PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles aren’t used to having a struggling kicker but that’s the case after Jake Elliott missed his fifth consecutive 50-yard field goal this season during a 22-16 win over Carolina this past Sunday.
Elliott, a second-team All-Pro last season, had been one of the best from long range over the prior three seasons, making 15 of his 17 tries from long distance.
When it came time to try a sixth, the sudden struggles had head coach Nick Sirianni eschewing a 54-year attempt late in the game that would have secured things. Instead, Sirianni begged off his usual aggressive mindset in favor of playing it safe, a strategy that ultimately worked but only because Panthers receiver Xavier Legette dropped a touchdown pass with under 50 seconds to go.
Elliott no doubt noticed the sea change in Sirianni’s confidence level in the kicker, something that could impact Elliott's psyche moving forward. To combat that special team coordinator Michel Clay stressed staying positive.
“I think from the staff, from the mental standpoint, it's just reiterating how great of a kicker he is,” Clay said Tuesday. "That's positive reinforcement. I obviously can't get in the mind of Jake, and Jake is such a great athlete and he's had ice in his veins at times, but for myself, I can really help him out by positively reinforcing him.”
Elliott’s previous demonstrated performance was tied to a stringent process that the veteran kicker keeps the same in good times and bad, meaning advocating potential tweaks for Elliott is a tightrope for Clay.
“I think it almost just comes down to me just being open and honest with him and him being open and honest with me in terms of just, ‘Hey, what can I do to help you out in your process?’” Clay explained. “Maybe it's something where he needs me to tell him when we get past the 50. These are all the examples that I possibly can help him. So, he gets into that right mindset.
“He's been doing this for the past seven years, so I don't want to ruin or throw his routine off. But I can help if he comes up to me, ‘Hey, can you do this real quick?’ Yeah, I'll do it at any point. I just want the best for him, the best for the team, more than anything else.”
The final piece to solving a slump is staying in that positive mindset.
“I told the guys yesterday on Monday, ‘Don't lose the joy of football. Once you lose the joy of football in this league, it's going to chew you up and spit you out quick.’” Clay said. “We get to play a child's game, but it's often at a higher clip. Don't lose the joy of this game.”
