Nick Folk and the Kicker carousel

[Jetsfan80]

I seem to recall some panicking over the offseason in regards to the Jets letting go of UFA kicker Jay Feely, a move made in order to acquire Jason Taylor. The Jets subsequently replaced Feely with Nick Folk, who had been cut by the Dallas Cowboys and thus was available without any UFA final 4/8 restrictions.

While Jason Taylor's impact thus far this season has been discussed ad nauseum (much to the chagrin of JiF), no one has really talked about Folk. Which, in the world of kickers, is a good thing. Agter all, from a fan's perspective, there is a simple dichotomy when it comes to kickers in the NFL: 1) Kickers who "do their jobs", and 2) Choke artists.

So far this season, Garrett Hartley of the New Orleans Saints falls under the "choke artist" category. His missed chip-shot in a home divisional game against Atlanta contributed to an overtime loss and prompted the Saints to sign free agent and ageless wonder John Carney.

Consider this more closely. Hartley, who sent the Saints to the Super Bowl on a 40-yard field goal in overtime, then went 3-for-3 once the Saints got there from 46, 44, and 47 yards respectively, ALL AT THE AGE OF 23, may be on the verge of getting replaced or have his kicking duties reduced by a kicker double his age, and who helped cost the Saints a postseason appearance in 2007 with THIS:

You see, kicking is a thankless job, and its all about "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately". Bringing this all back to Nick Folk, it seems silly to think how much letting go of Feely was discussed. After all, so far Folk has been nearly perfect. He's made 6 of 7 field goals, including a 49-yarder, with his only miss coming from 61. He's looking a lot more like the 2008 Folk that made 91 % of his kicks than the one who got hurt last year, only made 64 %, and got cut by Dallas.

Feely, meanwhile, is 2 for 3 for a really bad Cardinals team who may not require his duties so much this year, showing how little the kicking game matters if your team sucks.

Folk may well perform poorly the next 14 weeks, but I think we've all learned a valuable lesson. Kickers don't matter much, and in the Jets' case, letting go of Feely may well end up being one of the smartest and most underrated moves of the Jets offseason.

[The Troll]

I think the chagrin came from the fact that over the last decade plus, we'd been through some terrible kickers. John Hall, who could nail 55-yarders, but was shaky from 30. Doug Brien, who was Doug Brien. Mike Nugent, who was a JAG that we took in the second round, while the Bears signed the far superior Robbie Gould as a UDFA the same year. We had finally found a kicker that didn't consistently disappoint.

I hated to see Feely go, but Folk had the making of an elite kicker a couple years ago. He got hurt and was made a scapegoat. I bet Dallas wishes they hadn't cut him loose every time John Hall Van Dam shanks a chipshot. I'm glad we have Folk, and I prefer him to Feely, even if Nick doesn't wear gloves.

[Sperm Edwards]

I wouldn't say kickers don't matter much. They matter a LOT.

What was so silly was arguing over which previously-inconsistent kicker was not only going to be better in 2010, but further arguing that keeping one over the other was worth forgoing the ability to sign a pass-rusher on a team desperate to acquire one.

Folk is a pro bowler one year, even better the year after that, and gets cut the next season.

Hartley was perfect in the post-season last year, including 3-of-3 from 44+ in the SB, and is about to be out of a job in October of the following year.

With the exception of his atrocious playoff games, how many more consistent and accurate kickers are there than Nate Kaeding?

A select group of kickers can be relied upon year-in and year-out. Everyone else is a crap-shoot from year to year.

Folk has been outstanding this year.

[stoicsentry]

I seem to recall some panicking over the offseason in regards to the Jets letting go of UFA kicker Jay Feely, a move made in order to acquire Jason Taylor. The Jets subsequently replaced Feely with Nick Folk, who had been cut by the Dallas Cowboys and thus was available without any UFA final 4/8 restrictions.

While Jason Taylor's impact thus far this season has been discussed ad nauseum (much to the chagrin of JiF), no one has really talked about Folk. Which, in the world of kickers, is a good thing. Agter all, from a fan's perspective, there is a simple dichotomy when it comes to kickers in the NFL: 1) Kickers who "do their jobs", and 2) Choke artists.

So far this season, Garrett Hartley of the New Orleans Saints falls under the "choke artist" category. His missed chip-shot in a home divisional game against Atlanta contributed to an overtime loss and prompted the Saints to sign free agent and ageless wonder John Carney.

Consider this more closely. Hartley, who sent the Saints to the Super Bowl on a 40-yard field goal in overtime, then went 3-for-3 once the Saints got there from 46, 44, and 47 yards respectively, ALL AT THE AGE OF 23, may be on the verge of getting replaced or have his kicking duties reduced by a kicker double his age, and who helped cost the Saints a postseason appearance in 2007 with THIS:

You see, kicking is a thankless job, and its all about "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately". Bringing this all back to Nick Folk, it seems silly to think how much letting go of Feely was discussed. After all, so far Folk has been nearly perfect. He's made 6 of 7 field goals, including a 49-yarder, with his only miss coming from 61. He's looking a lot more like the 2008 Folk that made 91 % of his kicks than the one who got hurt last year, only made 64 %, and got cut by Dallas.

Feely, meanwhile, is 2 for 3 for a really bad Cardinals team who may not require his duties so much this year, showing how little the kicking game matters if your team sucks.

Folk may well perform poorly the next 14 weeks, but I think we've all learned a valuable lesson. Kickers don't matter much, and in the Jets' case, letting go of Feely may well end up being one of the smartest and most underrated moves of the Jets offseason.

Great for now. I'm glad. It's not as if Jay wasn't just as good early on either though. Better, even.

It will only take a couple kicks for Jets fans to turn on him, like they did on Jay because he missed a couple in a dome. Unless we win a SB, there will be whining about the kicker.

[PatsFanTX]

Folk has been outstanding this year.

Agree, Jets fans need to find something else to complain about.

[JiF]

Agree, Jets fans need to find something else to complain about.

I thought thats why you were around.

[PatsFanTX]

I thought thats why you were around.

Pretty hard to bust balls when a player is doing a very good job.

[Jetsfan80]

We had finally found a kicker that didn't consistently disappoint.

We haven't had many kickers in our history that CONSISTENTLY disappointed, but we have had some kickers choke when we needed them to come through. Feely falls under this category too. The Atlanta game and the AFC Title game come to mind.

[RutgersJetFan]

Panic is one way to put it. Another way to put it is that Ghost menstruated for several weeks.

[slats]

Yeah, I remember when Folk was the biggest problem on the Jets' roster. Good times.

[Vudu]

I had a horrible nightmare that Nick Folk missed thw winning kick against Buffalo this morning.

[lamont_jordan_rules]

I had a horrible nightmare that Nick Folk missed thw winning kick against Buffalo this morning.

... i had one that we ground and pounded the cr*p out of them ... won by 3 scores ... then the wife surprised me with a couple of her lady friends in a huge orgy!!! ... guess i wouldn't quite actually classify that as nightmare ...

l_j_r

[sirlancemehlot]

... i had one that we ground and pounded the cr*p out of them ... won by 3 scores ... then the wife surprised me with a couple of her lady friends in a huge orgy!!! ... guess i wouldn't quite actually classify that as nightmare ...

did her "lady friends" have adams apples? Nightmares are sneaky that way.

l_j_r

[Jetsfan80]

Folk may well miss some important kicks for us this year like any other kicker. The take-home message is that we didn't downgrade at kicker by replacing Feely with Folk. Folk is MUCH better on kickoffs, has a slight edge in FG range, and seems to have returned to 2008 form.

And if we hadn't pulled off the move, we wouldn't be talking about Taylor's sacks in back-to-back games against divisional rivals. We'd be talking about our complete lack of a pass-rush without Pace.

Good job Tannenbaum.

[The Troll]

We haven't had many kickers in our history that CONSISTENTLY disappointed, but we have had some kickers choke when we needed them to come through. Feely falls under this category too. The Atlanta game and the AFC Title game come to mind.

Every time Nugent missed a kick, it was a disappointment. For what we paid for him, that mother****er should have been the greatest kicker in the league, bar none. And do you forget how eratic John Hall was? Brien was solid, but his leg was weak, and we all know how that story ended.

The Atlanta game was flukey, and I've blocked the AFC title game out of memory. Feely was generally money.

[SMC]

I had a horrible nightmare that Nick Folk missed thw winning kick against Buffalo this morning.

That should be a nightmare because the Jets are in big trouble if they need a FG to beat the Bills.

This should be a double digit victory at least.

[Jetsfan80]

Every time Nugent missed a kick, it was a disappointment. For what we paid for him, that mother****er should have been the greatest kicker in the league, bar none. And do you forget how eratic John Hall was? Brien was solid, but his leg was weak, and we all know how that story ended.

True, Nugent was pretty much the worst draft pick of the Herm era (and he had a LOT of bad draft picks).

I think I have a soft spot for Hall though. I think it was either the 2000 or 2001 season when I was at a game where he sent a kickoff through the uprights. We haven't had a "kick it through the back of the end zone" guy since then, nor have we had someone capable of hitting a 55-yarder to win a game.

But yes, he had many failings too.

[Vudu]

That should be a nightmare because the Jets are in big trouble if they need a FG to beat the Bills.

This should be a double digit victory at least.

The JETS always seem to lose in my football dreams. My subconscious hates me!

[Sharrow]

I've known to always pick your kicker with your last pick in fantasy football for years. Just sayin.

[Jetsfan80]

I've known to always pick your kicker with your last pick in fantasy football for years. Just sayin.

Yep. I took Folk in every one of my fantasy leagues, with one of the last overall picks in the draft in each instance. Working out great so far.

[slats]

I've known to always pick your kicker with your last pick in fantasy football for years. Just sayin.

I always take Nugent in the second round.

[neckdemon]

Agree, Jets fans need to find something else to complain about.

it wouldn't be a jets forum if someone didn't find a bunch of sh*t to complain about. we could go 19-0 and someone would find something to bitch about.

[slats]

it wouldn't be a jets forum if someone didn't find a bunch of sh*t to complain about. we could go 19-0 and someone would find something to bitch about.

Figures the Jets would go undefeated before the league adopts an 18 game schedule.