The Detroit Lions are hosting kicker tryouts this week – I say get funky with it

Well, if this wasn’t the most predictable snippet of news this week, we don’t know what is.

Detroit Lions to hold Kicker Tryouts this week

Dave Birkett reports that the Detroit Lions will be holding Kicker tryouts this week after Dominik Eberle‘s abysmal performance Sunday versus the Seattle Seahawks. Eberle missed two extra-point attempts in the first half.

Eberle was signed off the practice squad after Austin Seibert was sidelined with a right groin injury. Seibert himself has struggled to meet the needs of the Special teams, so to say that Kicker is a need would be an understatement.

Kickalicious, your time is now!

For the Detroit Lions, Kicker has traditionally been a position of consistency and execution. From Jason Hanson to Matt Prater, games have been won on the backs of the Kicker in Detroit for years, that is until Dan Campbell and crew came to town.

Since Dan Campbell has become the Head Coach of the Detroit Lions, the Lions have had four separate active kickers on the roster. This year, the kicking corp has a 66.7% FG % cumulatively.

Maybe it’s time for Dan Campbell to put a LITTLE emphasis on solidifying the role. While the kicker is not nearly as high a priority as, say, the woefully bad Defense – Since 2021, teams that opt for a first-half field goal on fourth-and-goal inside the 4-yard-line are 12-10 in those games. Meanwhile, teams that go for it are 22-26. Since the start of the 2003 NFL season, 14.8% of all games have finished with a margin of victory of three points.

Maybe the Lions just get funky with it and bring in some trick kickers, like Kickalicious or free agent Nick Belcher.