ExtremeRavens Posted 12 hours ago Posted 12 hours ago Ravens decision-makers won’t figure out who their next kicker is based solely on which one drives the ball through the uprights more often during training camp over the next few weeks. There’s a tad more nuance than that, according to special teams coordinator Chris Horton. If it were so simple, Tyler Loop would be leading in the polls. The first kicker drafted in Ravens history made all 23 of his field goal attempts during the first week of training camp in Owings Mills. His challenger, undrafted rookie John Hoyland, has converted 16 of 18 attempts, including a 42-yard miss on Saturday. “When the winner shows,” Horton said, “it’s gonna show.” Horton didn’t reveal any specific timeline for when he hopes that might happen. They’ll both get valuable work, he said, in practice and in preseason games — which implies that Baltimore might go into the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 7 with two options. What goes into one player emerging from the two-man pack? “It’s all about consistency in everything that we do,” Horton said. “Especially at that position. We want to see kicks made, right? We want to see good foot-to-ball contact. There’s a process about how these guys are going about it and where they’re kicking from and where they’re kicking in practice and the things that [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] is talking to these guys about every day. “One might look more powerful than the other,” Horton added, “but the kicks are there.” Fans making the trip to the Under Armour Performance Center have been treated to something they haven’t seen since 2012. Even with Loop as the front-runner, it’s the first kicking competition since the now-embroiled Justin Tucker’s rookie year. In May, the Ravens released Tucker for in what they called a “football decision,” a reference to the down year the NFL’s most accurate kicker endured in 2024. The release, and complementary decision to draft Loop in the sixth round in April, came on the heels of a months-long league investigation into several sexual misconduct allegations brought against Tucker earlier this year. In late June, the 35-year-old kicker was suspended by the NFL for the first 10 weeks of the regular season. He can serve the suspension despite not being on a roster. If a team so chooses, he would be allowed to participate in training camp and preseason games. The suspension takes effect on Aug. 26, and Tucker can be reinstated on Nov. 11. The Ravens are rightfully more concerned with the kicking competition brewing in Owings Mills. Through four days of practice, each kicker has taken one day off. “It’s all about consistency in everything that we do,” Ravens special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff) Loop entered training camp as the odds-on favorite. His workload reflects that. Despite an imperfect performance at rookie minicamp and organized team activities, he has been sharp the first week of full-team practice. Loop hasn’t missed a kick in three days of situational attempts. His best was a 63-yard make to end his practice on Friday and a 68-yarder without a defense that the team caught on camera. “It was a good test day,” Harbaugh said after Friday’s practice. “He had kicks kind of situationally all week, and then to come out here and take it deep like that is a good day.” Added Horton: “With Tyler, the thing we understand is when we brought him in and we looked at him, the dude has a strong leg. Technically, he’s sound. He kicks the ball the way we want to kick the ball. He’s been consistent. And that’s what we’re looking for.” Hoyland, the kicker vying to knock off Loop, hasn’t been a slouch either. He’s just slightly off perfection, which can be troubling for a positional battle with razor-thin margins. Hoyland made all nine attempts during his first full kicking day Thursday. Two of them were from 40-plus. Putting his cleats back on Saturday, he made three of four. His last attempt was a 42-yarder that sailed wide right. But Horton noted how consistent Hoyland was in college and how he has fit the mold of someone who can compete with Loop. “It’s all about foot the ball, kicking a straight ball,” Horton said. “And the axis of the ball — the ball is turning. We want the ball to be straight every time. That’s what we’re working for. That’s been a big improvement since the spring, and I think both guys have gotten a lot better at doing that.” The two kickers have been seen wearing a GoPro atop their helmets this week. Harbaugh said it’s “a little bit new.” The point-of-view camera offers additional insight with a direct angle to study foot placement, swing plane, hold patterns and other positional minutiae. So each practice means tracking kicks and placement and body language. All of that has made for an interesting bit of training camp theater. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article Quote
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