Kyle Brindza? Goat!
September 28th, 2015
Deemed an NFL “goat” by theMMQB.com.
When you miss four kicks, three field goals and an extra point, and your teams loses by 10, you should expect darts to come your way.
And they are.
The pointed arrows are not just coming from local scribes, but those who type on keyboards for big-time national outlets. And so today, of the NFL goats of the week deemed by Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal picture-taking, video game-playing, Taylor Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training Peter King of theMMQB.com and NBC Sports fame, Kyle Brindza, you are the Goat of the Week.
Kyle Brindza, kicker, Tampa Bay. Bucs lost by 10 at Houston. The rookie missed 10 points worth of kicks—an extra point clanked off the right upright, a 41-yard field goal and a 33-yarder went wide right, and a 51-yarder was shanked wide left.
Now on face value, Lovie’s defense of Brindza is understandable. You know, circle the wagons for a fellow trooper. But is that wise in the long run?
Does 3-16 Lovie have the luxury of nursing a guy who could very well have cost you a valuable needed win? And should Lovie be nursing Brindza given Lovie’s current record?
Remember, Jimmy Johnson with the Cowboys once cut a rookie kicker for having an asthma attack, not for missing four kicks in a game. Perhaps that is what the Bucs need, someone a bit more demanding, and a little less socialist Pope Francis pat on the back of the head?
September 28th, 2015 at 1:18 pm
Greatest Of All Time? Are you crazy?
September 28th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
Not saying I disagree. But we’re always so hot on addition by subtraction. It’s always get rid of Martin (for who?! Simms), cut Jennings or Jenkins, push Verner to special teams… Wtf?! How long we going to chase our tail? It starts higher than these guys.
September 28th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
This is a kid with a big leg, once he learns to control it, much like a young qb who must learn touch, he will be a weapon, if not for us, for someone else, but that leg is tremendous…
September 28th, 2015 at 1:23 pm
The kid is a rookie!
Maybe we should have put him in a better position to succeed, If we scored more touchdowns, Those missed field goals wouldn’t have hurt so bad!
He’s got one heck of a foot, It would be stupid to cut him, and Watch him succeed with another team, or division rival!
September 28th, 2015 at 1:26 pm
I havent even read the article yet….but heres the deal, if he hadnt scored 16 points against the Saints,…..
and Im leaving it at that!
September 28th, 2015 at 1:27 pm
There’s 3000 kickers out there that can make what he missed. This team has booted how many good kickers over the years? And this dope gets another shot? #FireLovie
September 28th, 2015 at 1:28 pm
There’s MUCH BIGGER fish to fry over this ish!
September 28th, 2015 at 1:29 pm
His leash will be exceptionally short from here on out. Lovie always needs a fall guy anyways to buy him more time…
September 28th, 2015 at 1:29 pm
If Brindza lost this game….then he won the NO game…..you’ve got to ask….why so many field goal attempts?……the answer is we have an offense that can’t sustain drives and can’t score touchdowns.
Canning the kicker might make fans feel good…but I’m really not sure it will solve the main problem.
We actually might be better off knowing that we can’t depend on our kicker…that way our plan may be to go for TDs!!!
September 28th, 2015 at 1:37 pm
This kid did nothing in the Saints game that any other kicker can’t do. Any kicker worth his salt that kicks in the nfl could have done exactly what he did against the Saints but still made what he missed yeaterday.
September 28th, 2015 at 1:41 pm
Even if he made every kick that is 19 points. You won’t beat anyone in the NFL scoring 19 points against a team missing almost HALF their starters. This is nothing more then a sad offensive showing by all involved including the QB! The defense did enough by holding the Texans to under 14 points for most of the game. 1 for 13 on third downs will not win games ever.
September 28th, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Those drops hurt us A LOT!! It’s plain and simple… The players were put into a position to succeed and THEY FAILED TO EXECUTE!!
“It’s as simple as that” – Lovie Smith aka “I guess i’m back on the hot seat” aka “I’ll piss on your billboards”
September 28th, 2015 at 1:48 pm
@Clod, Im treating you with kid gloves man….he made a 55 and a 58 in the Saints game (plus a 35 and 30, but anyways)….
….anyone talking about the 58 yarder he made before he missed the rest against the Texans?
^–<—this guy, me! Seems Im the only one so far.
….like I said, MUCH bigger fish to fry than Brindza!
September 28th, 2015 at 1:54 pm
There is no way that Lovie and Licht admit this big a mistake only 3 games into the season. If they do, I hope the Glazer brothers place an immediate WTF? phone call to them.
September 28th, 2015 at 1:56 pm
Giving up 400 yds. to a poor team is what lost that game.
September 28th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
I noticed every kick Brindza missed the camera panned over to Lovie on the sideline to get his reaction. The best I can describe his look was surprised.
September 28th, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Maybe now that they cant completely rely on the kicker to save them against sht teams, it will force them to improve the other areas that are lacking…if thats even possible!!!
Screw it, Im already looking towards the draft.
BOSA! BOSA! BOSA!
September 28th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Going 3 & out and forcing the defense to spend the entire day on the field is the reason we gave up 400 yards and also the reason we lost!
September 28th, 2015 at 2:06 pm
We need the luck of the Irish. Bring back Patrick Murray. He’s accurate and can nail it from 50.
September 28th, 2015 at 2:20 pm
We changed and got an OC. Changed QB. Changed O-line and now went from an average of what 17 points a game to 6 or so. Looks like it’s all working. And have not even played a great team yet.
September 28th, 2015 at 3:18 pm
“Changed O-line and now went from an average of what 17 points a game to 6 or so.”
Another amazing fan making up sh1t that is WAY off to support their negative self deprecating approach to fandom. You guys are unbelievable.
Missing the easy kicks was a big deal. Instead of a tie game at 10-10 we are playing from behind the entire 2nd half. Instead of taking the lead 12-10, or 15-10 based on the chip shots he missed in the 3rd quarter we held at 9-10 and negated the few positive offensive possessions we had.
Those missed kicks could have been huge momentum shifters that allowed us to control the tempo of the game but instead kept giving Houston life. Just making one of the 30 or 40 yard chip shots in the 3rd could have been the difference in winning or losing the way that game went
September 28th, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Lest we forget their kicker missed a fieldgoal & an extra point……
We got beat on the defensive line…..and beat ourselves on offense…..kicking hurt, sure…..but we put ourselves in that position…
September 28th, 2015 at 3:43 pm
I liked the kid. When he made the 58 harder I thought we made a good trade,..a good pick up. After the misses I was baffled just like Lovie. Im kind of on the same page as Lovie thou..if he can correct his accuracy. He could become a weapon.
September 28th, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Just another moron that can’t figure out changes were made this year and no mo more but less is being done. We have to rely on a kicker Where are the TD’s? Wake up stupid. The offense is no better. To win we had TO RELY ON A KICKER AGAIN??
September 28th, 2015 at 4:19 pm
people want to blame the defense but they only gave up 19 points..yeah we couldn’t stop the run but they still did a solid job…that’s the kind of game the bucs wanted..a low scoring game with zero offensive big plays from the opponents offense..i will take the bucs giving up 19 points per game…kicker has one job…kick the ball between the two yellow goal post…for him to miss 4 kicks(3fg and 1exta point) is pitiful…he cant miss another kick until week 12 or the bucs will have no choice but to give him the boot…how do you think the bucs won their super bowl.. martin gramactica!!! yeah the d played lights out that year but the key was them giving up less than 20 points a game…that’s bucs ball..kicker just has to come thru…GO BUCS!!!
September 28th, 2015 at 4:28 pm
The offense needs to score You want real momentum? Put 6 on the board. Don’t count on trotting out the kicker 5 times a game.
September 28th, 2015 at 4:41 pm
No one “counts” on trotting a kicker out that much vs scoring TDs but News flash: every NFL team counts on kickers in pretty much every game. Many games with the best teams playing the worst teams come down to FGs still
Yes the offense job is to score but it’s the kickers job to score when the offense gives him that chance. Driving the ball from your own 15 and missing a easy chip shot takes away momentum and gives it to the other team.
It’s be one thing if dude missed one fg or 2 long ones. But he missed 3 chip shots that all would have changed the momentum / feel of the game. I’m not holding the last 50+ yarder against him
September 28th, 2015 at 4:43 pm
I think a lot of people are forgetting the momentum that would have came from making his kicks + quieting the crowd. I remember a game back in 04 – Pit at Bills. Final game of the season. Bills had the lead and the FG kicker missed a 21 yarder late in the game. Pit goes on to win. After that miss the Bills were flat on offense and defense.
September 28th, 2015 at 5:11 pm
” think a lot of people are forgetting the momentum that would have came from making his kicks + quieting the crowd”
Thank you.
XP = tie game instead of home team holding lead
either the 30 or40 yarder = go up 12-10 and hold the lead
Make all 3 chip shots and Bucs hold 16-10 lead in 3rd and control all momentum.
In a game like that FG misses were HUGE.
September 28th, 2015 at 5:12 pm
This is why I wanted Barth, experience. I think he was expecting his plant foot to slide slightly like it does on most artificial and natural grass fields. Houston’s field is known to be super tacky (Banks knows) and it was causing him to push it right. I’ve been concerned about his short to mid range accuracy but the upside is his distance on KO and FGs. If the media and fans don’t break his confidence I think he will be a real weapon in the future. I just didn’t want to lose these close games this year with Conner being on the roster and one of the best. BTW the Bucs punter kick offs really well, just check you tube if you don’t believe me.
September 28th, 2015 at 6:11 pm
In the opener, Brindza was kicking the ball out of the end zone in KO. I went to the Houston game and he could barely get it out of returning range most of the game and warm ups.
September 28th, 2015 at 6:32 pm
it’s tough. his big leg is an asset on kickoffs too, and part of the reason we could cut the cord on koenen as a punter. now, if you dump him for a connor barth or patrick murray, you may have a more accurate guy, buy also lack a guy on the roster who is getting you touchbacks on most kickoffs. the bucs are in a roster dilemma, and they have to give brindza another week or 2 and hope he kicks his way through it. if he doesn’t they will expose a different weakness (kickoff coverage) and possibly not successfully solve the original one. more often than not, if you don’t start the season with a kicker you can trust, the second, third, fourth, or fifth guy you try don’t give you any more confidence than the original guy.
September 28th, 2015 at 6:34 pm
@stanglassman, i did not realize schum was strong on kickoffs….in that case, i take half of my point back, but the other point (3rd and 4th kickers are about as likely to work out as 3rd and 4th marriages) still stands
September 28th, 2015 at 6:40 pm
Joe you better bust out the old Sabby Goat picture!!
September 28th, 2015 at 6:50 pm
Pick6-
Conner Barth is the 10 most accurate in the NFL with a minimum of 100 kicks. If you take away one year when he kicked with a calf injury he jumps to # 3 in the NFL. 40 Fgs over 50 yards. The Bucs cut him to sign last years free agents. BTW Matt Bryant is #9 another Kicker we let go.
Steve Young was 3rd on the QB depth chart too. We know how that worked out- we kept the wrong Steve.
September 28th, 2015 at 8:00 pm
Cut this kicker!! Are you guys nuts! He has no confidence.
Bring in new kickers starting tomorrow!
September 28th, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Sorry guys its my fault, I put him on my fantasy team #KissOfDeath
September 28th, 2015 at 8:16 pm
Here is a crazy idea…don’t go 1-12 on third down….Bucs deserved to lose.
September 29th, 2015 at 7:02 am
I think they should keep the kicker for now and see if he can get better. He has a big leg. Didn’t he make a 58 yard FG? Also I don’t think there have been many kickoffs run out of the end zone on us.
September 29th, 2015 at 10:03 am
It’s just one game, and he’s a rookie, so he should get the same unconditional support that Jameis received (and Mike Glennon deserved but didn’t receive.)
September 29th, 2015 at 4:00 pm
Kyle Brindza only kicked 58.3% FGM in his senior year in college. He was 14 for 24. The troubling stat was that he missed 1 from 50+, 5 from 40-49 and 4 from under 39 yards. Based on his kicking accuracy he is probably going to miss more kicks. The next FG or EP he misses he will lose confidence again. Bring Conner Barth back before we lose the next close game. BTW with the extra point being farther out how important is it to have an accurate kicker?