Zane Gonzalez wasn’t the Miami Dolphins’ kicker to begin this season.
Frankly, he might not be their kicker to end this season, either. Gonzalez is mired in a bad slump.
But in Week 10, Gonzalez remains Miami’s kicker. They’re taking on the Indianapolis Colts in Indy, a pleasant indoor place to kick.
Despite that, Gonzalez missed another kick.
The game was scoreless when Gonzalez was off target from 47 yards out.
It’s the third consecutive game in which Gonzalez has missed a field goal.
Gonzalez has now missed a field goal in three straight games
The Dolphins may not have had a perfect kicker in Riley Patterson, but Gonzalez hasn’t proven to be any better.
Why Did Dolphins Get Rid of Riley Patterson?
Patterson was released for the same reason most kickers are released: He wasn’t making enough kicks.
The bar is quite high, because Patterson made the majority of his attempts this season — but in the modern NFL, if a kicker doesn’t have a huge, accurate leg, he can be replaced.
Patterson missed one field goal in Week 1 and another in Week 2. He has gone 1-for-1 in each of the three weeks since.
He also missed an extra point in Week 5, making him 5-for-6 on PATs for the season.
Notably, though, Patterson doesn’t seem to have a strong enough leg in the modern game.
He missed the only field goal he has attempted from beyond 50 yards, and he was 1-for-2 in the 40-to-49 length bracket.
In Weeks 3 through 5, the Dolphins didn’t attempt a single field goal from 40 yards or beyond. Sure, there’s an element of how often the offense is in that position, but it also speaks to a lack of confidence in Patterson.
Gonzalez was meant to fix that. He hasn’t.
Dolphins’ Future at Kicker
At this point, the Dolphins should do what they can to figure out who’s kicking for them in the future.
This season doesn’t matter in a traditional sense. They’re rebuilding. Missed kicks aren’t even the worst outcome when future draft pick positioning is concerned.
But it also doesn’t do Miami any good to have a player kicking who they won’t have interest in bringing back next season.
Gonzalez has struggled, and there’s no reason for the Dolphins to stick it out with him forever. Instead, they should consider some alternatives.
Why Zane Gonzalez is Dolphins’ Kicker, Not Riley Patterson