Niners Nation
Kicker Kombat may be over, but Jake Moody hasn’t let up despite the lack of an opponent.
Per Matt Maiocco, the 49ers kicker had a perfect day, nailing all eight of his kick attempts. One of which was the result of a two-minute drill. The distances Moody made are:
So a couple things to note on these. First, the 28-yarder; it was a success, but it wasn’t what you might expect on a chip-shot at that distance. The ball bounced off the left upright. Still good, but still a 28-yard doink. You can derive your level of satisfaction from that based on your expectations.
Then there’s the 52-yarder. This was made to cap off a two-minute drill. Mac Jones moved the 49ers into field goal range and Moody made the kick.
Greg Joseph, Moody’s competition, was cut earlier this week. Not because Moody all of a sudden put things out of reach, but because the 49ers’ injury issues returned. While Joseph was still on the team, 49ers special teams coach Brant Boyer indicated consistency was going to be a huge factor in who would have won the competition, had it been properly concluded. Before Joseph’s release, he was one kick ahead of Moody in camp, and Boyer acknowledged how close the race was.
As you probably expect, Moody will be kicking in the 49ers’ preseason game today. Kicking in front of the fans, both at the stadium and watching on TV, could be another mental building block. But if it goes sideways, fans’ patience (and confidence) towards the position probably isn’t going to improve.
Does Moody’s Thursday help calm your nerves? Or did you hear that left upright echo in your ear and it’s yet to silence itself?
