re: Carlson coming back

Totally agree. This can happen with a new/slower snapper. Also, poor protection can make this look slower than it is.

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I think I remember more blocks up the middle this year or near blocks. I agree it did seem to be issues with the overall kick. I think Carlson was perfect short and not bad from 40-49, but he was off on the others. But to hit 90% the year before and then go 66% something was off

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Blocks up the middle are caused by either penetration or a low kick. In a perfect world, a kick is launched at a 40-45 degree angle. This allows it to be roughly 20 feet in the air at the line of scrimmage, which should be plenty high enough to avoid the block. The more penetration there is, the lower the ball is when the defense meets it. Likewise, a kicker who hits a line drive puts it much lower, thereby increasing the chances of it getting blocked.

If the snap or hold is bad, and the timing is off, the kicker could hit the ball before it’s properly held, resulting in all manner of effects- from slices to hooks, and from line drives to high and very short kicks.

And, to your point on long kicks, the longer the kick, the more important the timing. The farther a ball travels, the more offline it will be if improperly struck.