Niners Nation
Brant Boyer says Jake Moody and Greg Joseph still have not separated themselves in Kicker Kombat. Yet.
Another day of Kicker Kombat between Jake Moody and Greg Joseph — and still no clear winner.
“I think they’re really close,” 49ers special teams coach Brant Boyer said following Saturday’s practice. “There’s not a ton of separation there. Both of them rebounded from some days that they could have kicked better, and I thought they kicked pretty solid today.”
That tracks with what Boyer said when Kicker Kombat started: this is less about raw mistakes and more about consistency.
Moody finished 3/4 on Saturday while Joseph had a perfect 4/4. Going into Sunday, each kicker has an equal number of attempts at 24; however, Joseph’s successful attempts lead Moody by just one, 22-21.
If this drags into final cuts, how those successful kicks looked might matter more than how many were made. Call it a quality-versus-quantity problem, if you will.. If Moody pulls ahead, but it’s thanks to doinks and near-misses that barely sneak in, while Joseph has drilled a smaller amount down the middle, the edge goes to Joseph.
The 49ers' joint practices with the Denver Broncos begin August 7, though they’ll happen in Santa Clara, not at elevation. The later sessions with the Las Vegas Raiders in Henderson, Nevada, might offer a truer change of scenery.
In any case, the two are neck and neck. One thing is certain: if both continue this production, they won’t make the 49ers’ decision any easier.
