Notes On The Kicker Battle From Day Five

[gary]

Kris went five for six today while Neil was a perfect six for six. A heated kicker battle rages on in traing camp nonetheless. Any thoughts?
http://www.foxsportshouston.com/08/0...37&feedID=3716

[painekiller]

what is not being said here is that they are using an arena ball goal post which is half the size of the NFL goal post.

[gary]

Originally Posted by painekiller

what is not being said here is that they are using an arena ball goal post which is half the size of the NFL goal post.

Intersting.

[GP]

I don't care if Kris Brown made every attempt, and made them blindfolded.

It's not a real game. There's nothing on the line. It's buddy vs. buddy, and not 52 other teammates glaring at you after you shank a 35-yard potential game winning FG in a real game.

My money, in a REAL game, is on Rackers. I just think Kris is done with the gig altogether. He's there, but he's not "there." What I saw last season was a guy who cratered and it wasn't just going through a dry spell. It looked like he was hitting the eject button on every trip onto the field. Even for an extra point attempt.

Nobody needs to forget last season. All his kicks this camp and preseason mean doodly-squat to THIS fan. Great guy, yada-yada-yada, but I just feel that his era is over here and Rackers hasn't shown any of the shakes that plagued Kris Brown. Maybe there was a Rackers injury that nagged him, but I want to see where he was shanking PATs and looked scared on his way out to kick FGs, even the short ones nicely lined up for him.

Man, this is the ONE area that I have got to see Kubiak make a concentrated effort to address out of camp. No kid gloves, please. I'm going to self-ban myself for a few days if Brown escapes the hangman's noose. I seriously will.

[Tailgate]

Originally Posted by GP

I don't care if Kris Brown made every attempt, and made them blindfolded.

It's not a real game. There's nothing on the line. It's buddy vs. buddy, and not 52 other teammates glaring at you after you shank a 35-yard potential game winning FG in a real game.

My money, in a REAL game, is on Rackers. I just think Kris is done with the gig altogether. He's there, but he's not "there." What I saw last season was a guy who cratered and it wasn't just going through a dry spell. It looked like he was hitting the eject button on every trip onto the field. Even for an extra point attempt.

Nobody needs to forget last season. All his kicks this camp and preseason mean doodly-squat to THIS fan. Great guy, yada-yada-yada, but I just feel that his era is over here and Rackers hasn't shown any of the shakes that plagued Kris Brown. Maybe there was a Rackers injury that nagged him, but I want to see where he was shanking PATs and looked scared on his way out to kick FGs, even the short ones nicely lined up for him.

Man, this is the ONE area that I have got to see Kubiak make a concentrated effort to address out of camp. No kid gloves, please. I'm going to self-ban myself for a few days if Brown escapes the hangman's noose. I seriously will.

Well, to be fair....its not like theres "nothing" on the line. They are fighting for a job. And Kris has had a solid career up until last year. Its not like its impossible for him to get back on track and have a comeback year.

Btw.... I am thinking (somewhat hoping) Rackers wins the job in the end.

[GP]

Originally Posted by Tailgate

Well, to be fair....its not like theres "nothing" on the line. They are fighting for a job. And Kris has had a solid career up until last year. Its not like its impossible for him to get back on track and have a comeback year.

Btw.... I am thinking (somewhat hoping) Rackers wins the job in the end.

See, this is where you and I take different lines of thought.

From what I saw last year, there is no recovering from that far of a fall. It wasn't a minor slump. I think Kris Brown's mentality changed.

I know it sounds like I am really digging at the guy, but it is what it is: We can't have a repeat of the inconsistency. Not with the schedule we have this year.

I became a more critical and cynical Texans fan the day my eyes were opened by David Carr's departure from this team. I don't tend to hang on and have faith in guys; that they can salvage their train wreck situation. I am a believer that the food chain in the NFL is very, very clear cut: You're either going to have it, or you're not. And once you lose it, someone else is there to take advantage of the opportunity.

The ice is soooo thin in the NFL.

[ATXtexanfan]

i'm on the kris brown is done bandwagon. all it will take is one miss in regular season and the nightmares will start.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by GP

See, this is where you and I take different lines of thought.

From what I saw last year, there is no recovering from that far of a fall. It wasn't a minor slump. I think Kris Brown's mentality changed.

I know it sounds like I am really digging at the guy, but it is what it is: We can't have a repeat of the inconsistency. Not with the schedule we have this year.

I became a more critical and cynical Texans fan the day my eyes were opened by David Carr's departure from this team. I don't tend to hang on and have faith in guys; that they can salvage their train wreck situation. I am a believer that the food chain in the NFL is very, very clear cut: You're either going to have it, or you're not. And once you lose it, someone else is there to take advantage of the opportunity.

The ice is soooo thin in the NFL.

The problems in Pittsburg were the ghostly winds. The problems in Houston are the ghosts.

[J_R]

Originally Posted by ATXtexanfan

i'm on the kris brown is done bandwagon. all it will take is one miss in regular season and the nightmares will start.

You're not mad that he already had a miss in camp?!

[thunderkyss]

I'm all for a kicker battle and everything but Rackers has his own ghosts. I don't think we'll be in any better situation than if they hadn't have brought anyone out at all

[GP]

Originally Posted by CloakNNNdagger

The problem in Pittsburg was the ghostly winds. The problem in Houston are the ghosts.

Well, whatever it is, it's not good.

I saw a guy, last season, who looked like he wanted a meteor to crash into Reliant Stadium rather than to have to kick a meaningful field goal.

That's why him making 5-of-6 in camp does ZERO for me. Camp is perhaps THE most distant environment you can create, in terms of being a real game scenario. There is no national TV audience. No packed stadium. No coach grimacing and already looking the other way before your ass even hits the field for the kick. No sideline full of players whose four quarters of blood and sweat depend on your field goal kick. No press conferences or reporters. No impact on W-L record.

Camp is the worst thing for this team, in terms of allowing Kris Brown to live in the bubble that will pop once he has one bad kick in regular season.

They made the effort to spend money on a second kicker. Frankly, I was shocked that we pulled the deal off. For a KICKER. So they better have brass balls on 'em when it comes to cut one of them, and they better not let nostalgia for Kris Brown keep them from doing the right thing.

This is actually a very humane way of firing Kris Brown. You give him the appearance that he has a shot at coming out on top, you make the other kicker produce on his own (because he doesn't just get awarded the job without earning it). And then it's nothing left to do but to say "You know, Kris is such a character guy. He's one of the best players and all around good guys the Texans have ever put on the field. We're gonna' miss Kris. He had a great camp but just barely missed out on this year's roster. I have no doubt that he's going to go somewhere else and do a solid job for any other team in the league."

I really hope they have the guts to go all the way, and that they don't back out due to him having a miracle camp and preseason effort. Because I don't think the regular season will mirror it.

[GP]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

I'm all for a kicker battle and everything but Rackers has his own ghosts. I don't think we'll be in any better situation than if they hadn't have brought anyone out at all

I don't think Rackers has the mental/emotional ghosts.

From what I gather, it's been the body.

That's very, very different problems.

[CloakNNNdagger]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

I'm all for a kicker battle and everything but Rackers has his own ghosts. I don't think we'll be in any better situation than if they hadn't have brought anyone out at all

You're certainly correct............if this is only an appeasement "show" for the fans, with the winner already covertly ordained prior to TC.

[ATXtexanfan]

Originally Posted by HoustonSportsFan09

You're not mad that he already had a miss in camp?!

to be honest i dont know why he is in camp. the guy has lost his mojo. cut him and move on.

[Buffi2]

Originally Posted by ATXtexanfan

to be honest i dont know why he is in camp. the guy has lost his mojo. cut him and move on.

Ditto. The dude needs to go no matter how well he does in camp. I don't want to wait until the regular season for him to start missing field goals again - much less anything longer than that.

[MoCityBull]

Kris is the only original Texan left on the team...with that said...CUT him

[BSofA04]

I think it's time to let Kris Brown go. His miss against the titans cut me real deep. All the emotion in that game, the drive by Schaub to put us in position to tie and he freaking misses.

Then on the last game of the season, his multiple misses against the Patriots caused me to lose all confidence. He no longer had the mental aspect he needs to be successful.

[gary]

I am not ready to choose a kicker just yet IMO.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

I'm all for a kicker battle and everything but Rackers has his own ghosts. I don't think we'll be in any better situation than if they hadn't have brought anyone out at all

There is a reason he is not a Cardinal this season. The guy got hurt last season to be fair, but he had all but already lost the job there. He is a wonderful kicker on any kick inside of 40 yards. That is any ball that is staring inside the 23 yard line at the snap. Come on that is ridiculous for a NFL kicker.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by painekiller

There is a reason he is not a Cardinal this season.

There are also reasons Kris Brown should not be a Texan this season.