The Baltimore Ravens made some noise with the signing of kicker Jake Moody to the practice squad.
This now opens the door for Moody to challenge Ravens starting kicker Tyler Loop for the job. After Loop missed field goals in two of the three preseason games, it put him in a tough spot.
Now that Moody is in town, the Ravens will have two weeks to figure out their kicker position before the Week 1 showdown against the Indianapolis Colts. The question is: what will the competition actually look like?
Will the Baltimore Ravens Have a Kicker Competition Before Week 1?
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter spoke with the media for the first time since finalizing the 53-man rosters. Minter was asked about the decision to sign Moody, and he said they had been looking at him.
“Jake [Moody] has just kind of been on the radar, and he is a guy that has had success in this league. [We] really just felt like adding a guy, and it is whatever is best for the team at that particular moment — so we added a guy to compete on the practice squad, and [we will] kind of see how it shakes out from there.”
Last season, Moody played for the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, and Washington Commanders, making 19 of 23 field goals. He has a career field goal percentage of 78%.
That led to a follow-up question to Minter about the kicker position and whether Loop will have competition. The Ravens head coach made it clear who his guy will be for Week 1.
“I don’t really… I have a lot of confidence in Tyler [Loop] still. I think, again, he has had a great training camp. I expect him to be our kicker going into Indianapolis, but I think, again, you are always trying to just have every scenario covered. So, that is what we are trying to do as a team.”
Last season, Loop made 30-of-34 field goals, which is 88%, as a rookie. The criticism came when he missed a 44-yard field goal in the last second of the season-ending game for the Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That miss cost them the AFC North title and a playoff spot.
Should Tyler Loop Keep His Kicker Job for Now?
Another kicker was probably needed. Loop needed to know there is competition right behind him to add some pressure.
When looking at the stats, Loop has been a great kicker early in his career. It’s the one game that will keep following him around.
He needs to get off to a fast start in the regular season so that they don’t consider Moody ever. One missed field goal, though, and Moody could be taking the field as the kicker.
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