Rayner And More Misses

[Packnut]

Well, I don't know about you guys but 6-9 is just not acceptable in the NFL. Wind or no wind, he need's to figure out how to adjust. If he can't hit em in a summer breeze, what the hell is he gonna do in December?

I know a lot of you wanna give him a break due to his leg strength and potential but this guy has sucked in practice. He may turn out to be the greatest kicker in the world but the growing pains will be to painfull.

TT had better bring some kickers in next week!

[Packnut]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=487619

[red]

well, he'll get his chance to be the man on monday, and if he doesn't step up it looks like theres at least one good option out there, and maybe more

if he looks bad monday, i expect gramatica in camp on weds, or vandejagt if he's cut by then

[MadtownPacker]

Notes: Crosswinds steer Rayner off course
He hits six of ninefield goal tries
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 24, 2006

Green Bay - Green Bay Packers kicker Dave Rayner got a taste of what it might be like kicking in Lambeau Field and the results weren't pretty.

Rayner, who last week was given the chance to win the job without competition, battled a crosswind that blew over Ray Nitschke Field Thursday afternoon. It was similar to the winds that blow through Lambeau in the winter months, which former kicker Ryan Longwell said many times were among the most unpredictable in the National Football League.

Rayner connected on field-goal attempts of 24, 30 and 30 yards but then pushed two attempts from 39 yards to the left. Then in a hurry-up drill in which the field goal unit was rushed out onto the field, he missed again to the left from 39 yards.

In all, Rayner hit six of nine during practice, the longest from 44 yards.

"He obviously struggled," coach Mike McCarthy said. "He had some wind right to left. It was not his best day."

Rayner became the Packers' sole kicker after veteran Billy Cundiff was released Aug. 16, but he is still in competition for a job. The Packers are scouting other kickers in the NFL to see if someone capable is released when roster reductions occur.

The first of several NFL kicking battles to be settled was in New England, where the Patriots cut Martin Gramatica in favor of rookie Stephen Gostkowski.

The Packers still want to find out whether the strong-legged Rayner can handle the job and will allow him to handle the duties in front of a national cable television audience Monday night in Cincinnati.

Rayner said he would rather miss in practice than in games.

"Two of them I hit pretty good," Rayner said. "The one we ran on, it was embarrassing. The other two I hit real well. I put the ball right down the middle and they went left. If I had aimed right it would have gone down the middle. It just took me two shots to figure that out, which is not good."

Part of Rayner's job is assessing the kicking conditions before a game and he said he was hoping to find out more about Lambeau Field as time goes on. He said he and holder Jon Ryan did not have time to hit practice balls before his attempts Thursday, which might have led to his poor judgment.

He said he was not going to beat himself up over the misses.

"If I sit here and dwell on three practice kicks, I'm going to go insane," Rayner said. "My biggest thing is in practice, I know what I did wrong. I'll go fix it tomorrow. I'm not going to sit here and dwell on it and over-think it and analyze everything to death."

Finish line: As part of a going-away "gift" for student trainer Kiejuan Davis, the players pooled together some money for him to take back to school.

The only caveat was that he had to perform the same running test the players do when they arrive at training camp and wear the workout outfit of their choice to get the cash. So after practice, Davis broke the team huddle and then stripped down to a pair of spandex tights and a cut-off shirt.

Not the shapeliest individual, Davis proceeded to run eight timed 100-yard dashes between two lines of players cheering him on. On the final sprint, a number of players ran with him to the finish line.

In all, the players raised in the neighborhood of $6,000 for Davis, who returns to school at Northern Michigan today.

"The part nobody knew was that he couldn't afford his tuition," trainer Pepper Burruss said. "But he didn't tell anybody that's why he was doing it. None of them knew about the school thing."

Davis was serving a second stint as a summer intern with the Packers and said he planned to become a full-time trainer after he graduates next year.

In for repairs: Fullback William Henderson said it became clear to him Saturday night in the Atlanta game that the problem in his right knee needed to be addressed immediately.

"I covered a kickoff and just didn't feel like it responded how it should," he said, speaking for the first time since undergoing arthroscopic surgery Monday. "The doc looked at it and came to the conclusion that the symptoms I was showing it was possibly time that it needed to be looked at more in-depth."

Henderson had cartilage removed from his knee and will need several weeks to recover, but he might be back for the regular-season opener. When he sat out practice Monday, it marked the first time since at least 2000 that he missed a training camp workout because of a football injury.

"It's a pride thing to be out here every day and represent myself," Henderson said. "At the same time I know I have to treat my body well or it won't work for me in the end. I benefit the team more if I take the time now and get things taken care of instead of being a lame duck."

Health matters: Cornerbacks Mike Hawkins and Patrick Dendy are trying to show they're healthy enough to play Monday night. Running back Najeh Davenport is just trying to get healthy.

Hawkins (knee) and Dendy (ankle) took part in a limited portion of practice, but haven't been cleared.

Hawkins, who was on the roster last year but has missed 17 practices because of tendinitis this summer, has plans to show the coaches he can play against Cincinnati.

"My goal is I'm playing on Monday night, if it's two snaps or three snaps or special teams, I'm going to play Monday night," he said. "That's my mind-set."

Davenport, meanwhile, has missed three straight practices with a hip flexor injury and is losing ground to rookie Arliss Beach for one of the backup halfback positions.

"We're hopeful," McCarthy said of Davenport playing. "I can't control player injuries. You want to see him out there. He's competing for a roster spot. Am I concerned? I'm concerned about what's best for our football team. We like the things Najeh has done but he needs to get out there and play to make our football team, just like everybody else."

[Bretsky]

Pack will miss schlongwell

[Patler]

Pack will miss schlongwell

By the end of the season those "short" kickoffs of the past might not seem so bad.

[Bretsky]

Pack will miss schlongwell

By the end of the season those "short" kickoffs of the past might not seem so bad.


You are so right; and even if he was slightly below average in differnce many of his kickoffs had decent hang time. He was the best kicker I've witnessed as a Packer, especially when BJ Sanders was not his holder.

[packrulz]

Rayner needs more experience, the Pack isn't going to the Super Bowl this year anyway. This is why I wanted to use a late round pick on a kicker. Maybe someone good will get cut on the final cutdown like Longwell did. I'd rather have Rayner than Gramattica.

[Terry]

In Longwell's first years, I wonder how many field goals he missed in pre-game warmups on windy days.

I swear, I think some of you guys would bring a Christmas puppy back to the petshop as a faulty product for pissing on the floor.

[Fritz]

In Longwell's first years, I wonder how many field goals he missed in pre-game warmups on windy days.

I swear, I think some of you guys would bring a Christmas puppy back to the petshop as a faulty product for pissing on the floor.

Oh...that's a bad thing? Oops.

Anyway, Monday night is Rayner's shot. If he comes through, then the coaching staff knows he can handle some pressure since he's kicking for his football life. If not, there's a guy kicking here in Detroit who is kicking azz, but the Lions aren't going to get rid of Jason Hansen. I suggest picking this guy up when Detroit cuts him. My sense is the Lions will wait until the last minute cuz they know this kicker will be immediately picked up.

[SkinBasket]

Whoa! Whats going on with the big text there tex?

I agree with what the woman said about the puppy. The fact that he missed all three to the windward side is encouraging because it means he just wasnt adjusting enough, not that he went haywire and was overcompensating and blasting kicks left, right, and short. Thats when a kicker becomes an ex-kicker working at Sam's Club.

[Terry]

What woman?

[Terry]

Yeah, why the big text?

[SkinBasket]

What woman?

My bad. Terry with a "y"... not an "i"

[run pMc]

The missed FG's are a concern, but based on the article it sounds like they had no preparation, which would always be done pre-game. The kid has never kicked in GB, he'll either figure it out or be cut.

Excuses aside, I liked what he said about not letting it get to him and to getting back out there and doing better.

I'm all for bringing in someone else for competition. Nothing against Cundiff, but I think we could do better.

[run pMc]

And yes, the Pack will miss Longwell.

Last year's misses were uncharacteristic and were an unfortunate aberration that cost us a couple of games. I'm skeptical Rayner will do any better...and that bums me out.

[MadtownPacker]

Like someone said, the team is being rebuilt anyways might as well start from scratch. WHo knows, Rayner might be the guy for years to come and everyone will swear they saw it from day 1.

[Terry]

Actually, there are misses and then there are misses. Sometimes, 3 misses are because of low kicks, bad kicks, poorly directed kicks, etc. In this case, all three kicks were good solid kicks right down the middle - the wind took them off to the left (I think it was left?). There's cause to be hopeful in that. All he needs to learn is how to handle the wind. One would hope a few pre-game practice kicks would take care of that.



My bad. Terry with a "y"... not an "i"
Actually, it's not your bad at all. Terry with a 'y' is used for both men and women. I used to think as you, that only 'Terri' was used for the female, but it's not so.

Besides, you're certainly not the first.