Redskins Sign K Billy Cundiff, Release Gano

BTW Ravens...if you're really cutting a guy because he isn't automatic from 50+ then you are stupid. S T U P I D. Especially if he is golden inside 50. Obviously this had to be a basic money move.

Sounds like a pretty good outcome to me. Gano made me crazy so many times last season, I hoped they'd go with Rackers. Cundiff is even better. Thanks to Schneed for the breakdown that was legit.

gano sucks guys. if cundiff also sucks, guess what? we're no worse off. at worst we dropped one craptastic kicker for another. at best, we'll stop missing "easy" FGs.

either way, why do we have over 100 posts for a kicker signing? especially when the guy we had is awful by NFL standards.

NC_Skins apparently has an irrational dislike for Danny Smith who is generally considered one of the top guys in the league. If only we had a better ST coach I am sure Gano would be HOF bound.

Our ST have not been nearly as bad as you think NC. At all.

True and we should remember Shanahan could have replaced him with his own guy when he took over. He obviously kept him on for good reason.

At times the blocks were the result of poor protection, but at other times were the result of Gano's low trajectory. Cundiff's higher trajectory will make up for our poor protection up front, he's a better fit for our team.

The last I recall, only one of those block the past 2 years was due to trajectory (as noted by Mike), and the other ones were simply blocked due to poor OL play. Hell, even the one that mike said had a low trajectory would have still been blocked even if it wasn't low. (from poor OL play)

gano sucks guys. if cundiff also sucks, guess what? we're no worse off. at worst we dropped one craptastic kicker for another. at best, we'll stop missing "easy" FGs.

either way, why do we have over 100 posts for a kicker signing? especially when the guy we had is awful by NFL standards.

because some here think that Gano was STILL going to become Sebastian Janikowski

FG% numbers are not enough to judge a kicker. The mix of kicking distances plays a role in driving the kicker's overall percentage. Let's analyze Gano vs Cundiff from various distances over the last two seasons combined:

0-19 Yards, both 100% (one attempt each)
20-29 Yards, Cundiff 100% on 20 attempts, Gano 88% on 25 attempts
30-39 Yards, Cudiff 86% on 21 attempts, Gano 56% on 16 attempts
40-49 Yards, Cundiff 82% on 17 attempts, Gano 76% on 25 attempts
50+ Yards, Cundiff 14% on 7 attempts, Gano 44% on 9 attempts

Look at the atrocious performance from Gano from 30-39 yards. Those are FGs you have to make, especially if you're still developing as a Red Zone offense. If you're kicking from 30-39 it means the ball sits at the 13 - 23 yard line. It means your red zone offense stalled, and you desperately need to put those points on the board to atone for the lost TD opportunity in the red zone.

With Cundiff, you know you can't count on a 50 yarder to win the game, but at least you can plan for that. You know your 2 minute offense needs to target the 25 yard line to put the game away safely. With Gano, it almost doesn't matter whether you're trying a 55 yarder or a 35 yarder, he's shaky from both distances. You can't count on him to make it, every time he comes out it's a dice roll.

Stronger leg does not equal better kicker. Give me Cundiff.

Fine post, Schneed.

It is a fortunate team that has a kicker who can win a game with a 50+ yard FG. That is, if that kicker is also accurate at shorter distances. Unfortunately, there weren't any of those kickers available to the Redskins.

Given the choice between a kicker who is accurate inside of 50 yards but who can't hit the long FG's or a kicker who is not accurate inside of 50 yards but who has the ability to hit 50+ yard FG's, the smart coach takes the former every time. That is the choice that was presented to the Redskins coaches and they made the smart choice.

A few small points:

No kicker can be counted on to make the long FG's in the same way that a kicker can be counted on to make the shorter FG's.

Cundiff did choke on a short FG attempt in the AFC Championship game but that doesn't make him a choke artist for life, except in Baltimore.

It was almost certainly Cundiff's missed FG in the AFC Championship game alone that made him unwelcome in Baltimore and available to the Redskins. I think that miss turned out to be a good thing for the Skins.

NC_Skins apparently has an irrational dislike for Danny Smith who is generally considered one of the top guys in the league. If only we had a better ST coach I am sure Gano would be HOF bound.

Our ST have not been nearly as bad as you think NC. At all.

Nothing irrational about it. The penalties. The blocked FGs. The kick out of bounds. Keeping Randle El on returns.....and this list goes on and on, year after year.


There is only so much you can blame the players until you have to start looking elsewhere. If things aren't corrected, you have to start looking at the coach. Nothing irrational about my beef with Danny Smith. The players have changed, but the one thing that is constant in this crappy ST play is the coach. Time for a fresh start and a new change.

The last I recall, only one of those block the past 2 years was due to trajectory (as noted by Mike), and the other ones were simply blocked due to poor OL play. Hell, even the one that mike said had a low trajectory would have still been blocked even if it wasn't low. (from poor OL play)

those Gano jerseys probably half price now, pick yourself up a couple

:FIREdevil

Nothing irrational about it. The penalties. The blocked FGs. The kick out of bounds. Keeping Randle El on returns.....and this list goes on and on, year after year.


There is only so much you can blame the players until you have to start looking elsewhere. If things aren't corrected, you have to start looking at the coach. Nothing irrational about my beef with Danny Smith. The players have changed, but the one thing that is constant in this crappy ST play is the coach. Time for a fresh start and a new change.

I agree with NC Skins about Danny Smith. Smith did a good job as a ST coach for many years but in recent years he's been slipping. Time for Danny to step it up.