This story contributed by Scott Hirsch.
The preseason game against the Patriots changed a lot of minds on a lot of players.
In an impressive Redskins performance, only two players stood out for poor play: Peyton Thompson and Kai Forbath.
Thompson was cut immediately, and Forbath will likely hang on until the last of the roster cuts.
Forbath had a record setting year for field goals. The problem is the Redskins want him also to be a kickoff kicker (they could have found a punter that does kickoffs). Forbath’s problems seem to be revolving around this coaching demand to handle both tasks.
Last year he injured himself trying to extend his kickoffs and that injury persisted to hurt his consistency in field goals.
This year it appears to be causing him to lose focus and kicking sensitivity.
Forbath’s or ‘goody size 2 shoes’ accuracy is built on a sensitive foot crammed into an undersized shoe. He has to switch shoes and go from a virtual tailor hitting the ball along the seam for field goals to a butcher smashing the heck of the ball for kickoffs.
Besides better kickoffs, a longer field goal range and being a back-up punter, we also learned that Hocher is a beast tackler in the open field. All reminders of what Forbath is missing.
Even assuming Hocher will be less accurate in the 30 to 50 yard field goal range than Forbath (which is looking less and less true but we will not know until real, high pressure situations take place), crunching the numbers of a few more misses on short range field goals vs. great field position for opposing offenses from shorter and lower kickoffs from Forbath means a better net point effect for Hocher.
Forbath belongs on a team that has a punter that does kickoffs. He can be one of the better field goal kickers in the league in a place where he only has to focus on field goals.
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