There is a severe lack of good kickers in this era of the NFL and that’s why I don’t bitch about Stephen Gostkowski missing some extra points and clutch FG’s that would probably cost the Patriots games if we didn’t have Tom Brady. When it comes down to it Gostkowski is decent, and Chicago Bears fans would probably give him $20 million if it meant they wouldn’t have to suffer another Cody Parkey 43 yard double doink.
I’m not even sure the Bears have thought about any other position this offseason. I don’t even remember one guy they got in the draft, but from what I’ve gathered it was a bunch of kickers. One thing at a time, I get it.
Even Mitch can’t deny it:
“The whole thing behind them has become a fascinating spectacle right now,” Trubisky said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “That’s even what I’m interested in now. We’re gonna be out at practice, and I’ll be keeping track of who’s making and who’s missing and who’s winning the competition.”
Bears coach Matt Nagy decided to hold an 8 man kicking competition at the start of the camp, just get it out of the way early. Pick a kicker, go all in and pray you don’t get your heart broken again. We’ve all been there, Bears, but take your time with a decision this big. I’m bummed we weren’t able to make a reality show out of this kicking competition. The Bears aren’t Hard Knocks eligible but boy would this have been an amazing storyline. The pressure of not being as bad as Cody Parkey while under the watch of HBO’s premium channel budget? The slow mo edits of the guy named Chris Blewitt missing a 43 yarder at practice? Kicker is the one position that can’t overcome a bad last name. The internet just works in mysterious ways. If you’re last name is Blewitt and you miss one chip shot you’re on tilt. The fans are making memes, there’s no way you can avoid fate like that. Nothing good can come of having a guy named Blewitt as your kicker.
What started as an 8 man race has made it’s way down to the final 2 for now. Elliott Fry and that’s right, Chris Blewitt are the last 2 standing in the Bears kicking competition. At least until they try to get Robbie Gould to come back. On the first day, Nagy had all 8 kickers practice from 43 yards, where they went 2-for-8. Much like 28-3, 43 yards is going to follow Chicago around for a little while.
In fact no one really sounds that confident in what they’ve got going on.
New kicking consultant Jamie Kohl helped chart every make and miss but also used electronics to measure trajectory and ball speed. That became particularly important on a windy Sunday, when special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor reminded players of the challenges awaiting them — if they were lucky — at Soldier Field.
‘‘There’s going to be wind,’’ Fry said. ‘‘The grass isn’t always going to be perfect. I think he said: ‘This is not an Augusta fairway.’ ’’
The Fry guy is already setting up excuses for when he misses an extra point to win an October Packers Bears game. They might actually have to go with Blewitt.