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Field Goals

All articles tagged with #field goals

Trey Smack Could Give the Packers a Legitimate Kicking Edge
sports27 days ago

Trey Smack Could Give the Packers a Legitimate Kicking Edge

Kickers matter in high-leverage moments, and Green Bay may finally upgrade from Mason Crosby with Trey Smack. Smack has shown a powerful leg—58-yarders in preseason—and could provide valuable long-range options, potentially transforming some high-stakes plays into reliable points. Kicking can be acquired via free agency, UDFA, or the draft; a sixth-round pick is reasonable, and trading up for a kicker is usually unnecessary. If Smack is at least average, he would represent a meaningful baseline upgrade and, along with Daniel Whelan’s punting improvements, could yield a net positive for Packers’ special teams, though only time will tell.

via Acme Packing Company|
#field-goals#green-bay-packers#kicker
Patriots' optical-field-goal edge remains legal under NFL rules
sports1 month ago

Patriots' optical-field-goal edge remains legal under NFL rules

Patriots used a stadium video-board tactic to gain an edge on field-goal attempts by displaying an All-22/static image that keeps four goalposts in the kicker’s view while the kick is taken. The NFL confirmed the maneuver is legal under its Video During Kicks policy, which forbids flashing or moving images during kicks; the approach reportedly originated when kicker Stephen Gostkowski disliked seeing his image on the board. The tactic relies on existing rules and can be replicated until the policy changes.

via NBC Sports|
#all-22#field-goals#nfl
Static Screens, Not Schemes: Explaining the Patriots’ Home-Field Kicking Edge
sports1 month ago

Static Screens, Not Schemes: Explaining the Patriots’ Home-Field Kicking Edge

The piece explains that the Patriots historically used all-22 video behind the uprights for opponents’ field goals but switched to static imagery for their own attempts, a practice prompted by kicker Stephen Gostkowski and allowed by NFL rules; it’s not a secret Belichick scheme, but an approved tactic that coincides with the Patriots’ long-standing home-field kicking edge at Gillette, where visiting teams have struggled more than the Patriots have since 2000, and other teams have used similar behind-the-goals tactics.

via The New York Times|
#field-goals#gillette-stadium#kicking
Patriots' alleged yellow-uprights distraction tactic sparks online debate
sports1 month ago

Patriots' alleged yellow-uprights distraction tactic sparks online debate

A viral OutKick piece cites a former NFL analytics employee who claims Bill Belichick and the Patriots used Gillette Stadium’s video board to display a reverse view of the goalposts, creating four yellow lines behind the real posts to distract kickers. The author says he reviewed more than a decade of TV broadcasts and found dozens of examples—yet none occurred on Patriots kicks—making the claim unverified and unconfirmed by the team; at the moment it remains fan-driven speculation, with occasional mentions of similar tactics by college programs like Oklahoma State.

via Fox News|
#bill-belichick#field-goals#home-field-advantage
Patriots’ video-board trick aims to rattle opposing field-goal kickers
sports1 month ago

Patriots’ video-board trick aims to rattle opposing field-goal kickers

An analytics expert says the Patriots use a reverse-view video-board optical illusion with four yellow lines and wind-flag motion opposite the live goalposts to confuse kickers on field goals; observed across Patriots home games for years (52 FG attempts) with the on-screen image not matching the kicker’s view, and attempts to copy it elsewhere have had limited success, highlighting the team's meticulous edge-seeking approach.

via nbcsports.com|
#field-goals#kickers#nfl
Patriots’ Visual Illusion During Field Goals Sparks Buzz
sports1 month ago

Patriots’ Visual Illusion During Field Goals Sparks Buzz

The Patriots reportedly used the Gillette Stadium video scoreboard to display the uprights when opponents lined up for field goals, creating a visual distraction for kickers. The tactic is clever and has drawn discussion, though its effectiveness is uncertain and could invite scrutiny or weather-related variables, making it a notable example of on-field gamesmanship.

via Bleacher Report|
#field-goals#gamesmanship#new-england-patriots
Raiders edge 49ers in defensive, no-touchdown preseason finale
sports1 month ago

Raiders edge 49ers in defensive, no-touchdown preseason finale

The Raiders beat the 49ers 18-12 in the preseason finale at Allegiant Stadium, a defensive game with no touchdowns as Eddy Pineiro went 6-for-6 on field goals (including a 54-yard clincher) and San Francisco added a late 51- and 54-yard set of kicks. The 49ers sat starters and highlighted depth at running back (Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Khalil Herbert) while winding up with nine penalties for 84 yards. Raiders rookie Fernando Mendoza struggled (7-for-14, 57 yards, 31.0 rating), and San Francisco used the chance to evaluate backups ahead of the regular-season opener against the Rams.

via USA Today|
#field-goals#las-vegas-raiders#nfl
Butker's 69-yard boot fuels debate over NFL ball changes and scoring era
sports1 month ago

Butker's 69-yard boot fuels debate over NFL ball changes and scoring era

Harrison Butker drilled a 69-yard field goal in the Chiefs' preseason game, used by the piece to spotlight a controversy: ball changes and new kicking rules are inflating distances and boosting scoring. Vic Fangio compared the shift to a steroid-era claim in baseball, arguing the K-balls and altered kicking process have drastically changed field goals. The article notes rises in 60+ yard attempts and a longer average field-goal distance since 2024, arguing this trend risks producing more points with less exciting football even as kickers routinely convert longer kicks.

via Fox News|
#ball-changes#field-goals#kicking
49ers lock in Eddy Pineiro with four-year kicker deal
sports7 months ago

49ers lock in Eddy Pineiro with four-year kicker deal

The San Francisco 49ers signed kicker Eddy Pineiro to a four-year, $17 million contract with $10 million guaranteed, keeping him in San Francisco after a strong 2025 season in which he went 28-for-29 on field goals (long of 59). Pineiro, 30, has previously played for the Raiders, Bears, Colts, Commanders, Jets and Panthers before joining the 49ers last year.

via NBC Sports|
#eddy-pineiro#field-goals#four-year-contract
LeBron James Tops All-Time NBA Field Goals, Surpassing Kareem
sports7 months ago

LeBron James Tops All-Time NBA Field Goals, Surpassing Kareem

LeBron James, at 41 in his 23rd season, broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record by making his 15,838th field goal to become the NBA’s all-time leader in field goals; he also stands as the NBA playoff points leader and is the only player with more than 50,000 career points combining regular season and postseason, with the most field-goal attempts in league history.

via NBC Sports|
#career-records#field-goals#kareem-abdul-jabbar
Booger McFarland questions Payton, McVay fourth-down gambits on Championship Sunday
sports8 months ago

Booger McFarland questions Payton, McVay fourth-down gambits on Championship Sunday

Booger McFarland criticized Sean Payton’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 at the Broncos’ 14 in the AFC Championship, arguing a 31-yard field goal would have extended the lead in worsening weather; he also questioned Sean McVay’s 4th-and-4 call at the Seahawks’ 6 late, suggesting a field goal would have put Seattle under pressure. The piece discusses the clash between analytics and in-game feel on Championship Sunday and suggests there’s validity to both coaches’ aggressive choices given the context.

via Awful Announcing|
#booger-mcfarland#field-goals#fourth-down