Obviously kicking numbers can vary quite dramatically week to week, but I was still curious to see how kicking numbers might have changed with two new teams added. In this week 1 of the 2nd season, we saw kickers hit 13 of 18 field goals for 72.2 percent. However, we also saw kickers make every single extra point this week, a feat that was only accomplished in six of the 14 weeks last season (week 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11).
Here is a more detailed summary:
Week 3 - 11/11 field goals - 100% field goals
Week 4 - 9/9 field goals - 100%
Week 11 - 17/18 field goals - 94.4%
Week 5 - 12/13 field goals - 92.3%
Playoffs - 11/12 field goals - 91.7%
Week 7 - 8/9 field goals - 88.9%
Week 1 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 2 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 9 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 10 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 14 - 9/11 field goals - 81.8%
Week 8 - 8/11 field goals - 72.7%
Week 1 Season 2 - 13/18 field goals - 72.2%
Week 12 - 8/12 field goals - 66.7%
Week 6 - 6/9 field goals - 66.7%
Week 13 - 9/14 field goals - 64.3%
Contrary to what would make sense, it appears as though kickers actually got worse as the season went on last year, despite potentially having better ratings.
We can also see that adding two teams certainly didn't improve kicking numbers. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this for longer periods, especially as the season goes on to see how this season compares. But if week 1 was any indication, kicking numbers will be down this year due to two teams being added.
Punting appears in a very similar light. While kicking went down from a season average last year of 81.5% to 72.2% in week one, punting numbers were less dramatic at first glance.
In week 1, punters averaged 43.9 yards per punt. Compared to last season, that is not terrible, as last year punters averaged 43.8 yards per punt, essentially the same number. However, the inside the 20 yard statistic sheds a bit more light. In week 1, only 5 of 58 punts ended inside the 20 yard line (8.6%) while last year, 88 of 62 punts ended there (14.2% - almost double!).
Is this a sign of a larger league wide deficit in punting and kicking or is one week just too little sample size? While the league overall is improving, some teams do not have a fully adequate punter or kicker yet and not enough TPE or focus is placed in the position. Or can kickers and punters turn it around and put up better numbers in week 2 and season 2 as a whole?
Personally I think that one week is not nearly enough to judge these numbers on but it is something I want to keep an eye on. The reality is, other positions are focused on much more than the kicker and as we have seen in numerous games, kicking does matter a lot and having a solid kicker can be the difference between a win and a loss.
As the league improves and continues into further seasons, positions that only have one starter are bound to face issues of procrastination, not a lot of turnover and the same players starting season for season. This will mainly be an issue at Quarterback, kicker and punter I believe and it will be interesting to see if we see kickers and punters taken more seriously in future seasons. The season 2 draft saw two specialists taken in the middle of the draft, which certainly showed some sign of importance. It will be interesting to see if another kicking prospect can be taken somewhere similar to that next season.
Graded
Payout=$1,053,000
Here is a more detailed summary:
Week 3 - 11/11 field goals - 100% field goals
Week 4 - 9/9 field goals - 100%
Week 11 - 17/18 field goals - 94.4%
Week 5 - 12/13 field goals - 92.3%
Playoffs - 11/12 field goals - 91.7%
Week 7 - 8/9 field goals - 88.9%
Week 1 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 2 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 9 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 10 - 10/12 field goals - 83.3%
Week 14 - 9/11 field goals - 81.8%
Week 8 - 8/11 field goals - 72.7%
Week 1 Season 2 - 13/18 field goals - 72.2%
Week 12 - 8/12 field goals - 66.7%
Week 6 - 6/9 field goals - 66.7%
Week 13 - 9/14 field goals - 64.3%
Contrary to what would make sense, it appears as though kickers actually got worse as the season went on last year, despite potentially having better ratings.
We can also see that adding two teams certainly didn't improve kicking numbers. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this for longer periods, especially as the season goes on to see how this season compares. But if week 1 was any indication, kicking numbers will be down this year due to two teams being added.
Punting appears in a very similar light. While kicking went down from a season average last year of 81.5% to 72.2% in week one, punting numbers were less dramatic at first glance.
In week 1, punters averaged 43.9 yards per punt. Compared to last season, that is not terrible, as last year punters averaged 43.8 yards per punt, essentially the same number. However, the inside the 20 yard statistic sheds a bit more light. In week 1, only 5 of 58 punts ended inside the 20 yard line (8.6%) while last year, 88 of 62 punts ended there (14.2% - almost double!).
Is this a sign of a larger league wide deficit in punting and kicking or is one week just too little sample size? While the league overall is improving, some teams do not have a fully adequate punter or kicker yet and not enough TPE or focus is placed in the position. Or can kickers and punters turn it around and put up better numbers in week 2 and season 2 as a whole?
Personally I think that one week is not nearly enough to judge these numbers on but it is something I want to keep an eye on. The reality is, other positions are focused on much more than the kicker and as we have seen in numerous games, kicking does matter a lot and having a solid kicker can be the difference between a win and a loss.
As the league improves and continues into further seasons, positions that only have one starter are bound to face issues of procrastination, not a lot of turnover and the same players starting season for season. This will mainly be an issue at Quarterback, kicker and punter I believe and it will be interesting to see if we see kickers and punters taken more seriously in future seasons. The season 2 draft saw two specialists taken in the middle of the draft, which certainly showed some sign of importance. It will be interesting to see if another kicking prospect can be taken somewhere similar to that next season.
Graded
Payout=$1,053,000