It’s been a rough season for 49ers kicker Robbie Gould, but the 15-year veteran bounced back in Week 16 with two field goals against the Rams, including a game winner. His 33-yard kick with no time left won the game for the 49ers, and earned him Week 16 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Gould drilled both of his field goal attempts against Los Angeles and all four of his extra points.
It’s been a rocky 2019 season for the 37-year-old Gould. He’s missed a career-worst eight field goals, plus an extra point. He also dealt with a quad injury that forced him out of three games.
Still, San Francisco is putting trust in their kicker down the stretch. They played for a field goal in the final seconds at New Orleans, and did the same at home against the Rams. Twice Gould has delivered to secure wins for the 49ers.
A bad 2019 season will be forgotten if Gould gets back to form from the last two seasons when he was the most accurate kicker in the NFL. The 49ers have already played a slew of one-possession games, and it’s only going to get more difficult in the postseason. Points are harder to come by in the playoffs, so having an accurate, trustworthy kicker is paramount.
Gould needs to put his struggles behind him in time for football in January, and earning an NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award in Week 16 is a good start.
