It Turns Out Graham Gano Isn't Terrible (Breakdown of Every Block Last Season)

[Hitman21ST]

Bang, I think the reason we are one of the best teams in the league at covering kicks is due to our effective coverages on directional kicks. An effective directional kick will either force the blockers to shift leaving gaps in their blocking scheme, or force the returner to run back towards his blockers instead of upfield. It's a trade off, lower return average with the risk of the occasional kickoff out of bounds or higher return average with fewer penalties.

That plays a minor part in it. An even bigger part is making the returner take it from the back half of the end zone. In essence, making him run 25+ yards to get it to the 20. Like Bang said, even a slight breeze makes the directional kicks dangerous for going out of bounds.

[Bang]

Why does everyone hate Danny Smith so much? It's not like our kick or punt coverage hasn't been decent.

Our punt coverage has been lower-half of the league for Smith's entire tenure.

in 2011, we broke .500 even, and placed 16th in net average, and all it took was giving Smith one of the best punters in the NFL

to make us literally mediocre.

Kickoff coverage is the one thng they do right, and Smith's stupid directional kicking risks cost us 180 yards in penalties last year with six kickoffs going out of bounds.

the best example of it woring last year was vs Dallas, and we pinned them inside the ten. On the inevitable 3 and out, Banks called a fair catch at our 45, but thanks to a block in the back (on a fair catch, mind you) we ended up on our own 35, all field position gained from one of the few directional kicks that worked, instantly lost due to typical sloppiness on the part of our special teams.

When Smith's hairbrained idea DOES work, his charges are not disciplined enough to not block in the back on a fair catch. A fair catch that they should half expect, given the punter stood on the goal line.

There are multiple reasons why Smith has proven to be ineffective at his job, be it through piss poor statistics in practically all areas, to sloppy play, undisciplined penalties being made by veteran and rookies alike.

~Bang

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

So the point could well be argued that Gano's inconsistency on long range FG's (all 5 kicks missed last year not blocked ranged from 49 through 52 yards IIRC. But then he makes even longer one's like his record tier); ties in with his awful directional ability on kick-off's. He has the boomer leg, just not the accuracy.

*Devious me.

Hail.

[Enter Apotheosis]

So the point could well be argued that Gano's inconsistency on long range FG's (all 5 kicks missed last year not blocked ranged from 49 through 52 yards IIRC. But then he makes even longer one's like his record tier); ties in with his awful directional ability on kick-off's. He has the boomer leg, just not the accuracy.

*Devious me.

Hail.

Except that's not a very good point to make at all. Accuracy tails off with range for all kickers and the general expectation is that a kicker will make 100% of his kicks under 30 yards, about 90% from 30-39, 75% from 40-49, and 66% from 50+. From 40+ Gano generally kicks with a success rate commensurate with what you would expect out of a quality NFL kicker. His problem in 2010 was predominantly the under 40 range and it was a problem that he apparently cleaned up dramatically going in to 2011 as he was rather reliable minus the blocks.

[Sniffler]

how about the kickoffs out of bounds?? Gano needs to go

You say Ga-NO... I say Ga-YES

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

What's to say what his overall mid-range improvement or not would of been without the blocks?

Completely disagree EA that the correlation between his inconsistency at directional KO's and long range FG's isn't a 'very good point to make at all', when all 5 kicks he missed in a season when most are killed making the case for improvement came between 49 and 52 yards (with the 3 KO OOB); including the only real 'game on the line/ pressure kick' last kick he faced and fluffed against Dallas last year.

The point of career up and down inconsistency can just as easily be made as the one of steady improvement.

Hail.

[KCClybun]

What's to say what his overall mid-range improvement or not would of been without the blocks?

Completely disagree EA that the correlation between his inconsistency at directional KO's and long range FG's isn't a 'very good point to make at all', when all 5 kicks he missed in a season when most are killed making the case for improvement came between 49 and 52 yards (with the 3 KO OOB); including the only real 'game on the line/ pressure kick' last kick he faced and fluffed against Dallas last year.

The point of career up and down inconsistency can just as easily be made as the one of steady improvement.

Hail.

Fact is, Neil Rackers is going to look just as terrible if he gets six kicks blocked. To say "Who knows if he would've made those mid-range kicks?" is a strawman argument. We don't know and can't possibly know if he does or doesn't make those kicks.

What I do know is that Rackers missed 6 kicks last year, 4 of which came from 40-49 yards and 1 came from 50+ yards out. And in fact, since 2006, Rackers has missed 27 kicks from that distance, while also having the good fortune of being on some of the most offensive explosive teams in that time period. Rackers best years came in 2008 and 2009--i.e when Kurt Warner and the Cards were blowing guys out and his attempts were low.

And, may I remind you, Mr. "We Need To Lose Games To Get Better Draft Position", if we had actually won that meaningless game versus Dallas, we could've been 6-10, thereby meaning it would've taken even more draft compensation to get Robert Griffin III, and that the Browns could very well not be crying over a potential "quarterback competition" between a guy who can't throw an out route and a 29-year old and have one of the best quarterback prospects in the last decade, while we struggle to drink enough Kool-Aid to make Kirk Cousins look like the future.

You should be thanking Gano for choking. Just sayin', :-)

---------- Post added May-12th-2012 at 06:49 PM ----------

Here's the way to find one of the best kickers in the NFL; find a way to keep the kicker off the field. Score touchdowns.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I am laughing hard and cursing NLC at the same time.

It's a frustrating paradox. Dayum him!

Hail.

[RedskinInExile]

I've got some faith in Gano. He had a hell of a leg at FSU

[HBnotBlades]

GHH, it's tough to fault him for being inconsistent on 50ish yard field goals because every kicker in the league is inconsistent on kicks of that distance. Here's a chart I found from the 2010 season, you can see the data here.

A 50 yard field goal would correspond to a line of scrimmage at the 33 or 34 and that's a less than 60% success rate league wide. The best long range kicker in the league, Janakowski, only sees a slight improvement over the league average.

[Dirt]

So didn't we go through this last year anyway? Wasn't a kicker brought into camp? Damnit I can't remember for the life of me, but wasn't it kind of a known kicker as well? I could be totally wrong, this thread just feels like deja vu.

Anyhow, good stuff from everyone, good research, and I think when it all comes down to it, discussing kickers makes/misses/blocks can indeed be a strawman argument. The one I think is solid though, is ATTEMPTS. Most stats in sports aren't even counted unless there's enough attempts, the minimum. Shanny, Zorn and Gibbs (speaking of Deja Vu) have all been saying: "we need touchdowns, not field goals". That applies to everyone but is certainly unique to the Redskins. Bad red zone offense. Or, bad enough to have that awful stall around the 35 yd line.

So that's a solid argument: Less kicks = better kicker, statistically. Because otherwise, a kicker would be cut instantly (and is) if he's last in attempts as well as makes. Ideally, you're scoring touchdowns, and you're more worried about how good your kickoffs are. Gano's are great, RG3 should get those touchdowns (this year or the next, or the next..), and suddenly we're not talking about replacing our kicker.

Also, once we're a decent offense, I bet Danny Smith feels less of a need to get cute on special teams. If he doesn't, it will just make his idiocy even more glaring, and make his teams look like the bad spot on the team compared to the D and RG3.

And as far as all this 'clutch kicker' stuff...come on, for an NFL kicker, that's got to pretty much be a myth. A 'clutch' basketball player is one thing. Making the right move to the hoop, having the athleticism to adjust mid air and make a bucket, etc. NFL kickers do one thing: line up and kick field goals, the same exact way, over and over and over. I have a hard time believing that a loud stadium, or a last second attempt, is going to literally have the kicker shaking so much that his foot hits the ball an inch at the wrong angle and 'booooo he missed cause he's nervous'. I don't buy it. Gano missing a 50 yarder at the end of the Dallas game is because no one makes every kick from 50 yards, not because he was intimidated by a bunch of dumbass screaming girl fans.

And above all else: I thought we were loving this youth movement thing. Already having Gano, and 24 being very young for a kicker, means we were ahead of the game in that department. Lol, it was the first part of the rebuild. It's good. Keep him. Rackers is there for ****s and giggles.

[sportjunkie07]

I've never understood the Gano hate. Considering the disaster the kicker position has been for us the last two decades (right there with QB), I've loved that we have a young kicker with a great leg who can grow with us. He might struggle but I think he undoubtedly had potential, and I'll take that over a 38-year-old (or whatever) Rackers.

agreed. i have never once hated on Gano. i already think he is a good nfl kicker and has the potential to get better. i dont see rackers as much of a threat.

[Wildbunny]

Because if you kick it out the end zone it comes out to the 20. If you can directional kick, get some air under it to allow your coverage to get downfield and pin the receiver in a corner you have an excellent chance of making the tackle inside the 15.

No problem with the strategy, execution is the issue.

I understand the strategy as well.

But that's a tactic you use when two conditions are presents:

- your offense doesn't score enough and the game is close and you need to take an advantage against your opponent.

- you're not confident enough in your defense blocking the opponent's offense, so you try to give them another 5 yards to do it.

Unless these, you just boom it out of the endzone and let the D do its job, so the O can do its and score points.

[steve09ru]

nvm -what I said was already gone over on page 2-3

[elkabong82]

Dirt- we brought in Shayne Graham last season to compete w/ Gano

[CrypticVillain]

I Could Gano get better... heck yeah, everybody in the league can elevate their game. However, lets not act like Gano is the worst kicker we have ever head. The dude has a cannon of a leg and has gotten better year by year. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP ON DEFENDING THIS MAN!!! He is a good young kicker that we need to grow. Hopefully Rackers doesn't come in here and light stuff up, I am not saying he is a bad kicker, I just rather have the younger one...

[skins island connection]

Interesting that some will cry for Gano to be cut or traded, even though the blocks have nothing to do with him, which I found unfair.

Yes, every team wants a clutch kicker, one they can depend on, but if you look into the big picture of it, it points to ineptness of the offense, with that many chances to put the ball in the endzone, and failing, then blaming the kicker for the entire thing. Not fair.

If a kicker has 3-4 chances per drive, and fails, well thats another story, but it doesn't work that way; not to mention, the kicker actually depends on the rest of the team to do their part, whether blocking would-be kick blockers from accomplishing their goal, the holder actually placing the laces forward [ see Ace Ventura Pet Detective] being they showed replays of the kicker, and the ball having the laces either facing sideways or at times towards the kicker.

Keep Gano; plain and simple; he's young, has a strong leg, and considering all of the issues the team had, the kicking game is not as big an issue as other parts, which are currently being addressed...

[MartinC]

I understand the strategy as well.

But that's a tactic you use when two conditions are presents:

- your offense doesn't score enough and the game is close and you need to take an advantage against your opponent.

- you're not confident enough in your defense blocking the opponent's offense, so you try to give them another 5 yards to do it.

Unless these, you just boom it out of the endzone and let the D do its job, so the O can do its and score points.

And you wouldn't say that your two conditions above applied to us the last few years?

We have not been scoring heavily week in week out and although the defense improved significantly last year it still had its let downs in critical situations.

---------- Post added May-13th-2012 at 03:05 PM ----------

Dirt- we brought in Shayne Graham last season to compete w/ Gano

And he was flat terrible. Gano won that battle by default, I think he will be stretched more by Rackers but I hope he wins as I think he still has upside.

[BleedBNG]

:pfft:I know... I should never post when tired :snore:

Dirt- we brought in Shayne Graham last season to compete w/ Gano

Who has signed with the Texans to fill Rackers spot. I don't know, but I have a feeling Rackers will be our kicker by the first game (New Orleans) of the season.

[SkinsFanRicky]

Yeah I just feel like it'd be David Akers 2.0 if we go with Rackers or someone else.

[DogofWar1]

Gano will probably beat out Rackers like he did Graham last year. Even if he doesn't, if they're close, I'd still keep Gano. Ignoring blocks Gano has been good.

My feelings are this: We haven't had a good FG kicker in a while. It's basically 1 of 2 positions we could never get solid (QB being the other one). We should not be rushing to kick out a young guy who's struggled when he's been blocked as much as Gano has been. Give him 2 more years. Get the FG blocking up to snuff. If say, in 2013 he kicks under 80% while only having a block or 2, then it might be time to cut the cord. Thing is, the potential is there. We should be letting him grow, not trying to kick him out.

If he works out, we're set for 10 years. The worst case scenario is he stinks for us for another couple years, which is more of the same, so not a huge deal.

[Bonez3]

I don't care about blocking. he can't make it under pressure. If the defense lined up nobody and there were 3 seconds on the clock down by 2, HE MISSES.

[MumboSauce]

[quote name=Dirt;8983544

And as far as all this 'clutch kicker' stuff...come on' date=' for an NFL kicker, that's got to pretty much be a myth. A 'clutch' basketball player is one thing. Making the right move to the hoop, having the athleticism to adjust mid air and make a bucket, etc. NFL kickers do one thing: line up and kick field goals, the same exact way, over and over and over. I have a hard time believing that a loud stadium, or a last second attempt, is going to literally have the kicker shaking so much that his foot hits the ball an inch at the wrong angle and 'booooo he missed cause he's nervous'. I don't buy it. Gano missing a 50 yarder at the end of the Dallas game is because no one makes every kick from 50 yards, not because he was intimidated by a bunch of dumbass screaming girl fans.

[/quote]

I don't think it has much to do with fan noise or environment, but so much as when the game is on the line and it's needed. Pressure is pressure regardless of how routine something is. Some great foul shooters miss when it's needed for some inexplicable reason...well not so much. pressure. People have performance anxiety in the playoffs vs the regular season, some get nerves...it's part of sports. Look at Tony Romo sits to pee. lol Why a QB may miss a simple out or dump off that he throws perfectly 50 times in practice.

[E-Dog Night]

Because if you kick it out the end zone it comes out to the 20. If you can directional kick, get some air under it to allow your coverage to get downfield and pin the receiver in a corner you have an excellent chance of making the tackle inside the 15.

No problem with the strategy, execution is the issue.

Wrong - there absolutely IS a problem with the strategy.

1. Five yards isn't much of a strategic advantage at that end of the field. If your opponent was able to drive the ball 80 yards against you, then they probably could have gone 85. And if they get a long TD play (say, of 40+ yards), that five yards had ZERO consequence.
   
2. There is no guarantee that the tackle will be made inside the twenty yard line.
   
3. If the kick goes out of bounds, the ball is on the 40. No way a 20 yard risk in the kicking game is worth a 5 yard reward.
   

Having a kicker get a touchback on nearly every kick is a great asset. Only a fool would try to get cute and fix something that isn't broken.

---------- Post added May-13th-2012 at 07:55 PM ----------

Bang, just saw your post, beat me to it.

[Enter Apotheosis]

Completely disagree EA that the correlation between his inconsistency at directional KO's and long range FG's isn't a 'very good point to make at all', when all 5 kicks he missed in a season when most are killed making the case for improvement came between 49 and 52 yards (with the 3 KO OOB); including the only real 'game on the line/ pressure kick' last kick he faced and fluffed against Dallas last year.

The point of career up and down inconsistency can just as easily be made as the one of steady improvement.

It's not a very good point to make when he is no more inconsistent from range on FGs than most kickers are but he is (in theory) more inconsistent on kickoffs. That would point to other factors being at play beyond what can be observed on a field goal attempt.