Srgt. Hulka

lynwood

How many "Elite" Kickers are there? if he only missed 2 kicks and that put him at 80% someone would still want him cut. Go ahead and draft another kicker and watch the growing pains.

jeanpierre

I'm chipping in for a one way ticket out of town for this guy...

halloween 65

I would not cut him, he has proven he can kick in the league, I would bring in some competition in training camp (not a draft pick) to keep him honest. I don't think he is a bad kicker, he just misses once in a while at a bone-headed range.

swampwiz

Like the critical kick vs. the Buccaneers in 2009 in week 16? Or that kick vs. the Falcons (can't remember the year)? Or against the horrid Chiefs this year?

burningmetal

As a matter of fact, he cost the Saints the division AND home field advantage in '10 when he missed a 20 yard attempt in overtime against the Falcons. He lost us the game against Tampa Bay near the end of the '09 season with a miss of under 40 yards in the final seconds. Earlier this year, he was a major contributor to a loss when he missed a field goal in the 4th quarter against the Packers, in an eventual 1 point loss. That's not to mention all the numerous other misses and a couple missed extra points. You don't have to directly cause a loss to be considered a bad kicker. He has missed a ton of kicks.

He's not an NFL kicker. His percentage might be deemed acceptable at the collegiate level, but you're supposed to be the best of the best in the NFL. Hartley certainly is not. And as for our other problems... What does that have to do with our kicker? It's already been mentioned that we have a weak pass rush and no secondary.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, the NFL would fine and suspend me.

houwhodat

He's gotta go.

I don't trust him at all and wish they would have went for the TD in OT instead of the FG.

SaintsBro

I've watched virtually every one of his kicks over the years, and my new opinion is that, when they hurry him, when they snap the ball without giving him that extra 2-3 seconds to compose himself, when Hartley is rushed -- THAT'S when he misses or has the kicks that go wobbly and wonky, end over end.

That one that he missed yesterday, I turned away for a moment to grab something to eat or take a sip of my drink, and when my eyes came back to the screen, the ball was already snapped...they rushed the unit out there to snap it...when you give Hartley a time out or a penalty or give him the full 40 seconds, a long snap count, he usually nails it. Some of this is on the coaches, probably Payton and McMahon, who are always kinda impatient and OCD.

He is an emo kid, head case kicker, nut job, absolutely, with attention deficit disorder, it's been proven....and when you don't give him a lot of time to be still, to settle into it and compose himself, I've become convinced that's when his performance suffers. He has problems to be sure, but his numbers are too good to declare him a complete bum... Just my take on it.

jeanpierre

What exactly was wrong with Kasay?!?

Jamessr

Why keep Hartly when we can have Jon kasey?

Call da man!