Buccaneers AfterMath: The problem of kickers and how to solve it

The "Sunday of Separation" in the NFL, the hour was at the absolute check for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They did not succeed, giving up their third consecutive game. It is rumored that the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner is preparing to conduct an investigation into the 2018 season, which at this point has virtually no pulse.

In a 34-29 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the defense was struggling to get out of the field in third place, Jameis Winston failed to distinguish himself from Ryan Fitzpatrick and the kicker – surprise, surprise – missed a blow that changed the course of the Game.

What's going on in the name of Donald Igwebuike? A kicker scores his 29 extra points in one season, then comes to Tampa Bay and misses two in five games? It's time to radically change your strategy. It's time to take a step that most other teams are too scared to do.

turning

What happened: The Bucs started the game in invincibility mode. Like Mario after recovering a power-up, they seemed to defeat the Falcons by touching them, allowing them to cross 75 meters in less than four minutes to score the first touchdown. Winston completed 4 of 5 passes and Peyton Barber ran a 28-yard run, his longest of the season. It seemed that the Bucs could do whatever they wanted.

Except kick.

The extra goal of Chandler Catanzaro is turned left.

I'm not really a dynamic guy, but it was like going out of an amusement park to a theater. A star is born.

I am deep / Look while I dive …

"It hurts to miss an extra point from the start," said Bucs coach Dirk Koetter. "You start fast, and it's a bit disappointing to miss an extra point."

What's changed: The Bucs ended up pursuing this goal until the end of the game. Koetter asked if it mattered in the end, but certainly.

If Catanzaro had scored that extra point, Tampa Bay would not have had to attempt a two-point conversion (which failed) after Chris Godwin's fourth quarter touchdown. 24-22 becomes 24-24, 31-29 becomes 31-31 and 34-29 becomes 34-31, which means the Bucs could have been able to score a tying goal in the closing seconds and save that magnificent goal multi-lateral game for another day.

Instead, September 5, 2009 is a day in Tampa Bay history that will live in infamy. That's the day the Bucs cut Matt Bryant, the 34-year-old kicker. They saved a few cents, but they did not stop paying the price.

Since that day, they have gone through kicks as the Browns go through quarterbacks. Mike Nugent. Connor Barth. Rian Lindell. Patrick Murray. Kyle Brindza. Connor Barth again. Roberto Aguayo. Nick Folk. Patrick Murray again. And now – or perhaps more precisely "for the moment" – Catanzaro.

The Buc scored 77.9% of their goals and 96.7% of their extra points. They missed 72 shots in 10 seasons.

Bryant reached 88.5% of his goals and 99.4% of his extra points. He missed 33 shots in 10 seasons.

He also played in 11 playoff games. The Bucs scored no goals.

The latest rebound is particularly cruel: at the end of the fourth quarter, Atlanta coach Dan Quinn, rather than asking his offense to get 2 yards on a fourth try, sent Bryant, 43, to the pitch to try a 57-goal pass on the field

The risk paid off, since Bryant put all he had in the shot, even sacrificing his leg. The balloon easily cleared the amounts, and I'm pretty sure Bryant's hamstrings did it too. It turns out to be a human weapon and not a sophisticated weapon developed by Stark Industries.

What this means: We can blame Matt Bryant's curse, but in reality, kicking has been a problem since the beginning of time.

Prior to September 5, 2009, there was October 17, 1976. The 0-5 expansion of the Bucs compared to the Seahawks' 0-5 expansion at the Tampa Stadium. With less than a minute to play and Tampa Bay leading 13-10, kicker Dave Green attempted a 35-yard placement. Seattle linebacker Mike Curtis crossed the line and raised his hands.

Blocked. Because Bucs.

It was a life of Buc, even in 1976.

Tampa Bay signed kickers, traded for kickers, drafted for kickers … nothing seems to work. I do not know what it is. Maybe it's the uniforms. Do not doubt it. They are so ugly.

Let's see other options, and I do not talk about other kickers. I'm done with them. No more kicker carrousel.

My proposal: Why bother giving extra points? Seriously. Stopped.

Since the start of last season, kickers have scored 93.7% of their extra points. This is a rate of return of 0.94 points per test. The teams achieved 50.4% of their conversions in two points. This is a rate of return of 1.01 points per test. In other words, go for two product more points.

Let's go for two. All the time.

Connections

• Rick Stroud: Delighted to the end, Jameis Winston's comeback ends on a downside for Tampa Bay

• Tom Jones: Why the Bucs have never had the opportunity

The Times' principal investigator, John Martin, contributed to this report. The stats come from Football Outsiders, Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference. Contact Thomas Bassinger at [email protected]. Follow @tometrics.