Why the Redskins should hire a kicking consultant
By Jonathan Eig
Why the Redskins should hire a kicking consultant
Hopkins has been very good for the team since he arrived in 2015. He lent stability to a position that was constantly turning over. But he has also been somewhat of a roller coaster. Granted, not a roller coaster with big climbs and drops, but he has been up and down a bit. In 2015, he was a revelation, but then regressed in ’16 and ’17, when he was injured. He came back in ’18 with a strong year. The cause for concern was last year. It was not a bad year by any means, but it was a step back from 2018.
In 2019, Hopkins missed the first field goal inside of 30 yards of his entire career. He missed another one between 30 and 40 yards for the time since that poor 2016 season. His overall field goal percentage was the second-lowest of his career, and his kickoff distance was his lowest since his first season in 2015.
Overall, he still converted field goals at a very respectable 83.3 percent, but the trend line is beginning to dip. This is exactly where quality franchises are proactive and rejuvenate a strong player who should still have many more strong years.
Other franchises sit back and figure things will probably work themselves out. Especially when it comes to the kicking game, which is often viewed by rugged old-school types with a wary eye. Former Tampa Bay coach John McKay summed up the league’s general feeling about kickers: “Kickers are like horse manure. They’re all over the place.”
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The thing is – they don’t have to be. And having a coach who understands that you don’t hit the ball the same way on a humid September afternoon in Miami as you do on a frigid December night in Chicago, can go a long way toward making sure then manure stays where it is supposed to.