Nah FG kickers much better then they use to be.
Morton Anderson was known as one of the best kickers of all time when he retired. People were even talking HOF.
If you look at his numbers he would be about the worst kicker in the NFL today.
Of course they miss more extra points then they use to but not a fair comparison since EPs are much further then they use to be
I believe they are much more efficient now but how often do you see them try kicks beyond 45 or so unless the situation dictates? I definitely could be wrong, but that is my perception! PS George Blanda is my All - time favorite place kicker and Ray Guy my favorite punter ( with Robey a close second!)!
Place kickers kick much furthher then they used to as well. These guys can hit from 55+ pretty regularly. Back in the day a 50 yarder was a big deal.
The reason you don't see as many FG attempts from distance is analytics. FG's have been devalued and going for it on 4th has proven to more worthwhile according to the numbers. When I was young teams never went for it on 4th a 3. It had to be 4th and 1 for them to go for it.
Punting from around the 50 yard line was also devalued in the past decade or so. Teams used to always play "field position" and often punt from their opponents 45 on 4th and 3. Now it's automatic to go for it.
Place kickers kick further and are more accurate, it's just all aspects of the kicking game have gone down in value.
The reason you don't see as many FG attempts from distance is analytics. FG's have been devalued and going for it on 4th has proven to more worthwhile according to the numbers. When I was young teams never went for it on 4th a 3. It had to be 4th and 1 for them to go for it.
Punting from around the 50 yard line was also devalued in the past decade or so. Teams used to always play "field position" and often punt from their opponents 45 on 4th and 3. Now it's automatic to go for it.
Place kickers kick further and are more accurate, it's just all aspects of the kicking game have gone down in value.
Sigh. It's called Google. For example, try "nfl fg percentage by year".
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/kickers-are-forever/
"Guys have found more efficient ways to put it down in there (kicks inside opponents' 20-yard line)," Seattle punter Ryan Plackemeier.
Pooch punters strike the ball as high as possible without letting it "turn over" at the top. The goal is to discourage the ball from catapulting forward into the end zone upon impact, but pooch punters can have a harder time controlling distance.
Former Australian-rules players such as former longtime San Diego punter Darren Bennett helped to popularize an approach allowing for greater consistency. Aussie-style punters drop the ball with the front pointing down, striking the ball with their instep. The ball rotates backward and end-over-end, much like it would on a kickoff. The approach seems to be gaining momentum.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/columns/story?id=3111471&columnist=sando_mike
