Titans Sticking With Succop
NASHVILLE – It is nothing new for Ryan Succop to miss four field goal attempts.
In his first 10 NFL seasons, the veteran kicker has failed to convert at least that many seven times, including last season when he was 26-for-30.
The fact that he has been unable to split the uprights four times in just five tries this year is something new. And it is cause for concern as the Tennessee Titans pursue a playoff berth and/or a division title.
“He just needs to put a good swing on it, trust that he’s made a lot of kicks in this league and he’ll continue to make kicks for us,” coach Mike Vrabel said Monday. “It’s always not just the one thing. Sometimes the protection’s a little leaky, or the snap’s a little low. We just have to clean that process up and take advantage of all those scoring opportunities that we get.”
The latest scoring opportunity that went unrealized was Sunday at Oakland. As time expired on the first half, Succop’s 42-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright and cost Tennessee a chance to go to the locker room with a lead. Instead, the teams were tied 21-21.
The issues with Succop started Nov. 3, when he made his season debut. After eight weeks on injured reserve while he completed his recovery from offseason knee surgery, he went 0-for-3 on field goals in a 10-point loss to the Panthers (30-20). His misses that day were from – in order – 43 yards (wide left), 56 yards (short) and 44 yards (right upright). It is not a consistent issue that is plaguing him, therefore.
On the positive side, he has made 21 of 22 extra-point tries.
Back in early October, franchise officials cut Cairo Santos after he missed four field goals in a seven-point loss to Buffalo. Santos was signed when Succop went on IR and had the job for the first five games before the Titans decided it was time to move on.
Between Succop, Santos and Cody Parkey, who had the job for three weeks, the Titans have missed more field goal tries (nine) than they have made (eight) through the first 13 contests.
Succop has been Tennessee’s kicker for the previous five seasons and was the franchise’s leader in career field goal percentage when the season started (86.6). That percentage has now dipped more than two points (84.2) and has dropped him to second place behind Rob Bironas (85.7).
Ryan Santoso was added two weeks ago to handle kickoffs, but the Titans currently have no plans to send Succop packing.
“We’ll keep working Ryan and Ryan will keep working through,” Vrabel said. “We’ve got big Ryan [Santoso] kicking off for us right now. So, really [we] just want to focus on (Succop), his process and his accuracy as it relates to making those kicks that we need him to make.”
