Greg Zuerlein will seemingly not be held accountable for his latest poor kicking performance, according to New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.
On Sunday, Zuerlein continued to struggle mightily during the Jets’ 25-22 loss to the lowly New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. He missed two kicks in the contest – an extra point and a field goal – in whats become a worrying trend this year.
Upon trotting onto the field following a touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Zuerlein shanked the extra point attempt wide left. Then in the fourth quarter, he whiffed on a 44-yard field goal try that wouldve given the Jets a five-point lead.
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This is hardly the first time that Zuerlein has cost the Jets with his leg this season. Through the first eight weeks, he boasts the lowest field goal percentage among all qualified kickers in the NFL with at least three attempts at 60 percent (9-of-15).
On the heels of Zuerleins latest sloppy showing, Ulbrich revealed that the Jets would be holding a kicking competition ahead of New Yorks Thursday Night Football faceoff with the Houston Texans. Were gonna bring in a couple guys to work out tomorrow. Were gonna take them out to the stadium and well make a decision by Thursday to see whats best for the team, he said.
When asked if Zuerlein will be allowed to compete in the midseason tryout, Ulbrich issued a vague reply, stating: Were exploring all the options right now.
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Since taking over for Robert Saleh – who was fired by Jets team owner Woody Johnson earlier this month – Ulbrich has routinely preached the importance of accountability. Yet it appears as though the 47-year-old has no intention of punishing Zuerlein for his missed kicks.
In response to one reporter who questioned why he wasnt holding Zuerlein accountable, Ulbrich answered: In my opinion, accountability is controlling the controllables. His lack of making kicks is not a byproduct of lack of work, not putting the time in, not devoting himself in every way to the process of trying to get right.
Accountability to me its not always just the results, its the process. A lot of times, we cant control the results. There is no part of me that could ever question his process.
Hes as professional as it comes, and his process is always right, and hes as diligent as Ive ever been around. Not just for a kicker, for anybody in any position in this game. So from that standpoint, you could never question Greg.
It remains to be seen how much longer of a leash the Jets will give Zuerlein. Rodgers, for one, doesnt believe hes to blame for New Yorks recent loss. Weve got to score touchdowns, the four-time MVP said during a post-game press conference.
Cant leave it up to Greg or try and pin it on Greg. We had a lot of opportunities to score 30, to make it a two-score game at times and didnt do it.
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