Ranking the 3 worst NFL kicker performances in a disastrous week

The NFL kickers fought in high-profile situations during the second week – except for Broncos veteran Brandon McManus. Whether it's extra routine points or field goals, kicks made a big difference on Sunday.

For the day, the NFL kickers scored 39 out of 51 on placement attempts and 62 out of 69 on extra points. But there was a handful of bad kicking performances that stood out from the others.

Let's look at the three worst ones.

1: Zane Gonzalez may have lost his job

After Zane Gonzalez's blocked goal led the Browns to a tie against the Steelers last week, he needed a strong rebound to justify a place in the formation.

Well, that did not really happen against the Saints. Gonzalez missed two of his four attempts and two more points. In a defeat of 21-18, these failures all ended up being important. But the last two were the most expensive for a Browns team looking for their first victory in 21 months.

With less than two minutes to go, Tyrod Taylor hit Antonio Callaway for a long touchdown to make up for the game at 18 in total. An extra point would put the Browns in front of them and maybe give them a boost, but Gonzalez's kick was largely overtaken.

The Saints took the lead with a goal on the field, but Taylor and Callaway earned the Browns' mark in the final seconds of the game. This gave Gonzalez a chance to send the game in overtime – and a chance of redemption. Instead:

Maybe Gonzalez will have another chance to prove that it belongs to the NFL, but there are options in the free agency (hello Dan Bailey) that would probably be better options for the Browns. Head coach Hue Jackson did not give Gonzalez a vote of confidence after the match ended.

If Gonzalez stays on the team, he seems to be on a very short leash.

Saints kicker Wil Lutz also missed a field test, but hit what turned out to be the winner of the match. He also had a heartwarming message postgame for Gonzalez.

2: The Vikings missed a winning field goal twice

Daniel Carlson, the newcomer of the Vikings rookie, has caught (or still has) the college kicker virus by missing his team's three attempts to place the Green Bay Packers. One of the kicks was a 49-yard test on Vikings' first try in overtime, which would have given his team the lead and potentially the win. The second one he missed in overtime was 35 yards at the end of the allotted time:

The Vikings traded to select Carlson in the fifth round of the NFL 2018 draft. Trading for kickers still looks a bit silly, but even more so when that kicker struggles. After missing three attempts to field, Carlson hit one of his four field goal attempts this season.

"And in practice every day, it breaks through," said the Vikings head coach after the match. "So, that's the disappointing thing for me."

Carlson's teammates have been supportive, but it must have brought uncomfortable memories to Vikings fans, who have had a terrible experience with kicks – although this is usually reserved for the playoffs.

3: Chris Boswell missed a goal in the field and an extra point

Chris Boswell of Pittsburgh was one of the most reliable kickers in the league. So it was a little surprising to see him miss against the Chiefs. Although the Steelers lost five points, the four points that Boswell left on the field were huge.

When the Steelers scored their final touchdown, the score was 42-36. At this point in the game, Boswell had already missed the field goal and extra point attempt. If they had these points, the score would have been 42-40 and the Steelers could have attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game. Instead, they had to settle for a pointless extra point attempt that made the score 42-37, which was the final.

Boswell has now missed both field shots this season – including the one that would have allowed the Steelers to face the Browns last week. This must be a bit discouraging for him and the team because he has signed a five-year contract extension during the off season. His work is not in danger, but he must still play better to validate this investment.

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Fitzpatrick was back in the history of the Buccaneers and Eagles game, but they also had bad luck with the kickers. Tampa Bay kicker Chandler Catanzaro missed an extra point and Jake Elliott of Philadelphia also missed a goal. Tampa Bay and the kickers do not seem to be going together – they have not been very lucky in previous years.

There were even more quirks around the league outside of these teams:

• Mason Crosby, the Packers kicker, missed a 52-yard placement he had already made after Mike Zimmer left him with a timeout.
• Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a goal for the Texans in a match that they lost by three points.
• Raiders kicker Mike Nugent had another point blocked in a one point loss to the Broncos.
• The Los Angeles Rams had to use kicker Johnny Hekker to kick today after Greg Zuerlein was injured.

The Rams scored three for three in their two-point conversions, but at least they were able to count on Hekker for the extra point they made and convert a goal on the pitch. However, if Zuerlein is away for a long time, the Rams will have to turn to a free agency to find a guy.

Kickers are among the easiest parts to replace in the game. Cleveland must be the most likely to make a change to the kicker this week – Gonzalez was not drafted by John Dorsey's front-office, so they have no allegiance to him.

Fortunately, there are a handful of decent options waiting to be signed.

Given the tumultuous play of kickers on Sunday, we should see at least some reshuffles in the standings this week. Dan Bailey, keep this phone ready.