In this space, we look at the snap-to-hold operation on field goals and extra points. We’ve got 4 this week, all of the extra point variety.
Listen. Between you, me, the fencepost and our little stick figure friend, I started this article in the preseason because everyone seemed to have long-snapper takes and I wanted to try to at least have an informed take. I thought it would be a silly little article that I could write quickly every week, learn a little and get on with my life. With the struggles
of Smack, I’ve seen more long snapper takes each and every week, and every week this takes a little bit more of my life.
It’s been great. Sometimes I wish it didn’t take quite so much time & energy, but I love it dearly and have learned a ton. I’m still just scratching the surface here, but I feel like we’re doing something pretty fun here.
Alright. How does our charting look this week?
Rough day for snapping this week. Easily Orzech’s worst performance. For the record, I don’t think Whelan is actually mad like the stick figure suggests, but I told Ryan at Pride of Detroit that I’d try to work in some angry eyebrows if given the opportunity. So here ya go, buddy.
Kick 1: Extra Point Miss
Good snap, over the hold point with the spin on the snap allowing Whelan to catch it by the laces and get it down for a good hold. Based on the flags there is very little wind, so the hold of Whelan is tilted slightly forward and away from Smack. The snap-to-kick timing was 1.3 seconds, which is exactly what you want.
Watching this live, I thought it could have been blocked, but that was not the case. It’s a low trajectory kick and he just kinda yanks it.
As the stick figure suggests – and as we will see – this was not a good day overall from Orzech, but the lone miss on the day was not on him.
Side note: I watched this game at a local sports bar with my brothers (the wings were good last night). When the ball hit the uprights, we heard a glass-shattering noise at the moment of impact, and we weren’t sure if someone dropped a tray or if it was from the broadcast. Apparently it was from the broadcast. Either the uprights sound like shattered glass when they’re hit or something happened near a mic at the same moment the ball hit the upright.
Kick 2: Extra Point Make
High snap from Orzech. Not over Whelan’s head, but at his face, to the point where Whelan has to adjust to the catch. Whelan is able to make the catch and get down a nice hold down for a snap-to-kick time of 1.35 seconds.
Kick 3: Extra Point Make
Good snap to the body, good hold, good kick. Nothing major to say here. Solid operation.
Kick 4: Extra Point Make
The snap is low. It’s to the location of the hold point, but it’s on the ground when it arrives to Whelan. As commenter Wedge-31 has pointed out, this is a tough position for the snap, as it causes the holder to have to lean forward to adjust to the snap, then rock back while getting the hold down.
This doesn’t interrupt the kicking process, because Whelan’s a pro. Smack keeps his timing and the kick-to-snap timing is at a crisp 1.3 seconds.
Albums listened to: Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile
