Why real football players feel they way they do about kickers.

Remember, "Momma, let you boys grow up to be a kickers".  We had discussed a couple of years back how the dollar per play ratio is the highest for the kickers.  We narrowed it down to an average 16-24 minutes of total game time [a high estimate] per season, and with even a low $500,000 dollar a year salary (some make millions), that is some pretty good pay.  Just think, trot out, kick the ball, then go take a bite of a Snickers bar.  Easy money.

This year we have 3 kickers on the preseason roster, with the only battle being at punter.  Ryan Longwell does the placekicking duties, Chris Kluwe is the incumbent punter, and Alex Reyes is competing for his job, but with the bonus of being able to kick off.  Kicking off, kicking deep and through the endzone would be nice, but unfortunately Longwell is getting long in the tooth and short in the leg (mostly dead accurate at fieldgoals though).  Enter Reyes, with youth on his side.  He can punt and kick, and had a decent punt average [43.3 yards] in college.  He has been putting some balls at least 3 yards deep into the endzone on his kickoffs; however, reports out of camp so far are that he is very inconsistent.  That is not a word that kickers want to hear attached to their names.  If he can match Kluwe’s punt production and kickoff, expect that he’ll get the job.

Last Friday night against the Rams was their first test, and it didn’t go so well.  “I thought our kickers need to improve,” Vikings coach Brad Childress said. “A couple of those punts, we were calling for a different spot than the ball was punted, and that impacts how the coverage team is approaching the football. We need to place the ball better.”

Chris had a bad year last year versus his rookie campaign.  Coming off leg injuries in the final Detroit game of 2005, Chris only mustered a 42.3 yard versus 44.1 yards per kick average the year before, but did tie the Vikings record of 28 punts inside the 20.  Distance was down, accuracy was up, but way too many punts were needed in the first place.  But as our own IvanhoeAl has reported from training camp, “Kluwe looked back to his form of [two] years ago, booming nice corner kicks”.  Distance, precision and direction control will allow Vikings fans to yell “Kluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” for the next 6 months.

Placekicker Ryan Longwell finished at the bottom of the NFL with a 59.1-yard average on kickoffs last season. Longwell modified his mechanics and conditioning during the offseason.  In camp so far, Reyes is getting the majority of kickoffs to see what he can do. When it comes to fieldgoals, reports so far from camp are that he is hitting everything from 50 yards in, including the porta potty behind the goal posts.  (Kickers love targets, especially is some unsuspecting ball boy just went in to do his business.)  But camp, and the first preseason game are two different things.  Longwell went 1 for 2 missing a 42 yarder he pulled to the left.  Childress added, “And Ryan (Longwell) would be the first one to tell you he needs to nail that field goal at the end of the game.”

Reyes didn’t perform any better in game than Kluwe or Longwell and handled all of the kickoff duties.  Not a single kickoff made it to the endzone.  He had three kickoffs with his first being the deepest going to the 4 yard line, then the next only made the 6, followed by his final kick only reaching the 5.  That will not go far to win him a roster spot.

Kickers are important and can win games for the Vikes, but what are their training days like compared to the other 87 players, two dozen coaches and various staff that are busting their tails during the two a days, strength training, film sessions, and meetings?  Well, reports are that they have plenty of time on their hands, and stand around on the sidelines chatting.  Remember that dollar per play ratio?

Reyes was asked bout all that free time “A lot of time we’ll come back to the dorms and watch TV,” He said with a smile. “They are in there (film study) for two hours and we’re in there for 20-25 minutes at the most.”

Pro Bowler Matt Birk was looking at the kickers schedule and was over heard commenting on it. “They’re really busting their asses, aren’t they?” Birk muttered. “There are no golf courses right around here, so at least they can’t go play golf in between practices.”  He was technically correct, they don’t go between practices, they’ve gone afterward. 

After their first game time showing, I suggest a little less free time activities and more practice, and I’m sure Matt would agree.

And you wonder why real football players feel they way they do about kickers?  Remember, "Momma, let you boys grow up to be a kickers".  Dads, teach them every other position too.