Life as a kicker
Being a kicker in the NFL is not an easy job. Fans have no patience for missed field goals and are often quick to place all the blame on the kicker. Just ask former Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey. Everyone remembers him for his double doink in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles. As soon as the game ended, his career in Chicago was over as well.
No one talks about the Bears only being able to muster 15 points that game. They place all the blame for the loss on Parkey’s miss. According to Pro Football Reference, the NFL average for field goal percentage in 2018 was 84.7. Parkey’s average that season was slightly below that mark at 76.7. Keep in mind he was kicking in the windy city, not a dome or temperate climate, but instead cold, windy, rainy, and snowy Chicago.
Harrison Butker
However, this article isn’t about Parkey. It’s about another kicker who doesn’t have the luxury of kicking in a dome. A kicker that also has to deal with less-than-ideal kicking conditions. I’m talking about Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker (7)- Nick Wagner/ KCstar
Butker has been lights out this year. In fact, he’s been perfect. Through 12 games, he has yet to miss a point after attempt or even a field goal. He’s 29/29 on extra points and 22 of 22 on field goals.(Pro Football Reference) Butker also claims the 4th longest field goal in the NFL this season, a 60-yard bomb at home against the Broncos in week 6. Cardinals’ kicker Matt Prater currently has the furthest make at 62 yards.(NFL.com)
Cowboys’ kicker Brandon Aubrey is the only other perfect kicker this season. Aubrey is 26/26 on field goals with a long of 58 yards. But, unlike Butker, Aubrey has missed three extra point attempts. However, in fairness to Aubrey, he has attempted 10 more than Butker.
Butker is having the best season of his career and it could not have come at a better time. Last year he converted on 75% of his field goal attempts. That marked by far the worst season of his career. He has a career 89.4% field goal percentage. If you remember, there’s a reason for the dip in performance last season. In week 1, Butker injured his ankle against the Cardinals and wouldn’t return until week 6.
Upon return, he clearly wasn’t himself. Something was off and his confidence was not there. In his first three games back, he converted just 4 of his 7 attempts. Like every kicker that struggles, fans were quickly growing impatient. However, when it mattered most in the postseason, Butker returned to form. With three seconds left against the Bengals, he nailed his 45-yard attempt, sending the Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s game winning field goal in last years AFC Championship- Reed Hoffmann/ AP
This season everyone’s aware of the Chiefs struggles to finish off drives in the end zone. This has put a lot on Butker’s plate. Through their first 12 games, 7 of the Chiefs games have been decided by one possession. In these 12 games he has attempted 22 field goals and ESPN projects he will attempt 31 by the end of the season.
The hope for Kansas City is that they won’t have to rely so much on their kicker down the stretch. Fans want to see him trot onto the field to attempt the extra point, not come out to salvage 3 points after another drive stalls out in opponents’ territory.
However, it is a luxury to have a stud kicker at your disposal. A guy like Butker can even steal you three points at the end of the half or end of games like he did against the Broncos in week 6.
Now let’s hope this article doesn’t jinx Butker and he can keep his outstanding season going. Three points may be the difference between the Chiefs taking the one seed or slipping to the three seed.
