Clutch Bucs
August 6th, 2022
Money kicker.
When you have Tom Brady, you have one of the most clutch players in NFL history. Maybe the best.
But you also need a money kicker. Combine those and you have a damn good team.
In New England, Brady nearly always had an excellent, clutch kicker. “Clutch” followed Brady to Tampa Bay.
Now folks may whine about Ryan Succop’s not-so-strong leg. He’s poor at 50+ yards and didn’t make one last year. But damn it, when the game is on the line, you want Succop on the field (if you must kick a field goa)l.
Joe was browsing through Warren Sharp’s 2022 Football Preview and saw stats on close games. Here is what Sharp dug up about the Bucs:
* In “field goal games,” meaning games in 2021 that were decided by three or fewer points, the Bucs were undefeated, best in the NFL.
* In one-score games (these stats are regular season games), meaning eight points or less, the Bucs were 6-0. Again, best in the NFL.
Those numbers are not usually compiled by a team that has, oh, Bada Brindza or Roberto Aguayo kicking.
For years, agonizing years, years that likely shortened Joe’s lifespan by untold months, the Bucs were absolutely horrific in trying to find a kicker. Being waterboarded by watching Bucs kickers gag time after time was worse than the brain freeze you get trying to chug a Slurpee. It just defied any realm of logic.
The Bucs finally in 2020 found a clutch kicker. He helped them win a Super Bowl. He continues to be clutch. Succop is money when the game is tight.
Joe has no intention or desire to fix something not broken.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:07 am
Seems like both kickers have been doing well in camp. Anyway we can keep both with one on practice squad being protected weekly like we did last year?
August 6th, 2022 at 10:14 am
Should be 6-1. He has been consistent most of the time and I am thankful for that. However, his 48 yard missed kick against the Rams is one of the many reasons the Bucs lost that game.
I also read that Ryan had an offseason injury. Any idea what it was?
August 6th, 2022 at 10:28 am
Being able to hit from beyond 50 is nice, but I’d hate to dump him for a stronger leg and then find the guy isn’t a money kicker
August 6th, 2022 at 10:35 am
Shouldn’t be kicking 50 yard field goals anyway! Miss it or it’s blocked, the other team has what they call “field position”. Punt!
August 6th, 2022 at 10:37 am
John S. Agree with your point.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:40 am
Better yet, John Sinclear, let Brady go for it on 4th down.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:44 am
You his agent? If he gets beat out, so be it.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:45 am
Get him with the Yankees trainers and he will be hitting 60 yarders in 2 months
August 6th, 2022 at 10:45 am
We’re going with Borregales.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:47 am
You will find that analytics reveals that punting from 50 yd fg distance, which is field position on the 32-33, is a losing move. Either go for it or kick the FG…you just definitely do not punt.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:48 am
May the best man win.
August 6th, 2022 at 10:53 am
I remember when we thought Neil O’Donoghue wasn’t good enough….(he went on to kick for St Louis for a decade) I remember when we thought Matt Bryant wasn’t good enough (He went on to kick for Atlanta for a decade)
I see a pattern here
August 6th, 2022 at 11:12 am
This may be a difficult call…..get younger, get stronger, get cheaper….vs steady.
I’m OK with either decision…
I will note that we were beaten in the playoffs by a ProBowl kicker who we drafted and cut.
Our impatience with kickers has also cost us…..Cairo Santos, Folk are two examples…..
Our new punter has a very strong leg for kickoffs….so that won’t be a problem.
August 6th, 2022 at 11:21 am
lol Beeej yikes.
August 6th, 2022 at 11:31 am
Punting strategy may well depend upon the quality of the team’s punter.
August 6th, 2022 at 11:32 am
Well….Succop isn’t likely to last 10 more years, so there’s THAT
August 6th, 2022 at 11:44 am
We’ll written Joes.
Water boarding indeed.
August 6th, 2022 at 11:51 am
Let’s see, the last strong-legged young kicker we cut (Matt Gay) became a Pro Bowler for a SB champ. Do we wanna do the same with Borregales?
August 6th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Dang I forgot about Gay
August 6th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
People need to get out of that stupid analytics mindset. Alot of times teams lose the games when they gamble & go for it instead of kicking the FG or punting the ball. It comes back & bites you.
August 6th, 2022 at 2:51 pm
He wasn’t clutch against the Rams.
He missed a huge kick.
August 6th, 2022 at 3:03 pm
Can easily understand why the Bucs drafted Borregales. Succop is a well-paid kicker (3-year contract worth $12 mil), but he’s not even in the Top-10 money-wise (he’s actually #11). And as far as his success rate goes, he ranked #15 last year with an 83.3% success rate for kickers who attempted 30 or more PKs like he did. For kickers who attempted 20 or more PKs, he ranked #21.
Ryan only attempted ONE FG beyond 50 yds last season … ONE. Yup, he missed it, but to be fair it was a 55-yarder with 3 seconds left to play in the 1st half of the Rams game. He was 11-for-11 inside the 30, 7-for-8 from 30-39, but only 7-for-10 from 40-49. That latter stat, plus being able to save $1.3 mil by releasing him, AND his age (36 in Sep), is why I think Borregales will end up being our kicker this year … unless HE blows the kicking competition.
August 6th, 2022 at 4:33 pm
Bummer that gay put the nail in the coffin vs rams in the playoffs
August 6th, 2022 at 4:39 pm
God, Joe, you reminded me perfectly of my feelings for our previous kickers. I wish you hadn’t. I threw up in my mouth, a little, just reading it.
August 6th, 2022 at 8:15 pm
Give Borregales the job. Do something with $ saved on Succop to bolster pass rush and/or OL.
August 8th, 2022 at 5:08 am
Go Bucs I’m so ready for the season to start
I’m good with our kicker(s)
My question is who is going to return kickoffs?
We need a speedster like Hester
Could be the missing piece to help win the SB