I suddenly miss Elam...

[Reidman]

Watching him make game-winning FG's and his accuracy, I am starting to miss the guy...

Prater is less than 50% from 40-49 yds this season and although he hasn't had a chance to kick a clutch FG (that I'm aware, may be forgetting), his power means nothing at this point. It's getting to the point where I don't even know why they put him out there. We may have a better chance of going for it on 4th down...

I realize he's a rookie but I'm not sure that holds much water for kickers...

Anyway, here's hoping we don't need a FG in the final seconds to win anytime soon...

Note: I am in no way blaming any losses on him, but merely stating that we have left a lot of points on the field, but most of our losses have been TEAM losses..

[MOtorboat]

Agreed.

There is a lot we could have done to get touchdowns, but this team misses its Hall of Fame kicker.

[Italianmobstr7]

You're absolutely right. If it comes down to a game winning kick from 40-49. Maybe just a game winning kick at all, I have no faith now. The guy started out great, and now he's missed a kick in I think it's 5 straight games or something. It's getting pretty frustrating to watch. It may not be costing us games, but it is costing us momentum.

[G_Money]

It's just weird too, because he's KILLING the kicks that he misses. He just slides them all wide. I dunno if his plant foot is half-a-step off or what, but everything looks great - if the goal posts were 10 feet the other way.

They're dead solid kicks. He just can't find the inside of the posts.

He better get it fixed. I don't want to have to find a new kicker. Not when I think this one can be fine. But as Shanny said in his presser a few weeks ago, "He'll either figure it out or we'll get a new kicker."

He thinks it's mental. And it might be. And with kickers, the NFL doesn't try to fix them. It just finds a different guy who hopefully doesn't have those issues.

One of the reasons kickers move around so much when they hit a rough patch, or stay forever if they don't.

~G

[Hobe]

It's all just water under the bridge, but I have to agree that I would feel better if Elem was still here. Prater has not lost any games for us, but neither has he won any games. He is also not consistently kicking touch backs on kick offs anymore.

[LRtagger]

Its all in his head. He just needs to regain his confidence. Having Elam on this team would not make any difference this year.

[rcsodak]

Hmmmm..... :coffee:


...seem to remember G Hartley being signed...and then cut, without even playing.

And guess who's NOT missing FG's. :rolleyes:

Shanny must have been enamored with Prater's ability to make 50+yd fg's so much that he wasn't worried about the shorter ones.

I coulda swore that the majority of FG attempts are 40yds and less.

And so much for his kickoffs....what happened to his endzone kicks? :confused:

Now we all know why he was released last year....from a DOME team, no less, if I'm not mistaken.

[CrazyHorse]

There was Mike Vanderjagt. The Broncos looked at him earlier this year.
He's the most accurate NFL kicker ever.
Think he'd leave the CFL for us?

[BroncoJoe]

Prater is the least of this teams problems.

[UnderArmour]

Big free agent class of kickers coming up including Robbie Gould, Shayne Graham, Jason Hanson, John Kasay, Mike Nugent, Jay Feely, and Matt Stover. I would be shocked if Prater has a job next season.

[Superchop 7]

Art-o-matic

Just sayin.

Should have had both on the roster.