🚨 JOIN OUR FREE BRACKET TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE 🚨
0 Cart
Added to Cart
    You have items in your cart
    You have 1 item in your cart
      Total

      Smack Zone — Gus Bradley

      Blog Menu

      God, NFL Kickers Suck Now

      By Erez Ladetzky, Smack Zone Contributor After Week 4 of the NFL season, one thing sticks out like a thorn: Kickers are bad. Kickers are really bad. Sure, the NFL made the extra point harder by moving it to the 15-yard line, but is that really an excuse for missing so many field goals?? The extra point has already been missed more times this year than all of last season*! Josh Scobee, who missed two critical field goals last Thursday in the OT loss to the Ravens, was promptly cut the next day. The kicking game is so bad after Sunday that a number of teams are calling Scobee in for a try out (he is injured and will need a few weeks to heal). Teams are willing to bring in Scobee, who is injured and missed two kicks last week. That has to be a blow to the egos of all these kickers missing left and right (pun intended). There might only be five good kickers remaining in the NFL. By good, we mean when they line up for a kick, they have an 85 percent chance of making it. It’s gotten that bad. The Saints kicker missed a potential game-winning kick at the end of the fourth quarter. Josh Lambo of the Chargers missed an easy field goal with no time remaining in a tie game. Lucky for him, Cleveland did a Cleveland thing and was offside. He made the game winning kick following that. (That guy in Jacksonville missed a bunch, too, but it's Jacksonville so who cares besides Gus Bradley? You know, GUS BRADLEY? He's the Jaguars coach. Gus. Bradley. Nothing? You need to read more.) Nobody for sure knows why kickers are struggling so much. Yes it is a lot of pressure to make a kick, but these guys are professionals. If you have a knack for kicking something, call an NFL team and see if you can try out. About half the league is looking for kickers. Don’t worry if you don’t make it or get cut, another team will be looking for you. *Including two by now-former Bucs kicker Kyle Brindza, who was released even as we wrote this post.

      NFL Coaching Hot Seat: Why Wait? Fire Them All NOW

      The Monday after the final regular season games in the NFL is known as “Black Monday.” It’s the day owners decide to fire coaches and go in a different direction. We are three weeks into the season, but we can already tell which coaches are on the hot seat and might face the dreaded Black Monday conversation unless they get their crap together soon. Here is our list:

      1. Joe Philbin, Miami Dolphins – the Dolphins made the biggest splash in free agency this year, signing Ndamukong Suh and had many believing they would get over the hump after back to back 8-8 seasons. Man we are so dumb! Miami has looked lackluster to say the least so far and are starring 1-3 in the face after they take on the Jets in London this Sunday. Miami is choking at the beginning of the season rather than the end but Philbin’s fate might already be sealed. If Miami continues to look so unprepared, there will be a change in South Beach.
      2. Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers – San Diego hasn’t made the playoffs since 2009, which is a surprise because they have a roster that is capable of a playoff run, led by franchise QB Philip Rivers. The Chargers are off to another slow start at 1-2, and if they miss out on the playoffs in a weak AFC so far, McCoy could be on his way out.
      3. Chip Kelly, Philadelphia Eagles – Kelly requested full control of the roster and was granted that in the off-season. All he has done since he got to town is get rid of star players such as DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy and Trent Cole. What could possibly go wrong with that? Philly hasn’t looked good so far this season and if it doesn’t turn around quickly in a very winnable NFC East, this roster could be blown up and start from scratch without Kelly leading the way. Kelly is learning the hard way this is a player’s league, not a coach’s.
      4. Mike Pettine, Cleveland Browns – Pettine is only in his second year in Cleveland, but there have been numerous controversies surrounding the team since he took over. Most people know about “text gate” when front office executives were texting coaches what to do during games. Because if anyone knows what play to call it’s a Cleveland front office suit. Pettine has chosen to stick with Josh McCown at QB instead of fan favorite Johnny Football. Maybe he is taking a page out of Tampa’s book and starting McCown to get the No. 1 pick and select Jeff Goff? If Cleveland doesn’t show improvement this year, a new coaching staff could come in and try and right the ship.
      5. Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars – Bradley is in his third season in Jacksonville, and has won a combined eight games so far. That’s right, eight games including one this year in over two seasons! They have made solid FA signings and drafted very well, including franchise QB Blake Bortles and stud WR Allen Robinson. However, if they can’t win more than four games what good is that? Bradley might need to win at least seven games this year to save his job.