Kicker Kombat: Jake Moody Komes through in the Klutch

Kicker Kombat had some very krucial koncerns after the San Francisco 49ers Week 1 preseason game. There’s a difference a week can make because while Jake Moody didn’t have a flawless victory, he showed more (and in more kritical situations).

So we’ll get through the bad first. He missed an extra point. That’s going to happen, even at the NFL level. The good news is it wasn’t his first XP. Bad news is, it’s still an XP. Konsidering XPs are at a further distance now than a decade ago (and not the chipshot they used to be) it’s a bit more easier to forgive, but still something to keep in mind.

Ok, that’s pretty much it for the bad. Let’s get to the good. Check out this boot straight to kickertown:

Ok, so that’s a chipshot. If Moody didn’t make that at this point that would be one of those kicks to be very koncerning. But he made it.

Of course, the big one is this kick where he komes through in the klutch. Roll it:

THAT is the one to be watching. Yes, it’s preseason and yes, the game is probably something some may konsider meaningless, but it’s also the situation. And yes, the ball nearly missed the uprights, but it was still made. Moody is a rookie in his first preseason game and after last week could very well have some jitters. Would he get the yips? No, instead he makes this to build his own konfidence. Hopefully that’s something to take into the regular season.

All that said, maybe Zane Gonzalez still has a job. That game winning kick was verrrrry close to being a game-losing miss. While it still was made and notches a pre-season win, it still seemed a bit erratic.

So what about Zane Gonzalez? After that XP did fans get a glimpse of him? No. He had a few kickoffs, but not much beyond that. Moody did the field goal work and while he came through, there’s a possibility his kicks might have everyone holding their breath more than when Robbie Gould hit the filed.

It’s important to realize Moody is a rookie and he’s going to need time to get acclimated. I’ve pointed out when there’s bad rookie kickers and Moody isn’t in that league. He’s also not the next Justin Tucker like some people predicted on draft day. The jury is still out. Maybe as he gets more acclimated to the NFL game, we’ll see his kicks go a bit straighter. Perhaps all Moody needs is those NFL reps and games. You know, like quarterbacks.

I do have a poll though so we can get your thoughts on Jake Moody. Personally, I think he’s winning Kicker Kombat, but are you at all koncerned after Preseason Week 2?