The Detroit Lions formally moved on from kicker Austin Seibert on Friday, turning the web page on any other bankruptcy of the post-Matt Prater technology in Detroit. Seibert’s time with the Lions was once maximum widely recognized for his beating out Riley Patterson for the kicking activity on this 12 months’s coaching camp, however in the long run Seibert merely couldn’t keep wholesome sufficient to look the box.
Seibert came to visit from Cleveland in 2021 and would cross 10 of 12 on box objectives with the Lions thru 4 video games, however a groin harm ended his 2021 marketing campaign. That identical harm would obstruct a lot of Seibert’s offseason, which I consider was once a vital contributor to his shakiness in his restricted 2022 motion.
They say the absolute best talent is availability, and that particularly is going for the kicker. After the failed experiment with Dominik Eberle in Week 4, the Lions now flip to Michael Badgley to make the maximum of fourth downs.
Badgley, like maximum kickers, has a journeyman background, but it surely wasn’t at all times that method. He joined the Chargers in 2018 and was once one of the absolute best kickers in the league, however steadily slipped to reasonable in 2019 and beneath reasonable in 2020, main the Chargers to phase techniques with him. Badgley would spend 12 video games in Indianapolis in 2021 sooner than stepping in with Tennessee for every week. Since then, Badgley has spent quite a bit of time in NFL exercise circles, in the end touchdown with the Bears ultimate week of their 20-12 loss to the Giants, scoring all 12 of the ones issues.
Question of the day: Do you approve of the Lions’ change at kicker?
My solution: I do. For a midseason change at the place, Badgley truly is slightly the get personally.
Badgley had a coarse 2020, and it sort of feels like NFL groups haven’t forgiven him for that. That season excluded, he has been a truly dependable kicker in all of his stops. For the ones of you scarred via ultimate week’s kicking fiasco, take convenience in figuring out that Badgley went 4/4 for the Bears that very same day. However, the commonplace theme of Badgley doing smartly appears to be quick to medium-range box objectives — dare I say, a Riley Patterson sort.
Here’s what some Chargers fanatics needed to say:
Very correct from 0-45 yards. Very faulty from 45+. Cannot accept as true with him in the grasp to get the activity achieved.
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) October 8, 2022
Apart from lacking each unmarried sport tying or profitable box purpose he wasn’t the worst. Definitely now not deserving of a beginning spot however there are likely worse choices for an emergency kicker.
— Herbert for MVP (@LA_BoltUp) October 8, 2022
While you by no means desire a kicker with weaknesses, the ones do look like the proper supplement for what Dan Campbell likes. I believe it’ll be a just right fit with Detroit, and I may undoubtedly see him sticking it out with the Lions thru the season, if now not additional, assuming he doesn’t make a foul first impact — we discovered ultimate week that it’s an unforgiving mistake. Ultimately, the Lions couldn’t stay enjoying the ready sport with Austin Seibert, and he hasn’t confirmed himself at the stage of play of elite kickers to warrant being any longer affected person.
Your flip. Do you approve of the change at kicker? Did the Lions phase techniques with Seibert too quickly? Did you need anyone rather than Badgley? Let’s pay attention it.