The reality of Loop\u2019s rookie season was that he didn\u2019t face a veteran presence all summer, and he didn\u2019t have to make a truly big kick until the one that cemented Baltimore losing the division and missing the playoffs. That\u2019s not to say that Loop won\u2019t be a very good NFL kicker for a long time, and it\u2019s impossible not to have great faith in Ravens kicking coach Randy Brown. But shaking the dynamic up might be telling.<\/p>\n
How To Quantify Loop\u2019s Rookie Year?<\/p>\n
Loop\u2019s ability to kick for distance remains to be seen, but his rookie season was largely solid. When compared with every rookie kicker to kick in at least 10 games, since 2015 (the kicking game continues to evolve, so a reasonable sample size), Loop holds up. Only three rookie kickers since 2015 made more field goals than the 30 Loop converted \u2013 Rodrigo Blankenship (Colts, 32), Brandon Aubrey (36, Cowboys), Harrison Butker (38, Chiefs), not a bad class to be a part of at all.<\/p>\n
Loop was seventh among 33 rookie kickers (10 or more games) since 2015 at 88.2% overall (the six ahead of him all have had legit NFL careers). Loop made 89% of his kicks between 40-49 yards, sixth among this group, and he excelled on extra points, making 44 of 46. All of that portends well for his future.<\/p>\n
His rookie season also looks similar to the highly-successful kicker replaced in Justin Tucker<\/a>. Tucker was 30\/33 overall on field goals in 2012; Loop was 30\/34. Tucker was 10\/13 from 40-49 and Loop was 8\/9. Tucker was perfect on extra points, however, and also 4\/4 from 50+ and he\u2019d go on to lead the NFL in FG made and attempted in year two, while going 6\/7 from 50+.<\/p>\n Loop attempted just four kicks of 50 yards or more \u2013 certainly telling \u2013 and he made just one, and he was just 1-for-3 from 40-plus from Week 12 on, and he really struggled to land the ball in the zone on kickoffs and that Week 17 miss is the kind of thing that might haunt even a far more established kicker. It\u2019s kind of shocking to me how infrequently he was even sent out to attempt anything longer than 40 yards once the weather changed; perhaps it was happenstance and circumstance, but it does feel a little odd.<\/p>\n At a time when coaches are leaning more into 50-yard attempts, and with a rookie head coach who has a rookie offensive coordinator calling players on one of the least experienced staffs i<\/a>n the NFL, I can\u2019t help but wonder if trying to simulate pressure and offering some competition isn\u2019t in order at a position as critical as this.<\/p>\n I figure Loop will be most likely be fine, but what\u2019s the harm in having someone with an NFL resume also on the roster taking the kicks when he rests his leg and providing a push or a nudge? Preferably someone who has made a postseason field goal before.<\/p>\n
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