K Dan Carpenter sets an NFL rookie record

[DolFan619]

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter?game_id=29712&season=2008&displayPage=tab_gamecenter

Game ball

Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter set an NFL rookie record when he converted his 10th consecutive field goal, connecting on a 47-yarder in the third quarter. Carpenter later added some insurance with a 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Way to go!!!!  I'm glad we ditched Feely for this guy. 

[DZA]

Carpenter will only get better.

[Dave Gray]

He's been great on Field Goals, but I'm worried about his leg.  He doesn't have great distance on kickoffs.

[fyo]

He's been great on Field Goals, but I'm worried about his leg.  He doesn't have great distance on kickoffs.

I tried putting a stopwatch (well, slomo replay) to his kicks and his long kicks have, on average, a slightly longer hang time than his short kicks. The point being, his short kicks aren't high boots that allow our coverage to get down field. They're just bad. (There was some speculation early in the season that he was purposely kicking them short and high).

In any event, I'm far more concerned with our coverage unit than with our kicker (or punter, for that matter). Sure, it would solve a lot of problems if Carpenter could boot it out of the end zone every time, but unless your kicker's name is Janikowski, that's unlikely.

Janikowski has touchbacks on 40% of his kickoffs this year. Carpenter? 9%

Check out the stats on nfl.com: http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?season=2008&seasonType=REG&d-447263-o=2&statisticPositionCategory=KICKOFF_KICKER&tabSeq=1&d-447263-p=1&d-447263-s=KICKOFF_TOUCHBACKS&d-447263-n=1

That's a very small group of elite "kickoff kickers". Janikowski, in a league of his own this year, was also #1 in touchback percentage last year. There's hope for Carpenter yet, though, because in the first SEVEN YEARS of Janikowski's career, he had a high of 23%, compared to 32% last year and 40% this year. You know... I'm tempted to speculate a bit on the sudden, dramatic improvement in the length of his kicks...

Whatever Janikowski is on, Carpenter needs to get some of that...

[Spider-Dan]

Anyone happen to notice who the #3 kicker (in terms of touchback %) on that list is?

[Dave Gray]

Mare has always had a great kickoff leg.  Even when he couldn't make FGs, he still helped us greatly with field position.

[DolFan619]

Anyone happen to notice who the #3 kicker (in terms of touchback %) on that list is?

  Had that guy not been 72% on field goals in 2006, he would probably still be on the team.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

We should have Olindo Mare be our punter and kickoff specialist. 

[run_to_win]

I tried putting a stopwatch (well, slomo replay) to his kicks and his long kicks have, on average, a slightly longer hang time than his short kicks. The point being, his short kicks aren't high boots that allow our coverage to get down field. They're just bad.

It's awesome that you actually timed his kicks rather than just speculating!  Way to bring it! 

[fyo]

It's awesome that you actually timed his kicks rather than just speculating!  Way to bring it! 

In fairness, I only did it for two games. It was unbelievably boring.

[NADS]

He's been great on Field Goals, but I'm worried about his leg.  He doesn't have great distance on kickoffs.

Mare has always had a great kickoff leg.  Even when he couldn't make FGs, he still helped us greatly with field position.

Agreed. Should we get a kickoff specialist or will Carpenter be good enough?

[fyo]

Agreed. Should we get a kickoff specialist or will Carpenter be good enough?

There is absolutely no way Parcells would ever accept spending an extra roster spot on a kickoff specialist.

[Dave Gray]

^^

I think that pretty much sums it up.  Roster spots are too valuable to spend another roster spot on a guy who will only play about 5 plays in a game.

[NADS]

Fair enough.  Is there anything a kicker can do to increase kickoff distance?  What was with the jacked squib against the Bills?  Looked like an onside kick but the jackass announcers (who called Ricky Brown at least two separate times) said he just missed it.