Remember this time a year ago when Steve Hauschka and Graham Gano were taking turns shanking kicks up in Westminster? The Ravens went young at the kicker position, letting fan favorite Matt Stover walk and pitting those two unproven youngsters against each other in training camp.
The immediate result was a slew of missed kicks in camp and significant concern after Hauschka won the job but didn't exactly win the confidence of the fans and coaching staff. We all know how it ended up working out for the Ravens in the regular season.
This year, Billy Cundiff (who replaced Hauschka halfway through 2009) and the recently-signed Shayne Graham are going toe-to-toe (ha, get it?) in training camp. There are no 2-for-4 practices from the kickers like the ones we saw a year ago. This is shaping up as a pretty heated camp competition, one that's outcome could end up making all the difference in January.
Today, with Cundiff getting the morning off, Graham made 12 of 13 attempts -- a couple of which came from beyond 50 yards. His only miss was from 53 yards. The former Bengal even made a 32-yarder after a bad snap bounced to holder Sam Koch. Graham took a step, paused as Koch cleaned up the mess and then booted the ball between the uprights soccer style.
If that would have happened to a kicker last year, a fan on the sidelines might have gotten maimed by an errant attempt.
Cundiff has been consistently accurate during the first week of camp, too, but since he didn't kick this morning, I've got no new details on him. He's done well, though, and there doesn't appear to be a frontrunner at this point. How these guys do in the preseason games will go a long way in determining the victor.
Most people assume it will end up being Graham's job, but don't rule out Cundiff yet. Either way, though, you should be way more confident in these veteran kickers than the young guys from a year ago.
Admit it, though, you miss Hauschka's baby face -- even if you don't miss his untimely shanks.
