Greg Zuerlein didn’t get the nicknames “Legatron” and “Greg the Leg” from kicking chip shots; instead, it comes from him being 57 percent accurate on field goals beyond 50 yards, with a career long of 61.
So no matter the situation, he feels like he should’ve made the 59-yard attempt at the gun on Sunday and tied the Jets’ game with the Lions at 20-20.
Alas, he did not, and he also didn’t care how far it was, because he knew it was on him wherever the final offensive play left the Jets.
“In a situation like that you’re kicking it no matter where you are,” Zuerlein said. “You just have to go out there and make the kick. From that distance, I can make that. I should’ve made the kick, but I didn’t hit it well, and that’s life.”
Zuerlein has a 60-yarder this year, and he wouldn’t elaborate on any comfortable range pregame, or anything like that, saying “there’s always some wiggle room.” But, as he said, he knows that 59 is still within his range, and he needed to do a better job.
“I feel confident any time I go out there,” he said. “If I strike the ball like I know how, I’m gonna make the kick. I have to execute when it matters, and it didn’t happen today, unfortunately.”
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And, unfortunately, he knew it as soon as he kicked it.
“Sometimes you can hit it bad and you’re close and get lucky, but most of the time I’ll know whether it’s good or not as soon as I kick it,” Zuerlein said. “Bad feelings, never what you want to see.”
To a man, though, the Jets’ offense believes they could’ve put him in a better spot.
“Z is a hell of a kicker but that’s not on him; we have to put him in a better situation,” said Zach Wilson. “We didn’t get it done.”
“I have all the faith in the world in him; Greg is a great player, been in the league for a minute and always balled out,” added Garrett Wilson. “None of that’s changed; I trust in my teammates, and I know he’s feeling it right now.”
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Because of the miss, however, the game ended instead of going into overtime, and at 7-7, it’s likely win out or be out for the Jets. But, just like one kick at a time, Legatron says it’s one game at a time for Gang Green.
“I never look too far into the future, because I don’t know what’s happening with other teams. We just have to win as many games as we can,” he said. “We have Jacksonville here in four days, and we have to get ready for them now.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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