Saints kicker Wil Lutz providing accuracy, continuity to NFL's highest-scoring offense

11-27-2018, 11:07 PM

jeanpierre · 11-27-2018, 11:09 PM

BY NATHAN BROWN | nbrown@theadvocate.com Nov 27, 2018 - 5:15 pm

With the New Orleans Saints having won by double digits each of the past five weeks, it’s easy to forget where they began their 10-game winning streak: on the right foot of Wil Lutz.

How different would this season have looked if the third-year kicker hadn’t split the uprights from 44 yards out with 21 seconds to go against Cleveland in Week 2? It was feet away from a divot he made in sending a field-goal attempt wide left in the first half, and in the same game Browns then-kicker Zane Gonzalez missed two field goals and two extra points.

How about the game-tying extra point with 75 seconds remaining in regulation against Atlanta? Or even the 39-yarder he made with just over two minutes to go in Baltimore, giving the Saints a seven-point lead and forcing Justin Tucker’s extra-point attempt to mean something? It was the only time Tucker has missed in his career.

The current Super Bowl favorites, the squad sending all of New Orleans into a frenzy this fall, could have started 2-4.

“I just know how I feel when we go out there and it’s a must-have,” Saints punter and holder Thomas Morstead said. “I know he’s making it, and that’s a great feeling to have.”

With this Saints team on pace to break the NFL record for most points in a season, Lutz is on a swift scoring pace himself, topping the league in points scored by non-quarterbacks through Week 12 with 109, edging out Rams running back Todd Gurley by one point.

With five games to go, Lutz is closing in on one of the 10 best scoring seasons in NFL history, slated to reach nearly 160.

Much of that is a testament to the sheer number of opportunities the Georgia State grad has. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have attempted more field goals and extra points combined (68) than Lutz and the Saints (67).

But his reliability in the midst of such a high usage rate is sky-high. Of kickers with at least 23 field-goal attempts, only the Giants’ Aldrick Rosas has a better percentage. And of kickers with at least 30 field-goal attempts, only future Hall of Famers Stephen Gostkowski and Sebastian Janikowski have been more on-target.

https://www.theadvocate.com/video/pl...ideo_id=507700

With an already confident offensive unit that has all but mastered the two-minute drill, Lutz’s accuracy and battle-tested leg only put Saints quarterback Drew Brees more at ease.

“When you have a kicker like Wil Lutz, man, we feel good about our chances of kicking long field goals,” he said. “That means out chances of getting late field goals at the end of a half, at the end of a game that end up being significant plays in the game only go up.”

Both Brees and Morstead know that hasn’t always been the case for this organization. Since Brees and coach Sean Payton took the reins in 2006, 10 different kickers had seen in-game action with the Saints in their first decade together. In seven of those seasons, New Orleans used at least two kickers, including three in 2008.

Payton brought two kickers into training camp leading up to the 2016 season and ended up cutting them both. He spoke after a preseason game with Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who pointed him to an impressive undrafted rookie the Ravens simply didn’t have room for with Tucker having carved out his own spot.

Lutz came to New Orleans for one of the most impressive workouts Payton had seen. He signed the same day.

“It was a smart decision,” Payton said. “He’s been consistent. He’s been competitive. I think he’s someone that is constantly working on his craft.

“I don’t take it for granted, and I’m glad he’s with us.”

The rarity of a Saints kicker sticking around isn’t lost on Morstead. He believes this is the first time the Saints have returned the same long snapper, kicker and holder since he joined the team in 2009. Those relationships have helped breed the chemistry that can be crucial with a trio taking so many reps together.

“You can’t expect to be perfect every snap, and we have had a lot of opportunities to snap and kick, so we can all count on each other, and that helps a lot,” snapper Zach Wood said. “Wil is the ultimate competitor, and when something doesn’t feel right, he has the ability to change it or hone in on his technique and believe in himself. He’s one of the most mentally tough guys I know.”

Nearly a year ago with the Saints leading Carolina 21-12 midway through the third quarter of a wild-card round matchup, Payton rolled the dice and gave Lutz an opportunity to nail a 57-yard field goal. Had he missed, the Panthers offense, which hadn’t scored a touchdown all game, would have been in prime position to drive and silence the Superdome crowd.

“A lot of coaches would have punted,” Morstead. “That should tell you how much confidence coach (Payton) has in Wil.

“You can break technique into 100 different things, but at the end of the day, he can wake up and kick the ball straight, and that’s a gift a lot of people don’t have.”

Lately, Lutz hasn’t felt nearly as much pressure. The Saints haven’t trailed since their 30-20 win over Minnesota a month ago, and you could argue his last high-pressure kick came in the fourth quarter against the Rams, the game tied 35-35 when Lutz gave the Saints the lead off a 54-yard knock square through the uprights with 6:23 left.

But his track record has shown he’s ready for whatever situation arises, whether it be the postseason or the middle of a regular season blowout. Not only is his volume this season keeping him in the best rhythm of his career, but it can only be a good sign for his team, too.

“If I’m kicking eight extra points, it’s a good chance we’re winning,” he said. “And I won’t complain about that.”

K Major · 11-28-2018, 08:28 AM

I'm surprised Will isn't the Saints injury report. He's been kicking a ton of extra points over the last few weeks

JK.

11-27-2018, 11:07 PM	#1
Threaded by jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39 Rating: (0 votes - average) Twitter
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11-27-2018, 11:09 PM	#2
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: Saints kicker Wil Lutz providing accuracy, continuity to NFL's highest-scoring offense BY NATHAN BROWN \| nbrown@theadvocate.com Nov 27, 2018 - 5:15 pm With the New Orleans Saints having won by double digits each of the past five weeks, it’s easy to forget where they began their 10-game winning streak: on the right foot of Wil Lutz. How different would this season have looked if the third-year kicker hadn’t split the uprights from 44 yards out with 21 seconds to go against Cleveland in Week 2? It was feet away from a divot he made in sending a field-goal attempt wide left in the first half, and in the same game Browns then-kicker Zane Gonzalez missed two field goals and two extra points. How about the game-tying extra point with 75 seconds remaining in regulation against Atlanta? Or even the 39-yarder he made with just over two minutes to go in Baltimore, giving the Saints a seven-point lead and forcing Justin Tucker’s extra-point attempt to mean something? It was the only time Tucker has missed in his career. The current Super Bowl favorites, the squad sending all of New Orleans into a frenzy this fall, could have started 2-4. “I just know how I feel when we go out there and it’s a must-have,” Saints punter and holder Thomas Morstead said. “I know he’s making it, and that’s a great feeling to have.” With this Saints team on pace to break the NFL record for most points in a season, Lutz is on a swift scoring pace himself, topping the league in points scored by non-quarterbacks through Week 12 with 109, edging out Rams running back Todd Gurley by one point. With five games to go, Lutz is closing in on one of the 10 best scoring seasons in NFL history, slated to reach nearly 160. Much of that is a testament to the sheer number of opportunities the Georgia State grad has. Only the Kansas City Chiefs have attempted more field goals and extra points combined (68) than Lutz and the Saints (67). But his reliability in the midst of such a high usage rate is sky-high. Of kickers with at least 23 field-goal attempts, only the Giants’ Aldrick Rosas has a better percentage. And of kickers with at least 30 field-goal attempts, only future Hall of Famers Stephen Gostkowski and Sebastian Janikowski have been more on-target. https://www.theadvocate.com/video/pl...ideo_id=507700 With an already confident offensive unit that has all but mastered the two-minute drill, Lutz’s accuracy and battle-tested leg only put Saints quarterback Drew Brees more at ease. “When you have a kicker like Wil Lutz, man, we feel good about our chances of kicking long field goals,” he said. “That means out chances of getting late field goals at the end of a half, at the end of a game that end up being significant plays in the game only go up.” Both Brees and Morstead know that hasn’t always been the case for this organization. Since Brees and coach Sean Payton took the reins in 2006, 10 different kickers had seen in-game action with the Saints in their first decade together. In seven of those seasons, New Orleans used at least two kickers, including three in 2008. Payton brought two kickers into training camp leading up to the 2016 season and ended up cutting them both. He spoke after a preseason game with Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who pointed him to an impressive undrafted rookie the Ravens simply didn’t have room for with Tucker having carved out his own spot. Lutz came to New Orleans for one of the most impressive workouts Payton had seen. He signed the same day. “It was a smart decision,” Payton said. “He’s been consistent. He’s been competitive. I think he’s someone that is constantly working on his craft. “I don’t take it for granted, and I’m glad he’s with us.” The rarity of a Saints kicker sticking around isn’t lost on Morstead. He believes this is the first time the Saints have returned the same long snapper, kicker and holder since he joined the team in 2009. Those relationships have helped breed the chemistry that can be crucial with a trio taking so many reps together. “You can’t expect to be perfect every snap, and we have had a lot of opportunities to snap and kick, so we can all count on each other, and that helps a lot,” snapper Zach Wood said. “Wil is the ultimate competitor, and when something doesn’t feel right, he has the ability to change it or hone in on his technique and believe in himself. He’s one of the most mentally tough guys I know.” Nearly a year ago with the Saints leading Carolina 21-12 midway through the third quarter of a wild-card round matchup, Payton rolled the dice and gave Lutz an opportunity to nail a 57-yard field goal. Had he missed, the Panthers offense, which hadn’t scored a touchdown all game, would have been in prime position to drive and silence the Superdome crowd. “A lot of coaches would have punted,” Morstead. “That should tell you how much confidence coach (Payton) has in Wil. “You can break technique into 100 different things, but at the end of the day, he can wake up and kick the ball straight, and that’s a gift a lot of people don’t have.” Lately, Lutz hasn’t felt nearly as much pressure. The Saints haven’t trailed since their 30-20 win over Minnesota a month ago, and you could argue his last high-pressure kick came in the fourth quarter against the Rams, the game tied 35-35 when Lutz gave the Saints the lead off a 54-yard knock square through the uprights with 6:23 left. But his track record has shown he’s ready for whatever situation arises, whether it be the postseason or the middle of a regular season blowout. Not only is his volume this season keeping him in the best rhythm of his career, but it can only be a good sign for his team, too. “If I’m kicking eight extra points, it’s a good chance we’re winning,” he said. “And I won’t complain about that.”
	It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

11-28-2018, 08:28 AM	#3
K Major Site Donor 2019 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Bedford, TX Posts: 24,619 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Saints kicker Wil Lutz providing accuracy, continuity to NFL's highest-scoring offense I'm surprised Will isn't the Saints injury report. He's been kicking a ton of extra points over the last few weeks JK.

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