Nugent Nervous

[wolfkaosaun]

(10-14-2015, 04:48 AM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Wolf, I like you, but you live in Pittsburgh. Hypocriticlaly, I live in Cleveland, though - lol.

But I used this argument elsewhere.

• Nuge was 3/5 going into that game.
• To say "he did what was asked of him" is like saying someone who shoots 50% from the free throw line, made his last 2 free throws (but banked the last one in) - and he's a keeper. The problem in this situation is, all this guy does is be asked to make free throws.
• If he missed that game winner in OT, shades of Carolina would have come up - and if Seattle drove back to win, I think we would definitely be talking about our 4/7 kicker. When the ball is greater than 40 yards away I think the confidence he's going to make it is iffy. Imagine losing a superbowl to that, lol.
• We all "like" Mike Nugent. We all "like" Devon Still.
• I think a lot of players have psychologists, I think Nugent just needs more mental practice, I bet he can kick all those easily with nobody else around.
• Chad Johnson keeps showing up as the Bengals play better, I have reason to believe if he practiced he might end up as good as Nugent. Imagine Ochocinco being our kicker in a playoff run, lol. Not gonna happen, but hilarious.
  

Nugent is 21st in accuracy in active kickers in the league. We may not have a better backup, I wonder how some of our secondary players rank in their critical categories, but he is a weaker link on the team. I wonder if the Bengals are trying to not kick balls out of the endzone like almost every other team (or at least consistently drive them deep?). We have seen a lot of Nuge's kicks land on the 1.

While we're on the topic of kicking, someone teach B. Tate to kneel the ball. When has Tate crossed the 20? I wonder how the ST coach lets this go on for so long.

Pittsburgh is a fun place. Let. Me. Tell You.

But anyway, he did what was asked of him in this game. Sure it wasn't pretty, but it happened.

There are actually 12 other kickers this year that have missed as many field goals as Nugent. 6 other kickers have missed more than Nugent.

So it's not like the Bengals are going to get some amazing kicker. It's showing how important kickers are this year. Tons of teams have issues at that position. But Nugent proved he can win a game for us.

(10-14-2015, 09:10 AM)PhilHos Wrote: I give him full props for that FG at the end of regulation. The clock is winding down so he has to line up quickly and has no real time to prepare and he drills it.

The one in OT, though, there was still time on the clock. Had he missed it, there was still time for the defense to get the ball back for the offense and the offense to try to score again. Yet, THAT one he nearly missed. He didn't, of course, but still, just a fraction more to the left and that ball bounces away from a made FG.

Look, I liked Nuge up until last year. Yeah, he made up for that missed FG in Carolina, by not missing again the rest of the season (I think), but I can't help but be worried every time he steps up to make what could be a game winning or tying FG.

Every fan gets worried about their kicker going for the field goal unless it's Vinateri or Janikowski. And even then there's still worry. Just like there's worry at the end of a nail-biting game.

Sure, it was a fraction away from being a missed field goal. But Dalton's throw to Eifert was also a fraction away from being incomplete or even intercepted.

This game is about inches. And the Bengals inched out a win. Nugent deserves his credit for this game.