Lions Kicking Competition Heating Up

and a hip injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.

The Lions signed Riley Patterson off of their practice squad  to replace Seibert last season and went 13 for 14 on field goal tries and  a perfect 16/16 on extra points.  While Patterson’s accuracy wasn’t in question, his longest kick last season was 49 yards and that  range is a liability for an NFL kicker.  Years ago,  making a 50+ yard field goal made a great kick; NFL kickers are expected to make their kicks from this range every game.

Who does head coach Dan Campbell favor right now?

Head coach Dan Campbell already hinted at his kicking preference right now and Seibert gets the current nod after making a 62 yard FG attempt at Ford Field in practice.  Again, this kick came in practice and not in a game.  The  preseason officially begins this week and Campbell no doubt plans to use both kickers interchangeably in a direct competition for the kicking duties.  Another component of kicking duties are kickoffs and this allows a team to carry both kickers on a roster.  However, it’s rare to keep both  given the limited roster space for true special teams players. Seibert and Patterson will no doubt push each other to their leg limits to earn the Lions starting spot .

The Lions are consistent with their kickers

Despite the  disappointment with Lions seasons over the past four decades, this organization has been stable at the kicking position.  Eddie Murray served as the Lions kicker for 12 seasons from 1980 to 1991; Jason Hanson served in the same capacity for a total of 21 seasons from 1992 to 2012.  Evan Matt Prater lasted seven seasons with the Lions and departed in 2020.  Regardless of who wins the kicking job, the Lions need stability in special teams to help win close games in 2022 and shake off last year’s 3-13-1 record.