Last night in my grades, I briefly mentioned that the 49ers should cut David Akers. Let’s expand on that.
Akers is the weakest link on the team. He’s the worst kicker in the NFL this season. For the last few months he hasn’t been able to hit 50-yard field goals. In the playoffs, you need a kicker who is money inside 40 yards. Last night, Akers missed a 39-yarder.
In warm-ups, his kicks hook to right. In games, he tries to overcompensate by pushing kicks to the left. His mechanics must be out of whack.
I’m saying they should cut Akers and sign Nate Kaeding today. What do you think the 49ers should do?
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I agree on Akers. I don’t think moss has done a horrible job. I would love to renegotiate Alex Smith on a long term back up contract.
As bad as Akers has been, Mason Crosby has been worse. I would take Longwell or Kaeding in a heartbeat. Heck, even Cundiff at this point.
Nate Kaeding would be a good pick up – I think
I have been saying they should move on from Akers since the first Rams game. Time to move on.
Which begs the question, why haven’ they? Without knowing anything to suggest otherwise my guess is that they don’t feel that what is available is actually better then what they have, doesn’t say much for Kaeding that’s for sure.
I think he broke his pelvis when he kicked that 63 yard field goal. He hasnt been the same since ;)
Cut’em period end of story
The good news is if faced with a long kick you now can GO FOR IT on fourth down—hate to lose games—rams—–because the kicker missed a makeable kick. He missed one last nite that could have been a dealbreacker
Aikman made the point during the Packers game. Jimmy Johnson wouldn’t hesitate cutting kickers. His point was that kickers have to be very confident…one they lose that, they become a liability. Great season last year, but sorry Akers, you gotta go.
Saw that piece from Johnson about taking immediate action to cut a kicker because it can take them more than a year to get right again. Totally agree.
Cundiff and kaeding are both choke artists
Hey Grant,
I brought this up once before, but what is your opinion of Giorgio Tavecchio? It seems to me that he was pretty impressive in the pre-season for us.
Am I remembering that correctly?
Bad idea. There are worse unemployed kickers (including many chokers) waiting in the wings.
Agree Indigo….I wouldn’t cut him unless there is something better available..at this point it appears that Cundiff and Kaeding didn’t quite measure up during thier tryouts.
Experience must trump all
If my memory serves me right wasn’t it Kaeding a choke artist for the Chargers??
Yup, or else he’d be on a team right now
Grant, be a little more respectful of a guy that worked his tail off last year and really came through. He’s a humble hard-working guy. Dump is a bad choice of words…
I think you have a good point there. Unlike others that have been bashed on here, Akers has shown himself to be at a Pro Bowl level, as recent as last year.
If he hadn’t done anything, ever, then go ahead and ‘dump’ him. Otherwise, some respect is warranted for a guy who really played well for us.
I’d love to cut him. Problem is…..quality availability. The kickers you mention I do not trust either. The 49ers I’m afraid are stuck with him until next year. Its pretty bad when you have to prey before every kick including the very short ones.
Akers is doing his best, but something is off, and it doesn’t look like it’s fixable, short term. The truth is that it cost us victories in both Rams games, and a change has to be made.
Who was the rook that was in per-season he didn’t miss a field goal.
Yes. I think he needs to go if an average viable option is out there. Meaning can he make 39 yard field goal consistently. ALSO AS A BONUS, has this new kick been able to hit 50+ yard field goals, meaning is the leg still there? We may need a prayer FG at some point.
I’d prefer giving Tavecchio a shot before I brought aboard any of the retreads. You’d think there would be diamond free agent kicker hidden in the rough somewhere…
Signing Tavecchio with t/extra roster spot is not a bad idea-go bears!
Bring back Giorgio Tavecchio…the guy showed promise. Personally, I’d steer clear of Kaeding and other vets who eventually got cut from their team by missing big kicks.
question: do they keep the unpredictable they already know?
do they cut what they know to try the guy already cut once or
twice they don’t know?
some choice, huh…
Huh?
I do believe what you are not saying makes good sense, but I do disagree with your question, which is thought provoking, not really?
The past is indeed previous, and the luxury of hindsight is a necessity few can afford, except perhaps in retrospect. Americans have always known this to be true, and history has proven them correct.
I don’t see how cutting Akers for Kaeding improves things. Kaeding has a history of missing big kicks in the playoffs. There’s really little quality out there to warrant cutting Akers. The Packers are suffering through a worse stretch with Mason Crosby but are seeing it through because there is nobody better to bring in. Kickers struggle. It comes with the territory. Akers has to pull himself out of it and get his mojo back. That’s the only option imo.
If Akers is having issues because of his pelvic injury, then place him in IR and resign Tavecchio. He’s become too much of a risk and is completely unreliable. If it’s a physical injury that’s causing the issue then he should be brought back next year when he’s healthy because he’s shown that he’s one of the best in the league.
However, if Akers’ mistakes are because he’s become a mental case, then cut him and resign Tavecchio.
I agree with others – Cundiff, Kaeding, and the other “experienced” kickers out there are about as reliable as Akers so why bother to make the move if it’s not to go with some new blood, like Tavecchio.
Fakers will become Akers again in playoffs. I would keep him, he’s getting all of his misses out of the way before playoffs start.
Grant I think your way outa hand with this subject, I mean we have our experts for this. Even the Akers situation, needs not to be mentioned like this, “dump” these people have produced and were credited players at one point so show them some respect and allow them to walk if departed from our organization to do so with their dignity as they once gave us moments of a dedicated 49er. Although you have a valid point how Akers is playing Harb has the final say and if he sees fitted to substituting him he will believe that.
The reason why I say your outa context with this convo, is that, our focus should be: how we are doing, what’s going on for next week, and how are we walking away with this Super Bowl championship as a team. Not a damn article that any body can read including the players you mentioned and catch some type of hard feelings thinking that’s how us fans think about them and if we need them to produce on this Super Bowl run they choke purposely outa spite because in back of their minds have the idea that the relationship they have with the team is coming to an end that even the fans can see it. Also not to mention, any type of locker room controversy with them or any other players reading this and putting them on blast, that’s very un49er like of you keep your focus on winning and not disrupting. Off season will come soon talk about that then thank you.
That’s the last thing they need is locker room stirrups leave it alone they need focus not distraction as a fan why would you want the talk when you know the less drama the better and that any drama could affect a run by distracting. Come on let’s do the right thing here.
I don’t know that you can go away from Akers right now. For whom? Playoff choker #1 or #1A?
I don’t think Harbaugh can trust Akers like he used to be able to and in actuality, that may be to the team’s benefit. No more playing for a field goal when they’re in no-man’s land (too close to punt, too far to kick). I would hope it would force the team to be a bit more aggressive in their play calling, which would suit our new QB just fine.
Surely, Akers has not been doing his job as of late, but I don’t see the team “dumping” him before the off-season.
I think Kaeding would be a great pickup for the last two games of the season. Once the playoffs start, you’d be better off with Akers. Kaeding’s playoff chokes are epic.
Wonder if they would consider using that extra spot to bring in Tavecchio for kick offs and 45+ yard field goals? Not sure it is a good idea to abandon someone who was rock solid last year and apparently has an injury that might be hindering him. Also with Kap I think they are going to be more apt to go for it on 4th down rather than try a long field goal.
I liked Tavecchio, probably because he sounds like a meatball, and I love meatballs.
+1 and lol
Does anyone know why Joe Nedney is no longer playing?
Seems to me that he had a groin strain every other week.
Yes, he was injured a lot during his last year, but you would think what bothered him is gone by now. He was an extremely accurate kicker.
also very reliable when he was healthy.
I think he had some sort of (calcium?) build-up in his kicking thigh. It’s a condition he’s had for years and he finally either couldn’t best it, work around it or had just plain had enough of the pain.
Shoot. I can’t find any article supporting my claim, but I’m pretty sure that’s what happened along with his groin pulls and hip issues.
Btw, fun fact, I had an opportunity to chat with Joe for a few minutes a couple years back at a training camp fan-fest. He turned out to be a really cool cat. Signed my hat (along with Singletary and Tony Wragge haha) before he got mobbed. Easy to talk to like a real human being and everything. It’s to him I attribute my blog moniker. Every time he came up to kick it was “automatic”.
Every person’s body reaches a point where it can’t do things they way it used to. Akers looks like that to me.
I don’t dislike Akers, he has had a great career and I respect what he has accomplished. However, as a coach, owner, or fan do you really feel comfortable with him lining up to kick that final field goal that could get us into the Super Bowl? Or worse, for the Super Bowl win?? I think as fans we all agree that we don’t have faith that that ball would split those uprights, and I think the coaches and team should consider that in the next couple weeks…
As a Smither who hates change, I say keep Akers. Bring back Singletary. What happened to Wragge? This world is spinning too fast for me!
LOL Too funny
I agree with several posters here who think “dump” is an overly harsh word to use. Akers may have lost it, he may be hurt, I don’t know. He was the 49ers MVP last year though and he deserves a bit more respect than that.
Wonder if Jose Cortez is available.
See Bleacher Report on the seven worst 49er kickers:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/767837-the-7-worst-kickers-in-san-francisco-49ers-history/page/8
You know, one of the benefits of getting older is forgetting horrible things.
And then, out of the blue, someone brings up Jose Cortez. Not cool man.
Brace yourself:
Nick Mickemier
Mickemeyer?
Cost the Niners the playoffs and Monte Clark his job.
I’m not quite old enough to remember the Monte Clark years . I watched the 49ers then but I didn’t really understand anything other than the dudes in red had better win.
My earliest football memories are my step-dad yelling profanities at Dick Nolan (he used to strongly emphasize “Dick” which made me laugh). 30 years later I was yelling profanities at Mike Nolan. The circle of life.
Clem – Lol
@msclemons:
Curiously, I found myself calling Mike Nolan by his father’s name.
Maybe one of the gramatica brothers can still kick
The Zendejas family children should be of ripe age as well by now.
Ray Wershing has a 20 year old son : )
“The Zendejas family children should be of ripe age as well by now.”
The Alex Zendejas guy was a major choke artist at the Univ. of Arizona. He missed extra points on more than one occasion and once in overtime to tie, missed the PAT
That’s funny when Kap makes a mistake you say it didn’t cost us the game.
With Akers it is, GET LOST, you’re not as good as last year.
He didn’t cost us the game either……………….
Are you gonna wanna trade Kap when he screws up too?
Rolling into the playoffs with the worst kicker in the league isnt the brightest idea.
Dee Phiant
See Harbaugh’s quote about specialists and the need for them to be near perfect. You can learn something from Harbaugh, can’t you?
“Akers missed a 39-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter, his latest misstep in a wildly inconsistent season. Akers is 25-of-35 on field goals this year, and his coach clearly is losing patience … ‘Specialists sometimes only get four or five opportunities a game, and you’ve got to make the play,’ Harbaugh said. ‘You’ve got to see him do it, got to see him make those plays.’” – Branch, E.
Do you get it, DP, or are you sticking to your Fluffer ways?
Yeah, the Center/snapper is also a specialist, are we replacing him with someone else too?
Taking a snap should be a snap for a QB, are we letting the QB go because of a bad snap or after 4 bad snaps in a game?
A kicker is a lonely job, and he’s in a slump right now, are we willing to take a chance on someone new? There are no guarantees with any player! If there were 100% accurate players out there, we wouldn’t have to play the game.
CK was 14 for 25. AS was 17 for 18……………..
DP
You aound kind of bitter about AS not being the starter. Why? Never in his career did he ever throw 4 TDs. CK is the first QB in 10 years to beat the Patriots at home in December. He’s the most athletic QB in the NFL and has ice water in his veins. Why do you hold on to AS?
Center plays 100% of snaps on the OL and is not a specialist. He is an OLineman. Long-snapper is a specialist, Andy Lee is a specialist, Tramaine Brock and Ted Ginn are specialists.
I, for one, do not advocate getting rid of Akers now, because he has always been a top-notch kicker and I think he’ll redeem himself before the season is over. But as a specialist, he was responsible for both Rams losses. That much is undeniable. Kickers are not supposed to miss at 40 yards.