Is Bucs K Succop’s Lack Of Range A Concern?

Of all the thrilling moments in the Bucs’ 3o-24 win over the Panthers on Sunday, the kicking game on field goals and extra points certainly wasn’t one of them. Kicker Ryan Succop was 1-of-3 on field goal attempts, missing from 53 yards and getting a kick blocked on a short, 26-yarder. He also missed one of his two extra point attempts, the first miss he’s had all season long.

Succop is still an accurate kicker from when he’s within 49 yards or closer. He’s hit 10-of-11 field goals from 20-29 yards out, gone 7-of-8 from 30-39 yards and he’s a perfect 11-of-11 on field goals between 40-49 yards. It’s anything from 50 yards that has given him trouble.

Succop is just 2-of-7 from 50-plus yards on the season, which drops his overall kicking percentage to 81.1%. Take out his field goals from that range and his percentage goes all the way up to 93.3%.

There’s no questioning his accuracy from shortage yardage or extra points. The Bucs should have plenty of faith in him with those regards. Long range it’s been a completely different story, and we’ve seen it all in recent weeks.

When the Bucs lost 35-7 to the 49ers, Succop missed from 55-yards out. Two weeks ago against the Bengals, he was no good from 50 yards. And then early in the game on a chance for a 53-yard field goal, Succop missed from there as well.

In a league where kickers are regularly hitting 57-yard field goals that would be good from 60, Succop hasn’t been coming close. Everyone knows that he’s better from closer range,  and yet the Bucs have continuously trotted him out for these long shots that aren’t best suited for him.

Is the 36-year old Succop to blame for not succeeding in a spot that we all know is a weakness, or is Todd Bowles to blame for putting him in that position? Bowles seemed more unhappy with the blocked 26-yard field goal than his missed from further out.

“The block is more concerning because it was a low ball,” Bowles said. “Obviously we’ve got to get some height on that one. That one’s more concerning. The longer kicks, the 35 [yard line], depending on down and distance, he typically makes those. He made them all in pregame, he just missed them in the game.”

Bucs Work Out A Kicker

Whether or not the Bucs are happy with Succop behind the scenes, they did at least briefly take a look into other options. Tampa Bay brought in a couple of players for a tryout on Tuesday. They were defensive tackle C.J. Brewer, linebackers T.J. Brunson and Khalan Tolson and kicker Jake Verity.

A second-year player, Verity was an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina who signed with the Ravens and was on their practice squad. He was waived from Baltimore after tearing his ACL in December. He also had a brief stints with the Colts in this year’s training camp and was claimed off of waivers Jaguars during training camp this season. Verity was put on injured reserve in late August and released a week later in September.

It doesn’t sound like there’s any legitimate threat to Succop’s role on this team. This would be an extremely risky decision that would come other criticism to replace him with a kicker that has yet to kick in an NFL game with the playoffs coming up. Succop has been solid all year, he just struggles in one specific area.

Another Kicking Decision Comes Into Question For Bucs

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

There was a kick that Succop did make in the game that has also come into question, but it has nothing to do with the fault of him. Late in the second quarter, inside linebacker Devin White recovered a fumble on a botched snap from the Panthers on their 17-yard line and took it another four-yards, immediately putting the Bucs in scoring position.

Tampa Bay threw an incomplete pass on third-and-one from the Panthers’ 4-yard line and elected to kick a 22-yard field goal rather than go for it on fourth down. Many wanted the Bucs to go for it considering it was only one-yard, a field goal would put them down four points instead of tying it up, and Tampa Bay also had previous success converting on fourth down in their last home game against the Bengals.

The Bucs also went for it on fourth down later in the game, which makes the early decision even more questionable.

“Yeah, there’s a lot of thought (about it),” Bowles said about deciding to go for it. “There’s a lot of thought.”