Bill Belichick gives blunt assessment of rookie kicker Chad Ryland's struggles
BOSTON -- When the Patriots traded up in the draft -- with the Jets, no less -- to select kicker Chad Ryland in the fourth round, it was clear that the organization valued him quite highly.
Now more than halfway through his rookie season, Ryland's stock in New England has dipped.
It reached a new low on Sunday, when Ryland missed a 35-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter against the Giants, robbing the Patriots of a chance to win the game in overtime. It was the second straight game that Ryland has missed a 35-yarder, as he missed a third-quarter kick in the Patriots' loss to the Colts in Germany.
Belichick was asked on WEEI if the weather played a factor on that missed kick, but he didn't lean on the misty conditions as an excuse.
"Yeah, I mean, Chad's a very talented player," Belichick said. "But this is two weeks in a row we've basically missed extra points. So, it's not good enough."
Ryland, the 112th overall pick in this year's draft, is now 12-for-18 on field goals, though he's been a perfect 14-for-14 on PATs. He's missed two of his five kicks in the 30-39-yard range, two of his seven kicks in the 40-49-yard range, and two of his three kicks in the 50-plus-yard range.
The Patriots opted not to kick a field goal from the Giants' 37-yard line on Sunday, a kick which would have been a 55-yard attempt. In a game where points were at a premium, the team clearly lacked confidence in the rookie's ability to make a kick that has become somewhat standard in the modern NFL. (With just one successful field goal of 50 or more yards, Ryland is tied with five other kicks for 33rd in the NFL this season.)
Later on Monday morning, Belichick was asked during his video conference call if he would consider bringing in a quarterback from outside the organization to play in the final stretch of the season. He said he wasn't ruling anything in or out at this point, and that anything that might help the team would be considered. So when he was asked whether he'd bring in a kicker from outside the organization, he referred back to that answer.
"Yeah, again, that's really the same question I just got there," Belichick said. "So I'm not ruling anything in or out. Just try to do what's best for the team."
