Been waiting a while to say this...

[StickierBuns]

I'll say this: kicker's have really gotten into their own heads when they moved the extra point attempt back. The amount of inconsistency has risen sharply since 2015 and moving that try back 13 yards. Missing an extra point is a gut punch....and I think it lingers mentally and into FG attempts. JMO. Cam Little, who just set a record for the longest FG, has missed 4 this season and 1 extra point.

[IceRatz16]

Not really a Daniel Carlson thing, but more just a kicker thing in general.

It’s just really hard to be perfect all the time … forever, and that’s what coaches expect.

Kickers sometimes just get in a funk.

Exactly this.


We are talking about a position that practices away from the full team, doesn't have to be in shape (see Janikowski), and is getting paid for attempting to kick a ball for less than a minute total per game.  It's like a halftime/intermission show event every time the kicker steps on the field.  You get a big check/paid if you make the field goal, bucket, shot, etc.


Similar to golf, all eyes are on only you.  Yes, QBs, batters, PKs, shootouts, etc, but all of those other positions allow you the opportunity to do something else and excel in another area like other shots/putting, scrambling, defense, the actual game, etc.  Yes, most kickers kick off, but no one cares unless they can't kick it far enough (which if they can't consistently they won't have kickoff duties) or if they kick it out of bounds, which adds to the pressure even more as you're only noticed when you do something bad in that facet of the game.


Almost every single kicker in the history of the game has gone through a challenging time and that could mean a change of scenery and/or a coach/team willing to weather the storm.


Carlson was a solid kicker, he just had a bad day and Zimmer probably provided the most irrational response ever by cutting him.  Zimmer's ego got in the way of a lot of things for him to be successful, IMO, but cutting Carlson still wasn't the worst, even though I was livid when it happened.

[greediron]

Exactly this.


We are talking about a position that practices away from the full team, doesn't have to be in shape (see Janikowski), and is getting paid for attempting to kick a ball for less than a minute total per game.  It's like a halftime/intermission show event every time the kicker steps on the field.  You get a big check/paid if you make the field goal, bucket, shot, etc.


Similar to golf, all eyes are on only you.  Yes, QBs, batters, PKs, shootouts, etc, but all of those other positions allow you the opportunity to do something else and excel in another area like other shots/putting, scrambling, defense, the actual game, etc.  Yes, most kickers kick off, but no one cares unless they can't kick it far enough (which if they can't consistently they won't have kickoff duties) or if they kick it out of bounds, which adds to the pressure even more as you're only noticed when you do something bad in that facet of the game.


Almost every single kicker in the history of the game has gone through a challenging time and that could mean a change of scenery and/or a coach/team willing to weather the storm.


Carlson was a solid kicker, he just had a bad day and Zimmer probably provided the most irrational response ever by cutting him.  Zimmer's ego got in the way of a lot of things for him to be successful, IMO, but cutting Carlson still wasn't the worst, even though I was livid when it happened.

The other big issue with kickers is that when the screw up, their chance at redemption doesn't come for quite a while.  I remember Walsh after he missed the FG in preseason I think (the season after he shanked the playoff game)  He missed again against the seahawks and you could see his demeanor on the sidelines.  He had to sit and stew.

Most other players get a chance at redemption the next drive.  Kickers don't.  So they have to live in their head for long stretches.