Link: Nugent or Feely?
As we’ve been travelling all week and will be driving back from Virginia tomorrow and attending the game, we’ll get back to a more normal schedule at TJB on Monday.
Tim Graham brings up an interesting question about the Jets kicking situation:
On the day the Jets signed Feely, Mangini said Feely would be the kicker only until “Mike gets back.”
That was team loyalty talking then. Nugent was entering his fourth season as the Jets’ kicker. They used a second-round pick to draft him out of Ohio State in 2005. He was the highest-drafted kicker since Sebastian Janikowski in 2000 and the second-highest since John Lee in 1986.
Nugent scored 110 points last year for a team that went 4-12. His 29 field goals were tied for fifth in the NFL.
But if Nugent was healthy enough to be a game-time decision on Nov. 13, then one must wonder if Mangini has changed his mind.
I just never hold Mangini to his actual words when he’s talking to the press. He’s a great coach, but his version of the story always comes from the “what gives my team a competitive advantage.”
It’s not whether Mangini has changed his mind, he clearly has. Nugent should have played by now and all his “it’s a process” and “one-level at a time” stuff doesn’t add up. Nugent is healthy enough and he’s not kicking for this team.
27 Responses to Link: Nugent or Feely?
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James in TN says:
Feely = Our Kicker
Nugent= Our mistake
Nuff said
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subwayfare says:
Yeah, I think it’s more of an, “if it ain’t broke,” situation. Why would you pull a kicker who’s been on a hot streak for a guy coming off the injured list, who’s last outing was disastrous?
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DanF says:
If Feely was so great why was he available when Nugent went down? Also, has everyone forgetten that up until a few games ago Feely was dependable for one miss per game? The reason it seems Feely has become more reliable is becasue the Jets offense has become better at driving and ultimatley scoring touchdowns…mostly against lesser teams. Once we get into the playoffs we will be facing teams which much better defenses week after week and we might find ourselves stalling at field goal range a little more often. Do we really want to hang our playoff and superbowl hopes on someone who started off so badly, or someone who at least has been consistent. Nugent may not be the best kicker in the league, but he rarely lets us down.
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subwayfare,
Nugent’s last outing was disastrous because he got injured on the first kick and then kept trying to kick for the rest of the game on an injured leg. I think he still made a few non-horrendous kicks on that hurt leg for the rest of the game.
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Nelson17 says:
Feely = Stop gap, journey man kicker who did a good job filling in.
Nugent = our kicker, a good kicker in the NFL, got an injury and deserves his job back
Nuff said
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k.c. says:
who has been kicking for us during this FIVE game WIN streak???….oh yeah, FEELY,THATS RIGHT,OUR KICKER!
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Roman says:
Nugent is a bum.
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DanF-
I know Nugent was injured. I’m not down on him and would probably go with him over the long haul. And I think the Jets will, too. Which is exactly why Mangini didn’t cut him, in spite of the valuable roster spot he’s eating up.
It’s just that kickers are streaky. If you have one that’s on a roll, you don’t make a change. Unless Feeley looks shaky in practice, I doubt we’ll see Nugent.
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To all of you Nugent haters,
Nugent has been a good kicker but he got hurt, the unwritten rule has always been you don’t lose your job to an injury. Sure Feely has been our kicker during the 5 game winning streak, but how good has he been? He hasn’t been great and no by no means is he better than Nugent. Nugent is the more consistent kicker and a guy you want on your team for years to come, not a stop gap kicker who has done decent because he plays on a team who has a much improved offense than when Nugent was kicking for them. I don’t want to trash on Feely because I commend him on a good job he has done, he has exceeded my expectations. But to get rid of a kicker who could be a top 5 kicker in the league for years to come for a journey man is ridiculous.
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Joe B. says:
No one’s advocating getting rid of Nugent. But until Feely gets cold, you stay with him, bottom line. Frankly I’m surprised that this is even an issue still.
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TC says:
If it ain’t broke,Don’t fix it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Dean Barbella says:
I’m with subwayfare and TC. Don’t fix what aint broke. Nugent is a long-term kicking solution.
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Nugent will be back… probably next year. You can’t bench a kicker who is making his kicks for a kicker who last time we saw him was missing his kicks until kicker who’s making his kicks starts missing his kicks.
Favre for Secretary of State
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On his best day Nugent couldnt kick as well as Feely is kicking right now. Nugent did hit a bunch in a row at one point but he doesnt have the leg to hit then from 48+ and his kickoffs were always bad. He never adjusted from the K ball in the college. Feely will get cold. All kickers do but he is hot right now and Mangini and more importantly Westoff will let him kick until he loses it.
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LIMM says:
To all you who believe that Nugent’s main knock is his power, you are just ignorant. First off, there’s absolutely no way he would have been drafted in the second round of the NFL draft knowing that he was a weak kicker. Secondly, I attended EVERY practice during training camp at Hofstra this year, and Nugent would routinely make field goals from 55+ yards, in game-like situations, once hitting a 61-yarder to end practice. It’s always been more of a trust thing; Mangini doesn’t trust Nugent enough to kick long-field goals, especially when ex-Jets punter Ben Graham’s forte was pinning opponents inside the 10 with his Aussie-kicks (though he really wasn’t good for much else.)
All aside, in the past two years, Nugent has connected on 84.1% of his kicks, topping Feely’s 83.3% clip for this year, as well as his 81.1% career mark. The reason I think that everyone is all over Feely is because he is the kicker when we’re winning. Asides from ’06, we haven’t really won much with Nugent, and the bad feelings go along with that.
Now I know that it would be crazy to reserve two spots for kickers on the roster (though they have for the majority of the season), but I wouldn’t be completely opposed to having Feely for kickoffs and Nugent for FGs. It just makes sense.
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I think another problem with Nugent not being back is Westhoff’s presence. Westhoff will stick with the hot hand, and rightfully so, but if it were up to the REAL special teams coordinator, Kevin O’Dea (one of the worst ST coaches in football), I would be inclined to believe that Nuge would be back. O’Dea seems to have confidence in Nugent, though Mangini has absolutely no confidence in O’Dea whatsoever. That, ultimately, is why Nuge isn’t back right now.
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Reprocity says:
Feely! People make it sound like he was around for the ride these past 5 games… How about his 51yrd to force overtime vs Oakland? The OT fg against NE and his kickoffs are the best since John Hall! Nugent had a good year last year but he sucked in the preseason this year BEFORE he got hurt. As for Feelys misses it’s understandable for someone to come in without much time and get adjusted… Can you say FARVE!
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Reprocity,
Are you basing his poor preseason THIS year on one missed field goal (against Washington)? -
dan says:
since when does feely have a good kickoff, i dont have a clue what you guys are watching but his kickoffd this year are not that good, try getting a touchback at least once to have good kickoffs, come on now!!!!!
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NUGENTS field goal kicking has been MEDIOCRE AT BEST EVERY year he’s been kicking for us! I think HE has NO CONFIDENCE in HIMSELF also! He NEVER hit a BIG/GAME WINNING field goal over 45 yards ONCE! ……..oh,thats right,EXCEPT for in PRACTICE! FEELY is our MAN!
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After seeing him for a few years with the Giants, I am terrified he is one kick away from going ice cold so I want to see Nugent stay on the roster.
With that said, I don’t see any problem with riding Feely until this cold streak arrives.
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Yeah, but at the same time, has Nuge ever MISSED a game winner. Not that I remember, excluding preseason.
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Doug says:
Jay Feely = Wally Pip — at least until he pushes a few wide right.
What has Nugent ever done that has constituted loyalty? It’s not like this guy was our Chad Pennington of special teams. He’s an accurate kicker, with a mediocre leg. Feely is a powerful kicker, with an accurate leg.
Not to mention Nugent sucked at kicking “gimmee” field goals, and extra points. And he was spectacular at kicking the ball of either.
With Feely and Hodges, we have had consistent field position, and the numbers they are putting up this year as far as averages and percentages, is outstanding. If it’s broke, why fix it?