Lost In The Madness of Losing: Graham Gano

[Dan T.]

Yep, the tee and the 10 yard run up are your answers, s2thalayer.

However, a kicker can get a full run-up if a team uses the little known "fair catch kick." This is a free kick after a fair catch. Conceivably it could be used late in the first half or at the end of the game when a defense forces a team to punt from deep in its own territory and their returner calls for a fair catch. In that case, a team can elect to attempt a free kick from the line of scrimmage, which is where the fair catch was made. The defense must stand 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage, and no tee can be used by the kicker. He must either drop kick it or kick it out of a teammate's hold. If he kicks it through the uprights, its 3 points. The free kick can be used even if time expires on the punt leading to the fair catch.

I would love to see this happen some time, just for the novelty if nothing else.

Here's a decent write up of the rule:

http://quirkyresearch.blogspot.com/2006/07/nfl-fair-catch-kick-attempts.html[

(And with my slow typing, Perry Mason beat me to the point about the free kick...)

I would assume because they usually take a 10 yard run up to get it through the end zone. I don't think the blocking would hold up long enough to allow that. On FGs, they are generally only a couple yards behind the holder.

I suppose you could have a play where you set the holder back even further and give the kicker more time to run up. Seems like a tough proposition.

The other thing this is the kicker can't start his run-up until the ball is snapped. Otherwise, it's illegal motion, just like any other offensive play where a player is moving toward the LOS before the snap.

[HailGreen28]

Great thread. Something indisputably positive from that **** game last Monday.

[Son of Gadsden]

The tee makes a big difference

The holder places it on the ground.. a tee gives it elevation so the kicker can really get his foot under it for height and distance.

that and the fact that the holder has to get it down fast, and it's not placed just so perfectly like it is when the kicker tees it up. Much different set of circumstances leading to the acual kick.

~Bang

Thanks to you, Perry, and Dan T for the fantastic responses. The run up was what i figured was the problem, but i thought maybe a max protection set, from deeper yards back with some nice blocks set could provide a further run up and some more power. However, it would be a long shot, but then again so is a hail mary. I didn't think about the tee or the fact that an early run up would be illegal motion. I also didnt know about the "free kick" rule. Excited to see someone pull that off one day. I do remember seeing someone do a drop kick field goal once, cant remember what team or year but it was on a highlight reel. That's the strangest i've seen though.

I just figured for the hell of it id search and there's actually a video of Neil Rackers failing at the free kick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCBBUMnRqbo

[Dan T.]

.... I do remember seeing someone do a drop kick field goal once, cant remember what team or year but it was on a highlight reel. That's the strangest i've seen though.

Doug Flutie, of all people, was the last to do it, for the Pats late in a game against the Miami Dolphins...

Edit: It was actually on an extra point, in a meaningless late season 2006 game. The last previous points scored on a drop kick was in 1941.

Pretty cool article about Flutie's kick: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2277308

And video:

P0Jsz-fSNd4

[Brotherz]

It was a good game for Graham and I agree his role as a kickoff guy is really big now with the rule changes. But I have zero confidence in our field goal unit. I say UNIT though because you're right, its not all Graham's fault. I don't have confidence he won't shank one like he did against NY. I don't have confidence that the snapper will snap it well. I don't have confidence the line will deny penetration. . . and now I don't have confidence that Rocca can get the hold right.

When your team CANNOT score in the redzone and your team CANNOT score on a play over 40 yards, field goal kicking becomes crucial. Monday was a perfect example of that. If we are up 4 instead of 1 at the end of that game we may not call for an all out blitz on 3rd and 21. We protect the endzone, period.

And what really drives me crazy about this is, for the most part its just practice. Practice the snap, practice the hold, practice the protection, practice the kick. Its not rocket science and for the most part its not a matter of losing to a more athletically gifted opponent like Dez on Dhall or last year with Andre Johnson on Doughty. Its just a matter of doing your damn job. Snap it. Hold it. Kick it. Its been a thorn in our side for like a decade. I can't even remember the last time I felt that unit was a sure thing.

Right up there with making good decisions for our QB, protecting the ball, blocking better on offense and maintaining gap responsibility on defense, and practicing Red Zone offense, I'd be spending an inordinate amount of time in practice getting that damn field goal unit working. In my mind it has already costs us one game.

[Commander -JB-]

2 blocked kicks in successive weeks and you can't see horrid?

Honestly, you shouldn't get two kicks blocked in five years, much less within 8 days.

Go take a nap or open the Danny Smith thread up again.

back to Gano, I do like his leg strength this year.. that fifty yarder had plenty of distance to spare.

And I also love his kickoffs, so long as the gum chomping idiot doesn't tell him to kick it to the pylon. Kick it deep, every time. Tell him to go try and hit a 70 yard FG on every kickoff. Dare them to come out and stop trying to get cute with the sidelines.

~Bang

The blocked kick was a result of a guy getting through & making a play. You act like the Redskins are the only team to ever get a kick blocked. Orakpo blocked a kick this year. To blame Danny Smith for Sav Rocca dropping a perfect snap is ridiculous. Do you actually watch football games outside of the Redskins or do you just gauge the Redskins on the simple fact that you dont like that Danny Smith chews gum ? Horrid special teams ? Because of a blocked kick (yes, shouldn't happen) .. Dropped snap ? $% happens. Watch more football & get your head out of Danny Smith's @$$...

Have you even taken into account that, considering the Redskins awful offense of the last 7 years, his units have been counted on much more than many many other teams in the league. Field goal after FG after FG... & Return coverage is based on averages so talking about not kicking off as much is crap.

[Truant]

The punter and long snapper work together plenty for punts, it makes sense their chemistry is brought over to holding for field goals. I don't think all punters are made for it, but I don't have a problem with a punter as long as they get the snap down. Tired of seeing points given away by special teams. Most teams in the NFL, including us, are not good enough to give up 3+ points a week due to ineptitude.

[Bang]

The blocked kick was a result of a guy getting through & making a play. You act like the Redskins are the only team to ever get a kick blocked. Orakpo blocked a kick this year. To blame Danny Smith for Sav Rocca dropping a perfect snap is ridiculous. Do you actually watch football games outside of the Redskins or do you just gauge the Redskins on the simple fact that you dont like that Danny Smith chews gum ? Horrid special teams ? Because of a blocked kick (yes, shouldn't happen) .. Dropped snap ? $% happens. Watch more football & get your head out of Danny Smith's @$$...

Have you even taken into account that, considering the Redskins awful offense of the last 7 years, his units have been counted on much more than many many other teams in the league. Field goal after FG after FG... & Return coverage is based on averages so talking about not kicking off as much is crap.

:blahblah:

Yes, there's always an excuse.

danny Smith is only responsible for anything good.

Our special teams are so ****ing good we can afford to leave 3 points on the field every week.

Oh wait. No we can't.

If we could, we'd be 3-0.

~Bang

[DieselPwr44]

From the sound of things, JB would've signed Spurrier to 7 year extention.......

[Commander -JB-]

:blahblah:

Yes, there's always an excuse.

danny Smith is only responsible for anything good.

Our special teams are so ****ing good we can afford to leave 3 points on the field every week.

Oh wait. No we can't.

If we could, we'd be 3-0.

~Bang

I dont take you for a stupid man. Blaming Danny Smith for a botched hold by Sav Rocca holds as much weight as blaming Mike Shanahan for a dropped TD pass by Santana Moss. Can you understand that concept ? Is it that hard to understand ?

As for the other brilliant assumption. No, I wouldn't have signed Spurrier to a 7 year extension. I would have never fired Marty. Im also football smart enough to know Spurrier never stood a chance with Vinny/Snyder running the show. But what do I know ? I've only been here a few weeks :laugh:

[Bang]

I dont take you for a stupid man. Blaming Danny Smith for a botched hold by Sav Rocca holds as much weight as blaming Mike Shanahan for a dropped TD pass by Santana Moss. Can you understand that concept ? Is it that hard to understand ?

As for the other brilliant assumption. No, I wouldn't have signed Spurrier to a 7 year extension. I would have never fired Marty. Im also football smart enough to know Spurrier never stood a chance with Vinny/Snyder running the show. But what do I know ? I've only been here a few weeks :laugh:

The bottom line is that it s something every single week.

I dont care if it's rocca dropping a snap or a guard getting run over or a guy offsides on a kickoff or a kickoff going out of bounds.

It is consistent, it is always something.

when you have so many things happen that you can't blame on him, eventually you have to see the sheer volume of mistakes, miscues, oopses, boo-boos, **** ups, and just straight sloppiness that eventually you can't help but notice the constant for all of them. And that is he is their coach.

If WRs drop passes in the end zone every single week, you look at the receiver's coach. Damn right you do.

I'm a homer, bud. (Note me slobbering on Santana Moss in the WR thread.)

I look for very reason why someone wearing the Burgundy and Gold isn't screwing up. And with Mr. Smith, there's just none left.

And to keep this thread on topic before Jumbo takes both you and me out behind the woodhsed... as I said,, it is no longer Gano who makes me nervous when the FG team comes on the field. I'm liking him this year.

~Bang