Arizona Cardinals kicker Zane Gonzalez was fantastic in 2019, missing only four kicks all season. He entered each of the last two seasons without any competition on the roster.
However, in Week 1, he missed two of his three field goals. It didn’t end up hurting the Cardinals, as they came away with a 24-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers, but it definitely was something that raised concerns.
Those concerns were validated when the Cardinals reportedly have veteran kicker Mike Nugent in for a visit on Tuesday.
However, head coach Kliff Kingsbury hasn’t lost any faith in Gonzalez.
“He’s been great in camp,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Those were tough field goals. It was all 50-plus I think, and he hit the 56-yarder, which really gave us momentum going into halftime, gave us a chance to win that game. So, we feel very comfortable with Zane and where he’s at.”
Gonzalez hit a 56-yarder as time expired in the first half. He missed from 52 yards earlier in the game and later missed a 49-yard attempt in the first drive of the second half the Cardinals had.
Kingsbury actually put the blame more on the team offensively to get Gonzalez in better spots.
“Obviously, you like to make those, but those are long kicks, and we’ve got to do a good job offensively of not making him kick three 50-yard field goals,” he said.
That said, the fact they brought in a kicker means the organization noticed the misses.
Kickers around the NFL missed field goals and extra points in Week 1. Gonzalez wasn’t alone.
However, it is something to watch in Week 2 and beyond. If there is one thing you need from a kicker, it is to have him be consistent because missed kicks can be a big blow to a team’s confidence and momentum in a game.
With a very physical Washington Football Team coming in this weekend, they have to take every opportunity to score points.
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