Do the Patriots have an issue at kicker? Stephen Gostkowski says no
Following Sunday’s win over the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots look like true powerhouses in not just the AFC but in all of the NFL. They’re 5-1 and Tom Brady is playing as well as any quarterback, throwing eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in three games.
But for as well as the Patriots have played, they do have a growing problem that they’re not used to facing: a bad kicker.
Stephen Gostkowski is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. Coming into this season, he hadn’t missed an extra point since 2006. In 2016, he’s already missed two extra points and three field goals, dropping his overall make rate this year to 84.8 percent. By comparison, his career mark is 94.6 percent.
Gostkowski won’t offer any insight on the reason for the struggles, but Sunday's missed extra point continued a concerning trend.
“I’m not scared to screw up. I’ve screwed up plenty of times in my career. It’s kind of piling on right now,” Gostkowski said, via the Providence Journal. “In my position, you only get so many opportunities ,and that’s part of it mentally, taking advantage of the opportunities you get. I know that’s the deal coming in. News flash, this is my 11th year doing it. Right now, I just stink and I need to figure out how to get better.”
The Patriots are fortunate to have beaten teams by fairly wide margins. Gostkowski hasn’t been put in positions to win games, or make clutch kicks, other than in the season opener when he drilled a 32-yarder with 6:02 remaining.
It’s hard to not be concerned about Gostkowski’s struggles, particularly on extra-point attempts. What used to be an automatic conversion has become a worrisome play for the Patriots, and one that could certainly cost them down the stretch.
Gostkowski isn’t concerned about his struggles, but admits that “obviously, there’s something going on.”
“Personally, I don’t talk about why things go wrong. Obviously, there’s something going on," Gostkowski said. "I’m going to work my hardest to fix it. This is my job. I take it seriously. No one feels worse about screwing up than I do. It stinks to come in when you win and only talk about the one bad play you have, but that’s the nature of the position.”
Consider this: Gostkowski had missed only five kicks combined the past two years. In seven games this season, he’s missed five total. That’s not something the Bill Belichick-led Patriots have ever really had to deal with. Between Gostkowski and predecessor Adam Vinatieri, New England has been in good hands at kicker. Now, it seems like a trouble spot.
Fortunately for them, Brady has been putting up points in bunches and essentially blowing out teams with a relentless offense. As the season wears on, the Patriots are certain to face a handful of close situations where Gostkowski will be called upon to win or tie the game.
