders

Rookie Saints QB Spencer Rattler displayed high efficiency and flashes of playmaking in the first half, closing it with a strong FG drive:

The New Orleans Saints offense only has two scoring drives in the first half, but Spencer Rattler has been very efficient. Rattler only has two incompletions versus the Las Vegas Raiders, and one of those incompletions was a throwaway to get the field goal team on the field.

With a little over the minute, Rattler led the Saints deep into Raiders territory and a field goal that closed the gap at halftime. He delivered a big throw to Kevin Austin in the face of pressure that put them in comfortable range for Blake Grupe.

Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau were also recipients of big throws down the field from Rattler. Penalties took potential scoring plays off the board twice. While the defense had a goal line stand that kept the Raiders’ point total down, the Saints could have at least three more points if they limited self inflicted mistakes.

Penalties aside, Rattler is performing the way you want him to in the first half. He’s displaying more poise under pressure than last week and showing the ability to use his legs effectively in a similar fashion that he did versus the Commanders.

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Explaining the NFL’s fair catch kick rule from the Chargers-Broncos game

The Chargers took advantage of an obscure NFL rule with a fair catch kick against the Broncos on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

Just before halftime of a Thursday Night Football clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in Week 16, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker put his name in the NFL history books with a rare feat.

Dicker converted a 57-yard fair catch kick, a scenario that has not happened in the NFL since 1976. Los Angeles took advantage of an obscure rule after Denver cornerback Tremon Smith made contact with the Chargers’ returner after he had called for a fair catch on a punt.

By rule, NFL teams can attempt a field goal after a fair catch without facing a rush from the opposing team. Usually, punts are fielded too deep to make attempting a kick a feasible option. Thanks to a 15-yard penalty from the Broncos, however, L.A. was put in range for a fair catch free kick on Thursday.

The sequence happened after Denver opted to not run out the clock with an 11-point lead at its own 18-yard line. The Broncos ran two pass plays and then punted after being stuffed on a third-down run.

“Look, I think 40 or 41 seconds to start the drive,” coach Sean Payton explained after the game. “We try to see, typically, you’d be pretty conservative. We were going to have the ball. We ran a screen and then when the clock got low enough, we didn’t get any momentum going there. We just ran the ball and punted it.

“A penalty puts them in a position and then basically anytime you catch a punt, you have the ability to place it right there and get a free kick. Doesn’t happen much. We practice it all the time. Well, in that situation the penalty put them in field goal position, so it’s disappointing.”

So the Broncos were part of NFL history on Thursday night. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of history in an eventual 34-27 loss.

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Chiefs Dave Toub takes the blame for missed field goal vs. Browns: ‘That was my fault’

Kansas City #Chiefs Dave Toub takes the blame for missed field goal vs. Browns: ‘That was my fault’ | @EdEastonJr

Harrison Butker’s return last Sunday was an encouraging sign as he continues to regain strength ahead of the postseason. However, he missed a field goal in the victory over the Cleveland Browns, causing some concern that he may not be healthy enough to be in the lineup.

Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub immediately dismissed that as the reason and laid the blame on his in-game decision, which he explained to reporters on Wednesday.

“I’ll just talk about the miss. I need to do a better job of communicating with the holder and the snapper. You know that we were going to kick the field goal. I just assumed they were together, but they weren’t.” said Toub. “That was my fault. So I mean that that little bit of a change where Harrison’s panicking, where are they? You know? I mean that that has an effect.”

Butker returned after missing several weeks due to surgery on his non-kicking leg, and the Chiefs used two different kickers in his absence.

“So it wasn’t his injury. I don’t think that had anything to do with it,” said Toub. “I just think anything, anytime you get an operation out of sync, like that, whether they have to rush or somebody’s not there, it’s that puts a toll on it, and I think that’s what happened there, you know, I’ll take the glow I was my fault. Get those guys out there. I can’t assume that they’re right together.”

Butker will have a chance to redeem the miss this Saturday back home at Arrowhead Stadium.

Darren Rizzi agitated with how officials managed end of third quarter

Darren Rizzi had a lot to say after the Washington Commanders were allowed to attempt a kick after the clock hit zero:

The New Orleans Saints-Washington Commanders game had a few calls made by officials that ultimately impacted the final score, and one such play was at the end of the third quarter. The Commanders were allowed to kick a field goal as the time on the clock was run out to zero seconds, this kick was missed, and then the officials called the quarter off and the play dead, allowing for a retry at the start of the fourth quarter.

Interim head coach Darren Rizzi had a lot to say about this decision and what he was told by the officials.

“Yeah it got totally mismanaged, so, y’know (Washington) had the diving catch, I didn’t agree with it at all, the way it was done,” Rizzi began. “So we had the diving catch, I wasn’t sure, I had the challenge flag in my hand, and I was talking to the sideline official and I’m looking at the clock and we’re discussing on the headset about, y’know, ‘Hey the quarter’s gonna end here, they’re gonna take the quarter.'”

Rizzi continued: “And I got the challenge flag in my hand trying to figure out and communicate with up top whether or not we’re gonna challenge the catch or not. And I’m talking to the official and I’m saying to him, ‘Hey I might challenge this, I might challenge this, hey the quarter’s over, the quarter’s over, the quarter’s over, the quarter’s over, the quarter’s over,’ for about four or five seconds. They let they play go, he misses the field goal.”

What happened next shocked him. Rizzi could only protest the do-over and watch as referee Shawn Hochuli’s crew let the Commanders try another kick after missing the first try.

“So whoever’s in charge of shutting the play down, they obviously let the play go on. And so the explanation I got is it’s a replay-assist situation, the play shouldn’t have been run because the clocks were at zero, the clocks were at zero, their clocks were definitely at zero, the quarter was over. But the officials missed that, and that’s why the play was allowed to go on. That’s where my gripe is: The play should not have been allowed to go on, they gave the field goal kicker basically a freebie, they gave him the mis-hit, and so …” Rizzi trailed off.

It was something he’d never seen before in decades of coaching. And that led Rizzi to level some strong criticism at the officiating crew for how they handled the situation.

“I’ve been coaching kickers for 30 years. You give a guy a warmup shot, he’s got a pretty good shot of making the second one. The success rate goes through the roof when the guy gets a second chance, so that’s where my gripe was, is that it was a management,” Rizzi said, pausing for breath, “Game management from the officials, operations, I’ll let the league handle it, but I hope that everybody else gets held accountable in this league. I hope that the people that mismanaged that get held accountable too because it was completely mishandled.”

Ultimately the Saints would go on to lose 20-19, and this was a critical point in the game as neither team particularly scored well at one point or another, so any points were hard to come by for both sides. Rizzi clearly was upset with the decision, and we will see what happens when the review comes in regarding what calls could have been made or not made.

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Former NFL head coach says Saints got away with foul on game-winning FG block

Former NFL head coach Jay Gruden says the Saints got away with a foul on their game-winning field goal block. Check the tape for yourself:


There’s no love lost between Jay Gruden and the New York Giants — he coached against them with Washington from 2014 to 2019, going 4-7. The second-to-last game he coached was a 24-3 loss to Big Blue. But the former NFL head coach put the Giants’ close loss to the New Orleans Saints under a microscope when studying this week’s games, and he says the Saints may have gotten away with a penalty on their game-winning blocked field goal.

Gruden highlighted two Saints defensive linemen on the field goal try, Payton Turner and Nathan Shepherd, who pulled and pushed down the left guard and center, creating a gap for Bryan Bresee to leap through, arms extended for the block. That could count as a block in the back or defensive holding, but obviously no penalty was called this time.

“This referee is saying ‘Oh yeah that’s a flag, I got it,'” Gruden said, noticing the umpire’s hand dive into his pocket to grab a penalty marker. But the official decided to keep the flag where it was, and the play stood as a game-winner for New Orleans.

It’s not like referee Clete Blakeman and his crew hadn’t thrown many flags that day. They had fouled the Saints six times for a loss of 40 yards. But they did hit the Giants a dozen times for a staggering 112 penalty yards. They lived up to their reputation as one of the NFL’s most flag-happy officiating crews. So maybe the Saints did get away with one here. Either way, they got a win, and that’s what will be remembered.

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Chiefs K Spencer Shrader describes the moments before his game-winning field goal

Kansas City #Chiefs kicker Spencer Shrader describes the moments before his game-winning field goal | @EdEastonJr

The game-winning drive led by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense has led to their conference-leading 10-1 record after Week 12. The field goal to win in regulation differed as rookie Spender Shrader stepped in for injured starter Harrison Butker.

Steadier spoke with the media during his postgame press conference on Sunday, explaining his mindset heading into the game-winning moment.

“I think the biggest emotion in that moment is gratitude and happy that I was able to go out and perform for the team. When you join an organization like the Chiefs, there’s a championship culture and a standard to uphold,” said Shrader. “For me, I just wanted to come in and do my best for the team for as long as I’m here. I was grateful to be put in this situation today and to step up and put up a couple of points up there. But, it’s a team effort at the end of the day, so I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this team.”

The Chiefs’ final drive to put Shrader in position wasn’t a shock to the former Notre Dame standout, who is well aware of the offensive players’ talent and gusto.

“I try to prepare myself before that. You know the talent of the guys on your team, who your quarterback is, and who your offensive weapons are,” said Shrader. “So I knew I’d be getting an opportunity, so I just tried to stay calm, understand that it was going to come at some point, and when it did come, I was ready. That comes from belief in the team that they’re going to get you in that situation, and you go out there and just knock it through.”

Shrader has been perfect since signing with the team after two games and appears to fit the team’s culture and winning system.

Commanders kicker Austin Seibert takes accountability after missed kicks

Seibert answered every question and took responsibility on a day where the Commanders made plenty of mistakes.

Things couldn’t have been going any better for Washington Commanders kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert made 25 of his 27 field goal attempts in seven games with Washington and was perfect on all 22 extra-point attempts.

Then, before the Commanders’ Week 10 game against Pittsburgh, Seibert injured his right hip, which cost him the next two games. On Sunday, Seibert returned for Washington against the Dallas Cowboys.

It was a day to forget for Seibert. He missed both extra points and made one of his two field goal attempts, which proved costly. The second missed PAT came with 21 seconds remaining after wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s miraculous 86-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Jayden Daniels. 

There was also Seibert’s kickoff to KaVontae Turpin, which, with three minutes remaining, was returned for a 99-yard touchdown.

It was a day to forget for Seibert.

After the game, Seibert met with the media and, like safety Jeremy Reaves, who missed a tackle on the Turpin touchdown, took full blame for the loss.

“I just want to play better for my teammates, you know, definitely don’t want to do that,” Seibert said. “Just wasn’t striking well, but it means a lot me to be here with these guys, so I just want to put my best foot….moving forward.”

That’s tough to watch.

When Seibert was asked about the low snap on the second missed PAT, he had none of it, taking full accountability.

“It didn’t make a difference at all. It’s on me,” he said. 

After missing two games with a right hip, could the injury have affected him? Again, Seibert was not about to make excuses.

“I felt fine,” he said. “That’s why I made the decision to play, and here we are.”

First, Seibert should be credited for speaking to the media after the most challenging moment of his professional career. He didn’t run away from it. So often these days, athletes hide from the media after a bad day. Not Seibert. Like Reaves, he stood there and answered every question, regardless of how repetitive some seemed.

Lastly, Seibert didn’t lose this game, nor did Reaves or John Bates. It was a collective effort. There were so many plays you could point back to and see Washington’s mistakes.

Seibert needs to shake it off and not allow one bad day to impact him next week and beyond. The Commanders host the Tennessee Titans in Week 13.

Ravens kicker blames Week 11 field conditions for missed field goals

Justin Tucker says the field surface in Pittsburgh “wasn’t ideal” after missing two field goals in Week 11, while Chris Boswell was perfect.

Sorry, Justin Tucker: no one is buying the excuses you’re trying not to make for your lackluster Week 11 performance. For fans unaware of the recent developments behind Tucker’s post-game comments, the Ravens kicker initially accepted fault for his two missed field goals during the contest but ultimately pointed to poor field conditions in Pittsburgh as a contributing factor.

When asked if the field conditions at Acrisure Stadium directly contributed to his two missed field goals, Tucker tried to avoid deflecting blame, but ended up doing just that: “I wouldn’t say the surface was an issue, but it wasn’t ideal.” He doubled down on the less-than-ideal field claims, adding, “Throughout the course of the game, the most action takes place between the hashes, and it naturally just gets chewed up.”

While some speculated that the field conditions could have been affected by the Panthers-Clemson CFB game on Saturday, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell had no issues. Boswell made all six of his field goal attempts in Week 11, including an impressive 57-yard bomb.

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Broncos vs. Falcons: 5 things to watch for in Week 11

The Denver Broncos are set to host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Here are five storylines to watch for in Week 11.

The Denver Broncos (5-5) are set to host the Atlanta Falcons (6-4) in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Here’s a quick list of five storylines to keep an eye on this week.

1. Justin Simmons returns to Denver: Simmons, of course, spent the first eight years of his career with the Broncos before being cut and joining the Falcons this offseason. He expects to hear some boos when he returns to Empower Field at Mile High, but fans in Denver will likely greet him with a warm welcome instead.

2. Denver’s defense vs. Kirk Cousins and Co.: Vance Joseph’s unit ranks fifth in total yards allowed per game (295.7), third in points allowed (17.7) and second in sacks (35) this season. This week, Denver’s defense will face a Falcons offense that ranks fifth in total yards per game (375.1) and fourth in passing yards (250.4). Atlanta’s 124.7 rushing yards per contest rank 12th as Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier have proven to be a dynamic backfield duo. 

3. Broncos running back rotation: Last week, rookie Audric Estime appeared to take over as the team’s new lead running back. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi downplayed that on Thursday by saying the team was riding the “hot hand.” Denver head coach Sean Payton seems to be a big fan of Estime, though, so we expect him to continue leading the way on carries. Javonte Williams will likely remain the RB in passing situations because he is the best blocking and receiving back on the team, and Jaleel McLaughlin will continue to offer a chance-of-pace option. 

4. Alex Forsyth’s field goal protection: The entire kicking unit will be scrutinized this week after a blocked field goal cost the Broncos a win against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Nobody will be watched more closely than lineman Alex Forsyth, who was culpable for the block in Kansas City. Denver special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica seems confident it won’t happen again.

5. Bo Nix vs. Falcons’ defense: Atlanta has a talented secondary that includes Simmons, but they struggle to get after quarterbacks. The Falcons have a league-low nine sacks this season and they have allowed the ninth-most passing yards per game (223.4) this fall. The stats suggest that Sunday could be a big game for Nix. Coming off a strong performance against the Chiefs, Nix will look to continue making strides against Atlanta. 

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on Fox (view the TV map). Playing at home, the Broncos are considered slight favorites in Week 11.

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Wil Lutz and Ben Kotwica give the final word on Alex Forsyth

“Alex [Forsyth] just wants to get better and we’ve gotta do a better job as coaches giving them tools to be successful,” Ben Kotwica said.

The Denver Broncos lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday when their last-second field goal attempt was blocked.

Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth has faced heavy criticism from fans and pundits following the block because the Chiefs penetrated the line by knocking Forsyth down and jumping over him.

Many Denver players — including quarterback Bo Nix — have come to Forsyth’s defense, as has coach Sean Payton. Even former players have defended the lineman and his tough task on field goal protection.

After practice on Thursday, Broncos special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica was asked about Forsyth during his weekly media session.

“First off, Alex is a tremendous football player,” Kotwica said. “Love having him, he’s a great teammate. We’re all part of that. So even though that might be the isolated spotlight, we’re all part of that.

“We’ve had those conversations and mostly it’s been ball. Alex just wants to get better and we’ve gotta do a better job as coaches at giving them tools to be successful. So I think putting that all together, I think I’m excited about the product we’ll see moving forward.”

Denver kicker Wil Lutz also chimed in this week on Twitter/X.

“Team game, we’re all in this together,” Lutz tweeted. “We can all be better. Excited for the challenge this field goal unit has in front of us this week!”

The Broncos’ field goal unit will aim to bounce back when the team hosts the Atlanta Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 11.

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