Ravens Tyler Loop Officially Wins Kicking Job

Loop was previously competing with fellow rookie John Hoyland, an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, for the right to be Baltimore's kicker. However, the Ravens released Hoyland on Aug. 2, leaving Loop as the only kicker on the roster. From that point on, it was abundantly clear that he would win the job.

While that ultimately proved to be true, the Ravens still wanted to see him in game action before officially giving him the job.

"It's very important, right? Because we all know that the games are what matters. Making kicks in the games [matters]," special teams coordinator Chris Horton told reporters on Aug. 4. "But Tyler, from the day he walked in, [senior special teams coach] Randy [Brown] has just taken him and broken down step-by-step-by-step what we're looking for. And, obviously, leg strength is not going to be an issue with Tyler. He can boom it.

"It's about just being consistent, and he's done a great job of that throughout this camp. You guys saw it yesterday. He was phenomenal out there just kicking the ball, and he was dialed in, he was locked in. If [he] takes that same focus to the game, he's going to be fine."

So far, he's aced the test. However, With the pressure he's facing has now grown exponentially.

Loop is now the official successor to Justin Tucker, who became the most accurate kicker in NFL history over his 13 years in Baltimore but was released earlier this offseason after a wave of sexual misconduct allegations. Of course, expecting him to play like peak Tucker is foolish, but that won't stop many from crticizing him after each miss.

From the moment he arrived, though, Loop has been ready for the test.

"I'm just excited to get there and be around those guys and learn from them, be with the team and find ways to make kicks in Baltimore," Loop told reporters on April 26. "Being successful up there is what matters the most, going and making kicks and winning games and just taking it one day at a time, so I'm going to celebrate today, and tomorrow, get right back to work and stack some days and figure out how we can have success up there."