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Sanders

Eli Apple

HM Sanders

Second week in a row it's Sanders.  Maybe time to try out some new kickers.

I'll say Eli Apple.  I don't think Sanders had a chance on the blocked FG - that's on coaching more than anyone else - and a 55 yarder is not a gimme.

It’s Sanders for me.  You need to be able to kick 50+ in the NFL and he can’t.  That kick iced the game.  He has the leg.

Eli Apple.  He got abused out there.   You really can't fault Sanders.  The kick was blocked.  That's on the unit, not him

Honorable mention to Tua for fumbling a snap from under center at a crucial time for the second week in a row.   He needs to work on taking snaps from under center.

Name me a kicker than consistently makes 50+ FG's? Lots of guys have the leg. Few can actually get it between the uprights from that distance better than about 50% of the time. Just for the record Sanders is 16-28 of 50+ FG's. That's actually not bad at all.

Agreed. I'm assuming they worked on this a lot during this week. I was livid when it happened again. I know this is a bigger issue with QB's today because so many don't take snaps under center, but this has got to be fixed. 3 in 2 weeks is unacceptable regardless.

In his career, Sanders has been OK.   But he has been bad for a couple of years.

Also, your stat about 50% seems made up.

From 2022:
Players under 50% from 50-59
Austin Seibert (0/1)
Cameron Dicker (0/1)
Mason Crosby (1/4)
Ryan Succop (2/7)
Jason Sanders (2/6)
Harrison Hutker (2/6)
Greg Joseph (3/9)

Players at exactly 50%:
Ryan Bullock
Greg Zuerlein

Players above 50%:
There are 24 of them

Also, when you miss matters.  And compounding misses matter. This is two weeks in a row where Sanders can put a game away and doesn't.  It starts to affect your coaching decisions if you can't put a guy out there when you need the points.

It's not like this happened in a vacuum.

In the last 3 seasons, Sanders is 4 of 13 from 50-59.  That's probably the worst in the league, or close to it.

we'll end up drafting a kicker next draft in round 5 or 6 and there goes sanders

everyone wants to crap on the kicker for missing a 55 yarder?  but no one wants to talk about the Center, Connor Williams, for three bad snaps that directly led to killing drives?

for me its Williams with HM to Eli Apple.

I want to crap on the kicker for being 4 for 13 on 50+ over the last 3 seasons.

The NFL requires having kickers make 50 yard kicks to get points at the end of halves.  If you can't do it, you gotta get someone who can.  I wouldn't be flipping out if it was once or twice.  But it's 3 years running and it's two weeks in a row of chances to ice the game.

I agree, but this is shame of THIS game, not shame of the last 3 years.  Sanders is a problem from long range, i agree, but he wasn't the worst player in THIS game.

Tua almost broke his ankle cause of a bad snap in shotgun.  it has been a problem, bad snaps killed at least 3 3rd downs that i can remember.  Why doesn't anyone care?

We do care, but it's unclear (at best who is at fault).  Tua is likely responsible for some of the issue and the center for some of the other.

And if you want to break down to THIS GAME, Sanders missed 2 kicks.  I am not that simple, since one isn't his fault at all.  But his was 0% on 50 yard FGs and 0% in FGs to win the game when we needed him to do so.

I bring up three years to show that it wasn't an outlier.  Sanders is among the league worst at distance kicks and that matters.

When the QB is in shotgun and the snap is either at his feet or over his head, I think you can make a fair judgment who's at fault.
The last one, could go either way, but given the above, it lends bias to one direction over the other, for me.

McDaniel for that dumb challenge and a few questionable calls. Sanders gets the HM, but McD should have punted if anything in that situation.  Try and pin them with a D that was getting pressure.

You got it there.  That was one of the dumbest challenges I've ever seen.  It was clear that the call was correct.

I thought McDaniel coached a good game.  I hate the decision to punt.   I can understand going for it, but punting is asking to lose.

Hold on. How much above 50%? If half of those 24 are above 70% then I'm wrong, if the vast majority are between 50% and 70% then I think I nailed it. I was basically shooting in the dark at that 50% number. Hell even Sanders has been above 50% for his career.

I'd say it's a combination of when and from what distance. Asking a guy to seal a game from 55 is asking for miracles from heaven. Honestly I thought Miami should have punted there especially getting one blocked earlier. Let's not lose sight of the fact we had a very makeable 3rd down just before that play that Tua fumbled. Good chance of getting a 1st down there if we don't fumble the snap so that Sanders isn't asked to make a 55 yard field goal and we're blaming Sanders for coming up short? I think that's a bit short sighted.

He's also 49-56 from inside 50 which is 88% during that time. That's actually pretty good. You can probably find some kickers for the last 3 years that are better from over 50 and a lot worse from inside 50. His kickoffs are pretty much automatic touchback as well. Pick your poison.

If you want Sanders cut then who do you replace him with?

That last one at least was not a bad snap. That ball went right through Tua's hands. That one was on Tua. The others I didn't get a good enough look at to really see who it was on.

Edit: Oh, I thought you were referring to a different play, the play right before the failed FG. You're talking about the snap when Tua was in shotgun. Ok, yeah that was a bad snap and yeah he's had his share, but honestly that's a tougher snap to get right then the ones under center. Basically the exchange under center should NEVER happen in an NFL game in my opinion and we've had 3 in 2 weeks. 3 in a season is 2 too many.

I'm not talking about Sanders' career.  You'll get no complaints from me on his full body of work.  I'm just saying that in the last few years, he isn't the same player.  Maybe he has the yips or something.

Before he started sucking, he was 8 of 9 that year.

I'm not suggesting cutting him.  Everyone just needs to chill.  I'm just saying that he was my Shame of the Game.  But yes, you need to replace him in the off-season with another free-agent or a drafted player if he doesn't improve.  He might need a change of scenery.

Well there have been some calls to cut Sanders, maybe that wasn't you. There was mention in this thread to bring in other kickers, which I'm pretty sure Miami has done and stuck with Sanders.

The extra point last week was inexcusable. But I'll cut him some slack for both FGs yesterday. The blocked one wasn't his fault. And the missed one was more than likely due to the fact that the Patriots did the same silly shit again. To me it looks like when he kicked, he pulled it left to avoid another block. Also, it's probably distracting as hell to have some random dude running full speed unblocked at you while kicking a 55 yard FG.