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PK.. Nick Folk ~ ~ ~


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Nick Folk is 31 years old and coming off a quadriceps injury that caused him to miss the second half of last season. At this stage of his career, he recognizes the importance of taking care of his body -- especially his right leg. No one in his profession does it better than Adam Vinatieri, still kicking at 43, and now Folk has the ability to tap into Vinatieri's secrets for longevity.

The New York Jets' new special-teams coordinator is Brant Boyer, who spent the last four seasons with Vinatieri as part of the Indianapolis Colts' staff."Him coming from Indy, with Adam Vinatieri, is big for me because I can pick his brain with what Adam did," Folk said Tuesday night at an event hosted by the United Way of New York City. "He has stayed pretty healthy for the most part over a 20-year career."

Folk, who signed with the Jets in 2010, had never missed a game until last season, when he injured his right quadriceps during the pre-game warmups Nov. 8. It turned out to be a season-ending injury. After rest and rehab, Folk said his leg is healthy again, but he has tweaked his offseason routine to prevent wear and tear."It's kind of varied now," he said. "I'm getting older, so I'm changing things up here and there, just to get better. I feel good. I'm excited where I'm at."

Folk said his modified routine is "nothing crazy, just moderating the number of kicks, making sure I'm staying within kind of a pitch count, even now, so I can make it through a season and I don't have happen what happened last year. I'm ready to rock and roll. I feel great."

>    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/60333/jets-pk-nick-folk-hopes-to-emulate-ageless-wonder-adam-vinatieri

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  • 2 months later...

After missing eight games last season, Jets kicker Nick Folkicon-article-link.gif was ready to get back after it this spring. And he delivered with his trademark accuracy throughout OTAs and minicamp while connecting on a few kicks from 60 yards and beyond.“We pushed it back and had a little fun.  I hit probably three or four with a long of maybe 63 or so,” he said after the Jets’ final minicamp session. “The last one we kind of tried to back it up a little bit and have a little fun with the almost just in case kicks. You never know when you’re going to be in that situation and you don’t want to hit too many. A defensive head coach is going to play smart football and punt the ball in that situation unless it’s the end of the half or the end of the game.”

 

Folk, who went to injured reserve last November with a quad injury after converting on 13 of his 16 field goal attempts, and Randy Bullock didn’t get many attempts beyond 49 yards last season.“I know I kicked two over 50 and Randy might had one at 50. So out of our 30 that we kicked together  —  three were over 50. So you’re not going to get a ton of them. It’s become such a field position game that your money kicks are going to be from the 49 and in or the 50 and in. But just in case.”

 

With the NFL moving the touchback to the 25-yard line, Folk thinks the Jets could take a case-by-case approach to each kickoff depending on different variables including returner and score. But he believes there will be more touchbacks early in the season and scoring will continue to go up.“With it being at the 25 and you get the same amount of yards with the first drive or a drive after a touchdown, now a 55-yard field goal becomes a 50-yard field goal,” he said. “Or a 53-yard field goal becomes a 48-yard field goal. It’s much more manageable late in the season. My opinion is scoring will go up — maybe not a ton because it’s five yards, but it will go up a little bit because you’ll get a few more makeable field goals.”

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/-Folk-Ready-Just-in-Case/6e5ac33f-879d-4d25-98a7-cec1e7781cb3
 

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  • 3 weeks later...

-- The New York Jets' kicking competition apparently is real, not just for show.

Nick Folk, who has held the job since 2010, is getting a push from rookie free-agent Ross Martin. Coach Todd Bowles said he's planning to let it play out for at least three preseason games, adding, "It's going to be a competition. They're pretty close there."

Pretty close ?

That's an interesting comment by Bowles.

Unless his right leg falls off, Folk is the best choice for the Jets. They're a win-now team and there will be a handful of pressure kicks in 2016. You'd rather have a proven vet in those situations than an untested rookie. That's my opinion, anyway.Bowles has sent mixed signals. Before his "pretty close" comment, he said of Martin, "He has to make them all. He's going to have to perform in the preseason. Obviously, Folk is going to have to look pretty bad for him. It's a good competition right now -- we're just going to have to see how it plays out."So, clearly, Folk is the favorite, as he should be. He has faced competition in the past, most notably in 2012, when he outlasted Josh Brown in a fantastic camp battle. The previous coaching staff always believed Folk was at his best when pushed in training camp. The current staff evidently is looking for more than just a push.

Why ?

Folk, 31, has a $3.3 million cap charge. The cap-strapped Jets could save $2.2 million by releasing Folk and handing the job to Martin, whose cap figure is $452,000. They also could point out that he made only 81 percent of his attempts last season before injuring his quadriceps. But it should be noted that, over the last three seasons, Folk's field-goal percentage (85.7) ranks 12th out of 21 kickers with a minimum of 75 attempts. A top-12 kicker shouldn't be taken for granted.

A younger/cheaper philosophy can work in certain situations, but it's risky when you're talking about a kicker.Martin, a former standout at Duke, has a big leg. He proved that on Tuesday with back-to-back makes from 50 and 60 yards. Moments earlier, though, he missed from 38 yards.Break out the microscope, folks. We've got a kicking competition this summer.

>   http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/61719/are-the-jets-looking-to-replace-their-folk-hero-say-it-aint-so

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-- As much as he'd like to mentor Ross Martin, the promising rookie kicker from Duke, Nick Folk believes there has to be a limit to his generosity. After all, Martin is trying to take his job.

It's one of those awkward training-camp dynamics, and it's playing out this summer with the New York Jets. Folk wants to be The Nice Guy, but he also wants to stay employed. He's fighting for his livelihood. He and the undrafted free agent are locked in a kicking competition, and we all know the NFL is a cut-throat business.

Folk said he will try to help Martin in certain instances, but he admittedly will hold back.

"There are no backups, so it's tough," said Folk, the Jets' kicker since 2010. "You can't give away all your secrets. You just have to focus on what you have to focus on. I hate to say it, but that's how I've done it my whole career. You focus on yourself."It's a fine line to walk," he continued. "Talking with other veteran kickers, everyone is in the same boat. Everyone wants to keep their job for a long time. It's not like a DB where he can mentor a young guy and that guy can be the third or fourth corner. You can't do that. It's hard, it's hard."

Folk described Martin as friendly and quiet, with a strong leg. Because of the nature of the position, they spend a lot of time together during practice, off in their own kicking world. It's cordial, but competitive.

This isn't Folk's first competition.

Since 2010, the Jets have used at least two kickers in four of the six preseasons -- and Folk defeated them all even though his competitors were a combined 16-for-17 in field goals. A look back, including their field-goal stats :

2014: Folk (3-for-3) held off Andrew Furney (2-for-2), an undrafted rookie.

2013: Folk (3-for-4) survived a challenge from two veterans, Billy Cundiff(3-for-3) and Dan Carpenter (1-for-1).

2012: Folk (5-for-5) outlasted Josh Brown (3-for-4) in a terrific competition.

2011: Folk (4-for-6) beat out Nick Novak (2-for-2), who landed with theSan Diego Chargers and has been in the league ever since.

Here he goes again, trying to show the Jets he still belongs at the age of 31. Folk likes the way he's kicking the ball. He goal is to "stack some good days on top of each other and build some good momentum." Martin is doing the same. The first game is Thursday night. It's competition on.

http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/61904/jets-k-nick-folk-faces-dilemma-self-preservation-or-mr-nice-guy

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— Todd Bowles was only half joking when he supplied the blueprint for Ross Martin to make the Jets' roster. 

"He's going to have to make all his kicks," the Jets coach said the first week of training camp. "And obviously Nick Folk is going to have to look pretty bad."

It may not be the sexiest battle, but the kicking competition between Martin, the undrafted rookie, and Folk, the incumbent seasoned pro, is quite entertaining. Each day, each kicker gets six field goal attempts. Folk goes first. Martin goes second. Both rarely miss. It's nearly impossible right now to tell who has the edge. Things are dead even. 

Folk and Martin share nearly as many similarities as differences. Martin has an edge in leg strength. He claims to have hit a 69-yarder in practice. Folk gets the nod in experience. He has kicked in the NFL for nine years, the past six for the Jets. Both have quiet, calm demeanors, and rarely get flustered. Martin is a bit more bubbly, likely because he's nine years younger than the 31-year-old Folk.And that youth has its advantages. Martin is cheaper than Folk ($525,000 salary cap hit compared to $3.3 million) and free of any injury concerns. Folk finished the 2015 season on the injured reserve with a quadriceps injury, but has said for months he's now OK. 

If Martin can give the Jets equal production — Folk has made 79 of 91 field goals the last three years — at a fraction of the price, maybe the team can be enticed to keep him. The Jets would create $2.1 million in cap space by releasing Folk."When I first met with the Jets, they told me it was going to be an open competition," Martin told NJ Advance Media last week. "They mentioned Nick's injury and said they wanted to bring a guy in that would bring the best competition. They told me they would play the best player."

Training camp competition is nothing new for Folk, as is the case for almost all NFL kickers and punters. For the last six years, he has battled for his roster spot. Some competitions were tight (Nick Novak in 2011, Josh Brown in 2012), others not so much (Andrew Furney in 2014.) 

Folk said the most challenging aspect of fighting for his job isn't the competition, but the internal battle. As a veteran, he wants to help these younger kickers — just not at the expense of his own job."There are no backups," Folk said. "It's tough. You can't give away all of your secrets. You have to focus on what you have to focus on. That's how I've done it my whole career. You need to focus on yourself. It's a fine line to walk.

"It's not like a defensive back where you can mentor a young guy, then that guy can be the third or fourth cornerback. You can't do that. It's hard."Martin has learned most things by observing Folk. He studies how Folk prepares, then tries to replicate it himself. He wants to be the Jets' starting kicker, but if it doesn't work out in New York, he can take what he learns elsewhere.  

"I know how volatile the kicking situation is across the NFL," Martin said. "There is going to be a lot of movement with kickers. It's a known fact. But right now, I'm with the Jets, and I'm trying to make this team."

>    http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/08/how_ross_martin_can_beat_nick_folk_win_jets_kickin.html#incart_river_index

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5 minutes ago, MaxAF said:

Folk has been virtually lights out since he's been a Jet. Great under pressure. 31 is not old for a kicker. Hope that leg is 100%.

is placing a kicker on the PS a waste of a spot?

Or, in this instance, is it wise to hold onto a K who can be starting material next year?

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24 minutes ago, 32EBoozer said:

is placing a kicker on the PS a waste of a spot?

Or, in this instance, is it wise to hold onto a K who can be starting material next year?

The Pats dumped Vinatieri about 10 years ago when he was about Folk's age. He's done well and is still going at like 42-43. I don't know if Nick Folk is an Adam Vinatieri but we may not need another kicker for a long time. He has been pretty solid until he got injured and I think he's having a good camp. Not sure what his contract looks like. A rookie would probably be less $$$.

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  • 1 month later...

  Jets kicker Nick Folk had a rough 2016 debut. In the Jets' season-opening, 23-22 loss Sunday to the Bengals, Folk missed an extra point and had a 22-yard field goal blocked.He also made field goals from 20, 23, and 45 yards. So it wasn't a completely horrible performance. And Jets coach Todd Bowles said the block was a result of a protection issue, and not anything Folk did wrong. 

So what is Bowles' current confidence level in Folk? 

"Right now, it's still good," Bowles said. "You never want to miss an extra point, obviously. And then the one that got blocked, I think they came through pretty clean. At the same time, we have to shore that up this week." 

The Jets visit the Bills on Thursday.

Folk, in his 10th NFL season and seventh with the Jets, is now 312 of 313 in his career on extra points.As for his patience level with kickers, Bowles said, "I'm not a special teams coach. With me and kickers, I always tell them, 'If I have to call you by your name, you're messing up.' We should not be talking." 

Folk didn't attempt any field goals — he kicked four extra points — during the Jets' preseason games, but Bowles said that wasn't a factor in Sunday's issues."He gets a ton of kicks every day" in practice, Bowles said. 

>         http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2016/09/why_jets_todd_bowles_doesnt_want_to_speak_to_nick.html#incart_river_index

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  • 1 month later...

One of the steadiest performers in this so far unsteady Jets season has been kicker  Nick Folk , who takes a streak of 11 consecutive field goals into Sunday's home game against the Ravens. I asked Nick this week if he feels like he's "in the zone" now.

"Not really," he said. "I take it one week at a time, one kick at a time, try to get better each week, each kick. ... I'm just trying to make them all to put this team in the best situation to win."

Folk's focus is exceptional. It didn't waver when he got off to, for him, a rocky start this season with a 22-yard blocked field goal and the first missed extra point of his career in the opener against the Bengals. And it's not wavering now that he's on another one of his rolls. If he hits his next try, it will mark the 11th time in franchise history that a kicker has converted 12 field goals in a row in-season. Folk tops that list with his 23 straight to start 2013.

Another element of Folk's game is his kickoffs. His hangtime unofficially is 4.18 seconds, his best since 2011, and the opponents' average drive start after kickoffs of the 23.6-yard line is seventh-best in the NFL."I'm just trying to get back to where I was kicking a couple of years ago," he said. "My kickoff groove last year wasn't what I wanted it to be. There was a little tempo thing, body-position thing, so I tried to get that corrected to where I can feel comfortable and I can hit a good ball warm, cold, inside, outside.

"And when we haven't gotten touchbacks, we've covered real well. A lot of guys are taking knees now because of, a, the 25-yard-line rule, and b, our guys are covering so well that they're not going to get close to the 25."

Here are the top 10 in-season field goal streaks in franchise history :

 

Streak Kicker Season Streak Kicker Season
23 Nick Folk 2013 13 Nick Lowery 1994
21 Mike Nugent 2006 13 Nick Folk 2014
17 Pat Leahy 1990 12 Pat Leahy 1991
15 Mike Nugent 2007 12 Pat Leahy 1985
14 Jay Feely 2008 12 John Hall 2002

 

Mo's Contributions


Jon Gruden had a good analysis of Muhammad Wilkerson on ESPN's MNF telecast :

"Wilkerson only has 1½ sacks. That bothers some people, but this man shows up. He rarely comes off the field, he diagnoses screens as well as anyone, and he's got great hand/eye coordination — he can bat down balls."Gruden gave that scouting report after Wilkerson swatted down a Carson Palmer pass on first-and-goal. It was the 20th PD behind the line of scrimmage for Wilk in his career and his third this season, all coming in the last three games. He also drew his second holding penalty of the season when Larry Fitzgerald grabbed him on a running play.

Numbers Notes
Following up on last week's Inside the Numbers lead note, the Elias Sports Bureau reviewed the third-quarter pass that Lee knocked down at Pittsburgh and changed the ruling from no pass defense to a PD. Hopefully that will help Lee as he rehabs the ankle he sprained at Arizona. ... Rookie CB  Juston Burris  picked up 20 yards of field position for the Jets when the gunner was illegally blocked once and held once on punt coverage vs. the Cards.

>      http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Inside-the-Numbers-Another-Folk-Streak/fdc4b9ad-453d-4500-8098-8a68c16e3079

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  • 3 months later...

Folk Came Back with Consistency

Posted 20 hours ago

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Veteran K Posted Third Most Accurate Season of his Career

folk-exit-art.jpg

Nick Folkicon-article-link.gif had a bounce-back year after missing eight games in 2015 with a quad injury that landed him on injured reserve. This season, Folk was one of the most consistent kickers in the league as he was tied for seventh in accuracy, connecting on 87.1% of his field goals.“I want a few kicks back, but overall it was pretty good,” he said. “We had a first time holder. Lac [Edwards] did a good job for me and Tanner [Purdum] did a good job.”

The 10-year vet missed just one kick (a 34-yarder in Week 16) and two extra points this season, but had three field goals blocked, tying a career-high (2012).“It depends on a lot of things really,” said Folk on what leads to a blocked FG. “From snap to kick we try to get it off in about 1.3 seconds and sometimes it’s a low kick. We were back a couple times this year like the Baltimore and New England games. They were 50-plus kicks into the wind that needed a bit of a drive ball to get it there.

“So if a guy gets his hand in the right spot, he’ll tip it and that’s what happened on those. The short one I just didn’t hit super clean. There’s a lot that can go wrong and they get paid to block kicks too.”

folk-exit-art2.jpg

The 2016 season marked a second straight year with a special teams regulation change. Last year, the NFL pushed the extra point back from the 2-yard line to the 15. This year was the trial run for a new touchback rule where teams start their drives from the 25-yard line instead of the 20.Prior to training camp, Folk believed scoring would see a slight spike. Even though there are other factors to be considered, the hypothesis bodes true on its face — scoring increased by 181 points in 2016 compared to 2015.“I think the rule will probably stay,” he said. “I think touchback wise the numbers went up. At the same time, let’s say you drive 40 yards from the 20 to the opposing 40-yard-line. If you drive the same 40 yards off a touchback, you can kick a field goal, weather permitting.”

The Arizona product’s theory panned out to be true as there were 22 more field goal attempts this season than last.

Moving forward into 2017, Folk has developed an offseason routine throughout his career that is the same at the core every season, but is tweaked based on his self-evaluation.“I’ll take a week to debrief and look at the season as a whole,” Folk said when the Jets cleared out their lockers in early January. “Then I’ll figure out a plan of action and how to attack the offseason. In the beginning I see what needs to happen — what I did poorly, what I did well from last offseason into training camp and through the season. I implement that into my regiment and then I go from there.”

>     http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-7/Folk-Came-Back-with-Consistency-/68b8ddfe-6fb5-44af-bfb2-d9af3e727681

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14 hours ago, Beerfish said:

I hope Martin or someone else forces him out.  Not that I hate him as a kicker but he makes a lot of coin.

I love Folk. Cutting him would result in 2 million in cap space saved...so if Martin does has well as he did last training camp and can actually kick them in REAL games? I'm down for that....but if he stumbles again than you have to continue to roll with Folk 2 million isn't a deal breaker.

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  • 2 years later...

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