By Jacob Jensen
SteelerNation.com
Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers released kicker Matt McCrane, meaning the only other competition that Chris Boswell is going to face is UDFA kicker Matthew Wright from Central Florida. The reason that Boswell is going to have competition this off-season is because he went 13 for 20 on field goal attempts this past season. This led to a lot of Steelers fans calling for his replacement, and I am here to tell you that Boswell is going to win back his job and his dismal 2018 season is going to be a long distant memory in a couple of years.
Boswell was signed in 2015 by the Steelers. He was the last of the four kickers on the team that year after a pile of injuries at the kicker position. Boswell would go on to have a remarkable first season, going 29 for 32 on field goal attempts. He would also top the season off with a game-winning kick versus the Cincinnati Bengals in that crazy Wild Card game.
In 2016, Boswell fell back down to Earth, going 21 for 25 on field goal attempts. This season was also the year that Boswell kicked 6 field goals against the Bengals, and helped the Steelers beat out their bitter rival. Boswell is really a Bengal killer.
In 2017, Boswell had his best season, going 35 for 38 on field goal attempts. In the Week 7 matchup against the Bengals, Boswell had 5 field goals. Boswell then had a 53 yard game-winning field goal against the Green Bay Packers in week 12. He would go on to have 2 more game-winning field goals that season, one against the Bengals and one against the Baltimore Ravens. His performance in this season won him a Pro Bowl spot and a 5-year contract.
Boswell’s down year in 2018 started when he missed a potential game-winning field goal in Week 1 versus the Cleveland Browns. After that, it was all downhill from there. Many Steelers fans have been calling for his job and I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not going to happen. The kicker is maybe the second most “in your head” position in football next to the quarterback. All they do is practice kicking everyday of the week, and Boswell has showed us he has the capability to be one of the best kickers in the game. Last season, Boswell lost his legs and stopped believing in himself, and it all started in Week 1. All Boswell has to do is prove to himself that he can do it and he is right back on track.
Chris Boswell connects on a field goal to give the Steelers an upset victory.
The kicker is the most mental position in sports, right up there with pitching. As a fan base, I believe it is our responsibility to show our support to Boswell. I can only imagine how it felt to miss all of those kicks this past season and then get on twitter and see all the awful things everyone is saying about you. We know what Boswell can be. It’s time to show him that and to support him. If you are at a game and he makes a field goal, give him a loud round of applause and cheers. If he misses, shut up and keep your Twitter fingers off your phone. This year is a year of redemption for a lot of Steelers players, including Chris Boswell.
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