Tag: Stephen Hauschka

Josh Allen’s heartwarming reunion with former Bills teammate (video)

Josh Allen’s heartwarming reunion with former #Bills teammate (video):

Last weekend, the Buffalo Bills were in Los Angeles to play the Chargers. Prior to the game, as both teams were warming up, Bills quarterback Josh Allen recognized an old teammate when he was warming up in the end zone.

Former Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka played every game for the Buffalo Bills from 2017 to 2019, overlapping with Allen in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

In 48 regular season games, Hauschka was 73/89 in field goals and 84/87 from extra points, and they both played in the wild-card game which was the Bills’ first playoff game with Allen as quarterback against the Houston Texans in the 2019 postseason.

Allen went over to Hauschka and gave him a very lovable hug. The former kicker retired in 2020 after a 12-year career across five teams. He was with his family for the Bills game against the Chargers. Allen said hi and remembered Stephen’s wife and son’s name, saying hi to both of them individually.

Allen is a great teammate and we love to see the love between two teammates and the quarterback’s genuine care for his teammate and their family.

Watch the full clip below:

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Ravens sign undrafted free agent kicker, cut long snapper

The Baltimore Ravens signed former East Carolina kicker Jake Verity while cutting long snapper Brian Khoury

The Baltimore Ravens have been known as a kicking factory over the course of their franchise history. They’ve had some greats roll through their doors including Matt Stover and Justin Tucker, but have also paved the way for other kickers to get their start in the NFL. Robbie Gould, Graham Gano, Stephen Hauschka, Will Lutz, and even Kaare Vedvik are examples of some of the kickers that have made a name for themselves in Baltimore, and another could soon be added to the list.

The Ravens announced that they signed undrafted free agent kicker Jake Verity out of East Carolina University. Verity was widely regarded as one of the best kickers in college football throughout his time with the Pirates, hitting on 75.5% of his field goals and 97.7% of his extra points during his college career.

Verity performed well during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, where he connected on 86% of his field goal attempts. However, he didn’t have his best year in 2020, only converting on 66.6% of field goal tries. Verity also was a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza award, which is handed out to the best kicker in college football.

Baltimore usually carries more than one kicker during training camp to help take some of the workload off of Tucker. While any kicker that signs with the Ravens knows that they probably won’t make Baltimore’s final roster, they take it as a chance to learn from one of the best kickers in the NFL, work with a kicking guru in Baltimore’s special teams coach Randy Brown, and show their skills during the preseason in hopes of landing a great opportunity out of training camp.

The Ravens also cut long snapper Brian Khoury, who they signed back in March. Their roster stands at 89 players after the transactions.

Former Bills K Stephen Hauschka retires from the NFL

Kicker Stephen Hauschka has retired from the NFL.

After a brief stint with the Jaguars following his 2020 training camp with the Bills, kicker Stephen Hauschka announced on Friday that he is retiring from the NFL.

Hauschka, 35, played for the Bills from 2017 to 2019. In that first season in Buffalo, Hauschka broke the league record for most-consecutive field goals from 50 yards when he connected on his 13th straight.

Hauschka announced his decision via social media on his Instagram page stating he was going to “hang up the cleats.” Part of Hauschka’s message read:

To the fans, the 12s and bills mafia, two of the best, I always felt your unwavering passion for your team and city. The energy and excitement you brought to game day was what made football fun and exciting.

After quick stops with the Ravens and Broncos to start his career, Hauschka latched on with the Seahawks for most of his career, from 2011 to 2016. While there, the former undrafted rookie won Super Bowl XLVIII.

In his career, Hauschka connected on 85.2 percent of his kicks. In Buffalo, Hauschka was at an 82 percent clip, but was mostly better than that before he was injured on a cheap shot against the Jets in 2018. After that, Hauschka began struggling and lost powers on his kicks. That led to the Bills’ decision to eventually draft their current rookie kicker, Tyler Bass.

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Good, bad, and ugly from the Jags’ loss to the Texans

There wasn’t a lot of good to take from the Jags’ loss in Houston, but there were two defensive players who stepped up and did their part.

The Jacksonville Jaguars three-game skid increased to a four-game one Sunday after the team lost yet another game to another winless team in the Houston Texans. As a result, they made history, becoming the first team to ever lose three games to winless opponents.

With such a terrible achievement to their names, it feels like the team is due for a rough season and could meet the expectations of those who deemed them a three-win (or less) team. Yet, here at the Jags Wire, it’s our jobs to provide our readers with insight on just what went right and wrong for the team Sunday — even in the toughest of times.

That said, here are the good, bad, and ugly moments that came from Week 5’s loss:

The good: CB Sidney Jones IV and DE Dawuane Smoot stepped up

Coming into Sunday’s game, it was a given that the Jags’ defense would struggle with starters Myles Jack, CJ Henderson, and Josh Allen all sitting out with injuries. That’s exactly what happened as the Texans’ offense was 14 yards shy of 500 on the day. However, there were some players on the Jags’ unit that stood out and took advantage of their increased playtime.

Cornerback Sidney Jones IV was a member of the secondary that fans who watched couldn’t help but notice as he was in on two plays that caused turnovers. The first was a pick on Deshaun Watson who was trying to hit receiver Will Fuller in the middle of the field. Defensive end Dawuane Smoot (who we’ll discuss in just a bit) got a piece of the ball while trying to get to the quarterback, causing the ball to lose some velocity and Jones to make a play on it.

Jones also was able to cause a pick through a pass deflection that was intended for Fuller in the third quarter. Watson tried to hit the veteran receiver on an outside post and Jones was able to tip the ball. Wilson then plucked it from the air and returned it deep into Houston territory.

Ultimately, Jones finished the game with three tackles, a pass breakup, and a pick and now has a Pro Football Focus grade of 73.6. At this rate, it appears he may have secured a spot starting as a boundary corner with Henderson, which will allow Tre Herndon to remain at nickel for D.J. Hayden who is on injured reserve.

As for Smoot, he had a solid day with the increased reps he got due to Allen’s injury. In addition to the aforementioned pass deflection we mentioned, he was a nuisance for Watson, registering a sack and three quarterback hits. Those are totals that led the team in both categories and should result in the staff utilizing the fourth-year player more down the road.

The bad: Missed opportunities to score by the offense

When looking back at the game, there were three opportunities where the Jags were able to get inside the Texans’ 22-yard line but came away with zero points. There were two opportunities late in the second quarter that they squandered, then there was another in the third quarter where they had a fumble.

When looking at these moments, many fans weren’t high on the play-calling, which is a change from the past few weeks. If there has been anyone the fanbase felt was worth praising, it was offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, but that wasn’t the case Sunday.

The play in particular that didn’t sit well with fans was the aforementioned fumble from James Robinson that occurred in the third quarter. The Jags simply tried to get too cute with the play call, putting Robinson in the backfield as a wildcat quarterback. With the rookie rolling out right to find an open target, he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by J.J. Watt.

Of course, when the offense looks back at the film on Monday, they are going to want each failed series back. Unfortunately, there will be no time machine to jump in and correct things, so they will just have to settle for improving their red-zone offense in the future.

The ugly: The kicking game

In the two aforementioned series where the Jags weren’t able to score, they brought newly signed kicker Stephen Hauschka on to the field — and just like the offense — he came up short. The first attempt was for 24 yards and ended up missing wide left. The second kick, which was a 49-yard attempt, was short. Had the Jags been able to make both kicks, they would’ve gone into the half with some momentum and a 13-10 lead.

After the two missed kicks late in the second quarter, the Jags elected to keep Hauschka on the sidelines (aside from their extra-point attempts), which possibly played a role in the team going for the fourth-and-one attempt on Houston’s 8-yard line in the third quarter that led to Robinson’s fumble.

Thankfully, help might be on the way to correct the Jags’ flaws in the kicking game. Their initial starter, Josh Lambo, will be eligible to return from IR Monday if healthy from a right hip injury that occurred before the Jags’ game against the Miami Dolphins.

The last update the media was able to provide on Lambo was that he was off crutches last month. Hopefully, that leads to a return to the practice field soon but we’ll have to monitor the injury report on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to further make a call.

Jaguars Week 4 inactives: PK Stephen Hauschka to sit out vs. Bengals

Newly signed PK Stephen Hauschka will miss his first game as a Jag with a knee injury. Aldrick Rosas will replace him against the Bengals.

Despite just signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars Monday, kicker Stephen Hauschka will be inactive Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. This comes after he surfaced on the injury report with a knee injury and was ruled questionable Friday.

With Hauschka out, practice squad kicker Aldrick Rosas was called up Saturday. Rosas, who spent three seasons with the New York Giants, has hit 82.7% (75-of-62) of his career field goals. His career number is at 91.5% in terms of extra-point attempts, missing just eight of his point-after attempts (86-of-94).

Wide receiver Dede Westbrook was once again a healthy scratch as DJ Chark has returned to the lineup. Westbrook is a player who was a significant contributor for the Jags last season, but the team’s additions of Laviska Shenault and Collin Johnson in the draft pushed him down the depth chart. As a result, it’s been a struggle for Westbrook to get on the field.

As previously reported, starting center Brandon Linder was ruled out Friday with a knee injury. Playing in his spot will be Tyler Shatley, who will be starting in his ninth game at center.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Jags promote 3 players from practice squad for Week 4 game vs. Bengals

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they promoted veteran safety Doug Middleton from their practice squad to their active roster Saturday afternoon. They also utilized their two additional game day spots to elevate offensive lineman KC McDermott …

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they promoted veteran safety Doug Middleton from their practice squad to their active roster Saturday afternoon. They also utilized their two additional game day spots to elevate offensive lineman KC McDermott and kicker Aldrick Rosas to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Both safeties Andrew Wingard (core muscle) and Brandon Watson (knee) were listed on this week’s injury report, but practiced in full on Thursday and Friday. While both were left off the status column, it appears the Jags’ staff wanted to be safe and promoted Middleton to have a healthy body at the position.

McDermott’s promotion makes sense with the Jags being down one offensive lineman Sunday. Of course, that player will be team captain and center Brandon Linder, who was ruled out Friday with a knee injury. Veteran Tyler Shatley will be playing in Linder’s spot and McDermott will be on the sideline for depth purposes.

As for Rosas, it feels like his addition may be a sign that Stephen Hauschka might not be ready to go Sunday. He was listed on the injury report dating back to Wednesday with a right knee injury and was ruled questionable on the final list.

As the New York Giants kicker from 2017-19, Rosas brings three years of experience with him and has hit 82.7% (75-of-62) of his career field goals. As for his extra point percentage, his career number is at 91.5%, missing just eight of his point after attempts (86-of-94).

Jags Week 4 final injury report: Chark good to go vs. Bengals, Linder ruled OUT

The Jaguars will have D.J. Chark Jr. back on the field Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, which will be a huge help on offense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars only ruled two players out for their Week 4 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, but unfortunately one of them was starting center Brandon Linder (knee). The other player was defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (ankle), who was activated off the Jags’ practice squad this week.

Sunday’s game will be the second one that Linder has missed this season after he sustained his knee injury in the third quarter of the Jags’ Week 3 game against the Tennessee Titans. Tyler Shatley replaced him from that point and will be the one to start in his place Sunday.

The most notable player on the injury report, D.J. Chark, was a full participant in Friday’s practice and was removed from the list which means the Jags will have their best offensive weapon back. That will be huge for Gardner Minshew II in particular, who clearly missed his No. 1 target last Wednesday against the Miami Dolphins.

Another noteworthy name that came up in the status column for the Jags was kicker Stephen Hauschka, who just signed with the team this week. He was limited Thursday and Friday with a right knee injury and ruled questionable for Sunday’s game. If he can’t suit up, the Jags have former New York Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas on their practice squad this week and he can be activated if needed.

Jaguars injury report: A.J. Cann, several others upgraded to full participation Thursday

Jags guard A.J. Cann was one of three starters on the Jags injury report to be upgraded Thursday after missing practice on Wednesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars upgraded several players to full participation Thursday in preparation for the Cincinnati Bengals. Among them were guard A.J. Cann (illness) and safeties Brandon Watson (knee) and Andrew Wingard (core muscle), all of whom were limited Wednesday.

Cann’s return to full participation was one many predicted, however, Wingard’s situation is good news as he left Week 3’s game against the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter. Watson was the player to replace him, which means that the Jags could’ve had low numbers at safety Sunday if either didn’t make progress health-wise.

The most notable name on the injury report , D.J. Chark, remained a limited participant in practice after missing last Thursday’s game. Earlier in the week, coach Doug Marrone said the team had been awaiting some tests for Chark to return to practice, and evidently, those tests came back good enough.

Another key name on the injury report who was limited was newly acquired kicker Stephen Hauschka, who didn’t participate in practice Wednesday. This could be a sign that he may be a full participant Friday and is trending to potentially be ruled probable on the final injury report.

The last notable name on the injury report was center Brandon Linder, who once again didn’t participate in practice after missing Wednesday’s session. The veteran has been recovering from a knee injury he sustained in the third quarter of the Jags’ Week 2 game against the Tennessee Titans, which caused him to miss Week 3’s game against the Dolphins. Tyler Shatley has been playing in his spot since the injury and that would once again be the case Sunday if Linder can’t suit up.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Jaguars to sign veteran PK Stephen Hauschka, will add Aldrick Rosas to practice squad

The Jacksonville Jaguars have found them a new pair of kickers in Stephen Hauschka (active roster) and Aldrick Rosas (practice squad).

With Josh Lambo on injured reserve and Brandon Wright dealing with a groin injury, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be signing veteran place kicker Stephen Hauschka. The news comes after coach Doug Marrone said the team would work out a few kickers Monday morning to head into Week 4 with and possibly beyond.

Hauschka, 35, entered the NFL in 2008 as an undrafted player from North Carolina State and 2020 will be his twelfth season. He’s been a journeyman kicker, but his most notable runs came with the Seattle Seahawks (2011-16) where he earned a Super Bowl championship (XLVIII) and the Buffalo Bills (2017-19). He’ll enter the season with an 85.71% field goal rate (264-of-308) and a 95.7% (355-of-371) extra point attempt rate.

Hauschka’s signing likely will be a temporary one as Doug Marrone told the media that Lambo is no longer on crutches Monday morning. However, with him being on IR, the Jags will have to wait two more weeks until he’s under consideration to return.

As for Wright, he’ll likely be placed on IR. Afterward, it’s possible the Jags could place him back on practice squad to continue developing as several teams have elected to use one of their extra practice squad spots at the kicker position.

Update: Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Jags will be placing former New York Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas on their practice squad.

Titans’ Greg Joseph believes ‘the competition is between me and me’

The Titans’ kicker competition could get a lot more interesting real soon.

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Tennessee Titans kicker Greg Joseph is currently in the midst of a competition for the starting job with Tucker McCann — and it’s a competition that could get a lot more interesting real soon.

That’s because the Titans are working out a pair of veteran kickers in Stephen Gostkowski and Stephen Hauschka, and one of them could be added to the mix in due time.

However, no matter who is competing against him, Joseph feels he’s really just competing against himself, as he said on Sunday after practice.

Joseph and McCann have been “neck-and-neck” throughout camp, according to special teams coordinator, Craig Aukerman, and the numbers certainly bear that out.

According to an unofficial count through Sunday, Joseph has made 43-of-50 attempts, while McCann has nearly matched him, making 43-of-49 kicks.

Joseph feels like he’s having a good camp and is trying to do everything necessary “to make sure I’m here to stay.”

However, earning the starting job is more than just about making kicks in practice. There’s also an “eye test” element involved, and so far it doesn’t seem like McCann or Joseph are passing that test.

That could be one of the reasons why the Titans are giving the aforementioned veterans a look.

Not to mention, the lack of experience McCann and Joseph bring to the table is troubling for a team that finished with the worst field goal success rate in the NFL last season.

Should either Hauschka or Gostkowski get signed, they’d immediately be the favorites to win the job thanks to their extensive history of being reliable to elite kickers.

And that could also spell the end of Joseph’s short tenure in Nashville.

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