a year later. Even now when I watch that from The End Zone
view.
Yeah. Looks like it hits the crossbar and bounces back and
lands on the ground when it's actually hitting the
the net it I still see it now and in my brain it's hitting
bouncing back and landing in the field, not going through
and hitting the
net. Well, there's a I think there's I think one of the best
parts of the the video is you catch Lions fans who I think
think it bounce the same way where they're like they are
cheering because they think he missed it
and then you see the delayed reaction to go, oh no! Wait it
bounced the other way and went in that was one of the most
unbelievable moments ever
that really was. And that they were truly like the cardiac
cardiac kids there. Early in the year the Baltimore Ravens
and he is phenomenal he's the greatest he's the greatest
kicker I've ever seen.
That's all I'll say in my lifetime of football. I know
you've been around longer than I have but I've never seen. So
Such a guy so automatic
and so explosive, at the same time with his right leg.
He's as he's a weapon for this football team,
we were talking after the show, yesterday about the shift, from
the straight on toe, kick to the soccer style, as they
called it derisively. In the early 70s, the Europeans were
invading and taking the sport over at least displacing all
the
Lou groza straight on toe kickers, but it's more
accurate, more strength and we just keep seeing the kicks get
longer and longer. Chris, when I was a kid, a 40-yard field.
Goal was impressed, right? And then at some point 50 became.
Wow, 50, you're really
50. She you've been drinking. Yeah,
Fifth and now it's like these automatic deal, right? Fifties?
No big deal 50s, not even impressive anymore,
he impressed me. When you get to 55 56, 57
60. You want to impress me kick a 60-yard, ER I mean you got
safeties kicking 65 yards in practice for crying out loud.
So I think just a matter of time before somebody hits from
70 and
I agree Tucker is the best
kicker
that I've seen
for career, right? I know I had invented. Terry
has almost hell kicks. Mice had more opportunities. Yeah, have
the clutch kick, the kicker is kind of limited by,
you know, the rest of the team, right? The kicker comes in when
it's otherwise set up and then the question is, is he deliver
or not? I tend to think that Justin Tucker would have been
able to deliver in the same spots agree that invented.
Terry did
and pituitary is going to get a bronze bust. Bust for his
exploits and Tucker will to for different reasons. It's
a sustained greatness. That really, from the first moment,
we became aware of him.
It has never wavered other than like there, we had like a weird
missed extra point against the Saints one year. They're like,
what the hell? Justin Tucker. That never happens. Right?
That's the only time it ever happened. Yeah. It's the only
time I ever remember going way he didn't deliver right there.
What you're right. Like what happened? He was automatic
to that point, but
there's such a comfort and calm And he can bring to your
football team at the end of a game. Just because of, hey,
we don't have to drive the length of the field. I mean, if
you remember that drive, they were backed up with a big
fourth down and Lamar made a great like, you know, I think
it was fourth and 17, or 19, or might have been forced to 25
and he hits a deep krauser
across the field and your,
you get close to Midfield and you start to go, whoa. We're
we're at Midfield few more yards and we're in Justin Tuck
range and that takes great pressure off an offense and
Gives a team confidence that way, he's amazing. He really
is, and
it's nice to see that they rewarded him
as funny. I do the Madden Ultimate Team every year and,
of course, I'm getting close to the point where the team that
I have gradually built that kicks ass and takes names, is going
to be reset to 59 across the board. But once you get that
Justin Tucker, kicker,
you're right, you're getting points, you cross the 50,
you're in field goal range. Yes that is a huge benefit for
the Ravens offense. They're getting three They're getting three
a lot more easily than other teams and speaking of three,
the Cowboys brought in three kickers yesterday for tryouts.
mean you either have Justin Tucker or you don't and most
teams don't and the Ravens were wise to keep him. Here's, and
here's why we're even talking about it, they signed him to
a contract extension yesterday. Justin Tucker meeting with
reporters. Talk about how
quickly his new record deal, 6 million per year. Came together,
this did come together quickly.
I joked to harms one day out at practice. We We were just kind
of
generally talking about the idea. I said, I think something
could get done in like five minutes and
sure enough it took about five minutes and we just end the way
that Nick Mateo,
Eric De Casa, the way, the everybody upstairs handled
handled. The the process was,
you know, it was just really, really good. What was and
continues to be most important to me is,
you know, just being in the plans for building
a championship. Um, you know, and feeling valued as a part of
that process. So like listen this this deal for sure checks,
all the boxes for me, you know. And for all intents and
purposes, this is a
the type of deal that will you know, more than ensure that
I will, you know, be a raven for life. And for that alone
I couldn't be more happy. I recall Justin Tucker had
a contentious negotiation with the Ravens. The
Last time around, he was franchise tagged, didn't look
good, then it finally worked. And you know what? I frankly
think that now
I don't want to psychoanalyze the situation but Justin Tucker
does have an agent and I think the Ravens were so happy to
have a break
from the Lamar Jackson morass
and actually have an agent to negotiate with it. Did take
five minutes and look, Chris Boswell, just got a contract
last, right? That's fine. Righty. Exactly, right. That
because boom, okay Boswell, five Tucker six, right?
It's a lot. For talker, and it's a steal for the Ravens.
Pete was making the point during the break. And look
kickers are kickers all due respect, but this guy's
the best one.
I think he's under sold at six. I agree with Pete on this.
I think it should be getting more than 6 million a year. I think
he's that good. He helps your team that much. Yeah that he
does have a greater value because yeah you can get some
other kicker
for a lot less,
but he ain't going to be Justin Tucker and it's going to change
the dynamic your team 100%. It will we've seen in our
lifetimes Teams that are Super Bowl teams
who can't get their or can't win playoff games just because
the kicker is not good.
There's been plenty throughout history, we go been the team has
a Super Bowl team
but my they lost these three or four games because
the kicker missed a Chip Shot, feel gold or
missed a, you know, a game-winner that was pretty
makable. And now there are over one yard field goal missed
after not missing any all year. Exactly.
Well I was just about to go
1998.
No, I was just about to go there, I'm glad but yeah,
I mean there's been a few instances of that where maybe
didn't even come down to the championship game. But it led
to a team 20. They're only
in the Wild Card round and now
you know it's an uphill battle from there or they just missed
out on the playoffs because they missed two or three games
that way there's Great Value there
and yet the deal definitely got done because of Boswell, this
is one of those where it is so obvious that he's the best.
That I'm sure they felt a little uncomfortable. Almost
the fact they were like, wait,
somebody surpassed him, like
this guy is on another level from the rest of the league,
and I don't think anybody's Really Gonna argue that
so good for them to do that and you're right, I wouldn't have
been, he's getting six, Boswell's getting five, that's
a 20
20 percent increase,
but he probably is worth more than that. I wouldn't have been
mad if he was getting seven and Boswell got five. I think he is
that great. I'm with you and Pete on that one.
Next on the list is Falcons kicker, young way coo at four
point eight five million per year. At Jersey, guys are
making a lot more than they've ever made, but they still don't
get a big piece of the salary cap. I mean six million is.
Underpaid, it really is for Justin talked with
the Ravens, should be very happy and
Tucker gets a new deal with two years left on his. Last one
that's great. But he's still more valuable to the Ravens and
that contract would suggest, but hey, if he's happy with it,
right? Right? Yeah, it's a win-win three players happy
that's all that matters and he got more money than he.
Otherwise would have gotten so he can be happy.