The 49ers got cute.
They tried to replace their all-time great kicker, Robbie Gould, who ranks ninth all time in field goal percentage, which a rookie third-round pick in Jake Moody this offseason
That decision already has cost them one game. And it could cost them more if they don't bring back Gould soon.
Moody is an extremely talented kicker -- there's a reason he was the first one drafted this year. He has an extremely strong leg. But there's a psychological element at play that the 49ers haven't seemed to consider. He's a 23-year-old replacing an all-time great who never has missed a field goal in the postseason. That's a big ask.
Moody seems to be crumbling under the weight of the standard Gould set the past six years on the 49ers. There's no way Moody can live up to that standard as a rookie. And yet, that's the expectation for him, because the 49ers expected to win the Super Bowl. They can't afford a rookie kicker to cost them a Lombardi Trophy.
So that means Moody's leash must be extremely short already. He missed two field goals last week against the Browns -- the final one was a 41-yard field goal that would have sealed the win as time expired, but he pushed it wide right.
If Moody costs the 49ers another game, say, next week, don't be surprised if the 49ers pull the plug on the Moody project and re-sign Gould quickly. The 49ers don't have time to mess around.
They never should have let Gould leave in the first place.
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