Pete Carroll on Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh: ‘He’s our guy’
Dec 13, 2017, 4:48 PM | Updated: 10:56 pm
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is standing up for his kicker Blair Walsh. (AP)
(AP)
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is standing by kicker Blair Walsh, despite a handful of crucial missed field goal attempts this season – the latest coming last Sunday in Seattle’s 30-24 loss to the Jaguars.
Player Spotlight: Blair Walsh is a guy you want to root for
“He’s a good kicker; he has a great leg, he has terrific mechanics, great habits, and his mentality stays strong,” Carroll told reporters Wednesday. “Yeah, he missed a couple here and there, but he is doing things right to give himself a chance. He’s our guy; that’s who we have and we hope that he’s going to come through.”
Walsh has missed seven of his 27 field goal attempts this year – the lowest successful field goal percentage (74.1%) of his six-year career. Three of those misses came on attempts between 30 and 39 yards, with the remaining four being from 40 yards out or more.
His worst game this season was a Week 9 loss to Washington in which he missed all three of his field goal attempts; Seattled ended up losing the game by three points. For his part, Walsh was patient with reporters after that game and lamented “letting his teammates down.” He made both of his attempts the following week against the Cardinals, but missed a 52-yarder the week after – an attempt that would have tied up a game against the Falcons.
“I thought it was good,” Walsh said after that game. “I don’t know how much it missed by, but it’s tough. It’s tough when you’re not there for your team in a moment like that. I’ll keep working my tail off and committing to what I’m doing. I was happy with everything else that I did in the game but it’s tough that the last play is what it comes down to. That’s part of football.”
Critics argued in late November that Seattle would be better off making a move at kicker after Walsh missed a 48-yard kick on the road against the 49ers. But two weeks and two games later, it appears Seattle is standing firm, undoubtedly hoping Walsh can find a late-season performance more reminiscent of his earlier career in Minnesota.
Walsh will be put to the test sooner rather than later when the Seahawks face off against the NFC West-leading Rams in their most crucial matchup yet Sunday.
