SANTA CLARA – David Akers missed two more field goals on Sunday. He has missed 13 field goals this season, worst in the NFL. This afternoon, Jim Harbaugh was asked if the 49ers will cut Akers before the first playoff game. Here’s what Harbaugh said.
Q: What is the status of David Akers?
HARBAUGH: He’s still our kicker. We’ll evaluate what we think is the best plan for moving forward and our next game.
Q: Will you bring some kickers in to try out?
HARBAUGH: Yeah, we’ll probably bring a few in and have some tryouts, some competition.
Q: Is that a decision you want to make quickly?
HARBAUGH: We want to make the right decision. David is certainly in it. He’s done a lot of great things for us – made a lot of great kicks, big kicks. And he knows it. We know it. Those kicks in the games, you’ve got to make those kicks. There will always be a level of competition around any position to find who gives you the best chance to win the next game. Knowing the competitor that David is, I don’t think he’ll have a problem with that.
Q: Are you surprised that he hasn’t been able to snap out of this slump?
HARBAUGH: Kickers go through slumps at times. You’ve seen they’ll go through it and they’ll come out of it quickly, sometimes it lingers a little bit. But, have I been surprised that he hasn’t made those kicks? We understand that’s the job of the kicker, to put the ball through the uprights. But we also understand the difficult nature of the job as well.
Q: Will he be involved in the competition? Are you allowed to have him out there competing against the guys you bring in?
HARBAUGH: No.
Q: What can he do to keep that job right now?
HARBAUGH: If we had two on the roster at the same time, they could kick in practice. That’s an option. I think there are three options: We go forward with David, we bring in a new kicker or we go with two and let them compete for the job. We’ll make that decision as we go.
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I’ve always felt that dealing with kickers and punters was one of the less glorious aspects of head coaching.
Joe Nedney says that Akers issue isn’t mechanical, but believes that it’s a mental thing….says that all DA needs is to hit a big FG in the playoffs and that should help him out….besides, if they do decide to go with someone else, what guarantee is there that the new guy won’t shank ‘em? I’m for sticking with Akers, putting a game plan in that puts 6′s on the board, and have Akers add the 7th point…pretty simple from where I sit.
55 that’s called faith. But it’s not a plan. Three points here and there are crucial against good team in the playoffs.
Remember the old saying, if you don’t have a plan, then you plan to fail.
We need a reliable kicker and Akers has lost his mojo.
55,
Do you really want the worst kicker in the league on your team, he has missed 12 field goals this year, he needs to put all of out of our misery, and lets kick him to the curb, our special teams suck, worst FG kicker in the league, followed by the worst punt returner in the league, time for a change. We can’t rely on these important decisions during crunch time.
So the alternative is sign a kicker who has not played one single down this year or kicked in one game all year. What a smart idea!
If Neal and Bay were running a team, the team would fold two weeks ino training camp!
Prime youve been wrong all year. Being wrong once more wont kill you.
You have been wrong since being on here. I don’t make predictions, you do and none of them have ever come to fruition!
Prime Axel Randy,
Going to call you now Scott Norwood, I know you don’t follow Football but look him up on your Mommy’s computer.
The point is Fitzbob, it’s too late in the season to make a change now. This should have been done three weeks ago to get the new kicker acclimated back into the NFL game. Now you want someone who has say for 16 weeks to come in a get the job done?
Kinda like the QB switch which should have happened well before the bye week to give Kap more time to grow. See Russell Wilson.
But none of this reasonates with you or Bay cause you are all about knee jerk reactions. Hence jerk!
@Prime,
you mean like this prediction?
bayareafanatic says:
March 21, 2012 at 9:27 am
For Smith I’ll begin with support but he’s on the shortest leash in the world with me. He’s our QB so I gotta be all in. I’ve never ever cheered against him.
But if we get more low production, similar stats and a QBR that is beefed up with checkdowns I’ll be all over his a$$ as usual.
It’s his last year and he knows it unless he steps it up. The FO has made that crystal clear.
( How do you like this bit of dishonesty?)
Hoferfan67 says:
March 21, 2012 at 9:22 am
Bay, I said I support *ALL* of the 9ers and would support any QB that JH would roll with. Based on that salary, it seems CK isn’t ready and isn’t starting this year. How about you? Do you support all of the 9ers and the QB of the 49ers??
Good stuff going back and looking at the predictions..
Prime Axel Randy Fatnich
I trust JH, whatever decision he comes up with, I am good with it, I think we can agree on one thing Akers will be gone next season, to pay a guy 4 million bucks for his erratic play, is excessive.
Mechanics can be fixed. Loss of confidence? Not so much. Do you really expect the coach to take a chance on Akers hitting a long field goal to win the game? I wouldn’t have faith in him to make anything longer than a 25 yard field goal dead center.
Anybody want a playoff game – or even more, the Superbowl riding on Akers ability to make even a “chip shot?” Sure, he did a lot for the 49ers last season, but at 69%, he is a liablility to the team. Nothing personal, but that doesn’t cut it with so much on the line, right now.
I wanted Akers out after the 2 nd Ram debacle … Only problem is there’s no one out there better
Sorry 55 and Mr. Prime, but i had enough of Akers! We would have won both games against the RAMS if Akers made the game winning field goals. Then again he gets his kick blocked in seattle for a TD and misses two field goals the next game. I would bring my grandma of the sofa if she was able to hit the 40 yard plus kicks during the practice! Akers has been missing field goals in practice from 40 or longer!!! there is no time for taking a chance and we must have another kicker on the roster for a safety net!
Could vey well be, Chicago….but, one could also point out that we would have won both games had the coaches, offense, defense and special teams performed as they should have….just saying….
…..should read ‘very’….not ‘vey’…..slow fingers this a.m.
Where is Gino Tavechia… I would rather see Nedney limp on the field right now. How does a guy who’s played 14 yrs most of them in Philly no less go soft like this … It’s embarrassing
How about signing this guy – Havard Rugland of Norway?
http://youtu.be/gq99O88eeUM
I would not hesitate to give him an invite.
please bring anybody that can kick for a try out