Cundiff has competition

[Bretsky]

Right when we lost Longwell, I said he'll be sorely missed.

Patler the statmen brough out statistics showing he wasn't nearly as bad at kickoffs as most thought, and he was money if he had a competent holder. I've stated that field goal holder point over and over so I won't go there again, but Ryan Longwell was and is still an outstanding kicker. Guys like Billy Cundliff etc....those are bottom tier kickers that we'll be stressed about all season long.

[woodbuck27]

Right when we lost Longwell, I said he'll be sorely missed.

Patler the statmen brough out statistics showing he wasn't nearly as bad at kickoffs as most thought, and he was money if he had a competent holder. I've stated that field goal holder point over and over so I won't go there again, but Ryan Longwell was and is still an outstanding kicker. Guys like Billy Cundliff etc....those are bottom tier kickers that we'll be stressed about all season long.

That is one loss that will bite OUR arse.

[Rastak]

Right when we lost Longwell, I said he'll be sorely missed.

Patler the statmen brough out statistics showing he wasn't nearly as bad at kickoffs as most thought, and he was money if he had a competent holder. I've stated that field goal holder point over and over so I won't go there again, but Ryan Longwell was and is still an outstanding kicker. Guys like Billy Cundliff etc....those are bottom tier kickers that we'll be stressed about all season long.

As a side note, he's been kicking quite well in Vikings camp.

[woodbuck27]

Right when we lost Longwell, I said he'll be sorely missed.

Patler the statmen brough out statistics showing he wasn't nearly as bad at kickoffs as most thought, and he was money if he had a competent holder. I've stated that field goal holder point over and over so I won't go there again, but Ryan Longwell was and is still an outstanding kicker. Guys like Billy Cundliff etc....those are bottom tier kickers that we'll be stressed about all season long.

As a side note, he's been kicking quite well in Vikings camp.

No kidding !

[Bretsky]

Rastak,

You will appreciate Longwell; he feels no pressure and was so mechanically sound he hardly ever missed if the hold was down right. Now if your holder is shit he might make that comment, which can be irritating to fans, but I'd assume you don't have a holder nearly as pathetic as BJ Sanders.

[HarveyWallbangers]

As a side note, he's been kicking quite well in Vikings camp.

Tell us who looks bad. My friend at work said not every thing is rosy in Vikings camp. I want to hear the bad with the good.

[Patler]

Rastak;

With Longwell, expect every kick to be good. He will seldom miss. He is also much better at the 45-53 yarders than most. I would say 55, but he seems to limit his own range at a little less, although indoors he will go at 55.

Do they expect Longwell to handle kickoffs? I know most placekickers do, but every now and then they don't.

[SD GB fan]

when i saw this i thot packers decided to give ingle martin a try at kicker

[MJZiggy]

At this rate, perhaps they should.

[woodbuck27]

August 7, 2006

Longwell loving life with former 'enemy' Vikings

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
The Associated Press

MANKATO, Minn. — Ryan Longwell doesn't look like the kind of guy who likes to wear the black hat.

He's the poster child for nice guys — affable, unassuming, and great in the community and with fans.

Playing the previous nine seasons with the hated Green Bay Packers, and the annual trip to the raucous Metrodome in Minneapolis that came with it, taught Longwell all about playing the role of villain.

Beneath his choir-boy appearance, Longwell had a ball being the bad guy.

"I really loved being the enemy," Longwell said. "I always thought that it was fun. And there was no better place to be the enemy than in the Dome, because it was so loud and they were so against you."

So when the Vikings lured Longwell away from the Packers in the offseason, they signed perhaps the biggest target for Vikings fans' fury outside of Brett Favre.

Longwell's biggest year in this rivalry came in 2004, when he hit game-winning field goals as time expired in both games. He made three field goals in the Metrodome to lift the Packers to victory in 2003, and hit two field goals during a comeback win over the Vikings in 2002.

"We had some huge wins over here back then, but at the same time, it's fun to be on the other side of the battle now," Longwell said. "I'm excited to go to Lambeau for the first time, and I'm excited to play the Packers for the first time, because I still have some great friends over there."

Longwell takes over for Paul Edinger, who had two game-winners against the Packers last season. The Vikings are hoping Longwell will win a few games for them this year, instead of the other way around.

After spending so much time in one place, Longwell said the change has been refreshing.

"The transition has been a lot smoother than I anticipated," he said. "It's been a blast. It's been a lot of fun. It's been really exciting just to have everything new."

He won't take his first Metrodome kick in purple until the preseason opener against Oakland on Aug. 14, but the idea of spending most of his season indoors after enduring the harsh elements of Lambeau Field didn't hurt the Vikings in negotiations.

"He's certainly looking forward to having the Metrodome as his home field, being able to get perfect conditions in those eight home games," special teams coordinator Paul Ferraro said.

When the Vikings venture outdoors, they shouldn't have to worry much about their kicker. Playing in the NFC North his whole career, Longwell is used to kicking in Soldier Field's wind tunnel in Chicago and, of course, on the icy turf at Lambeau Field.

"There is definitely a technique and a tact for kicking in those places, and the only thing that you can do is have more experience," Longwell said.

"Fortunately I have a lot of experience kicking in Soldier Field and kicking in Lambeau, so that will be an advantage for us."

The kicking thing has come easy for Longwell, who grew up in Bend, Ore., before going to college at California.

This season has brought a new challenge — breaking in a new holder. Punter Chris Kluwe is training to be the holder on field goals in camp despite never having done it before on any level.

Longwell, who has been known to call out the holder or long snapper after a missed field goal, has been working with the second-year player to get a comfort level.

"We're trying to take it a step at a time," Longwell said. "He's done pretty well for the most part. We're certainly not where we need to be, but we'll get there."

[TPF]

Longwell's a dick.