The United Football League (UFL) is in full swing. They have some different rules this year, and that is by design. It tests new ideas of rules, plus the league is a training ground for referees and coaches.
One of the new rules is that field goal attempts from 60+ yards becomes four-points instead of the customary three points.
RELATED: DID THE CARDINALS FIND A GEM IN MATT MCCRANE?
And a former Cardinals kicker is slaying the UFL.
Matt McCrane went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2018, where he was
a standout kicker, kicking 86.4% of field goals and 99.3% with PATs. He had his first taste of the NFL in the desert with Arizona as an undrafted free agent rookie.
The problem was that seasoned veteran Phil Dawson was the Cardinals’ kicker. There were whispers that McCrane outkicked Dawson, including sending a 54-yarder down the center of the goal post during preseason. This was back when any kicker hitting one at 50+ was an eye opener, much less 60+. But realistically, what head coach would choose a rookie kicker over a legend?
Now, McCrane is with the DC Defenders of the UFL, the league’s defending champions. McCrane kicked the league’s first four-point field in Week 1. Fast forward to this weekend and the Week 3 slate of games. With just 7:59 gone in the first quarter, McCrane lined up for another 60-yard field goal at Audi Field in Washington, DC. The kick split the uprights with room to spare.
Not only is McCrane 2-2 on kicks of 60+ so far, but he is the only kicker in the league to make a four-pointer. The Defenders smacked the Houston Gamblers 45-7 as McCrane was 3-3 on field goals and 5-5 on PATs.
The Cardinals signed K Chad Ryland to a one-year extension on March 9. Last year, Ryland was ranked #20 in field goal conversions, #13 in attempts, #33 in field goal accuracy at just 75.8%, had one field goal blocked, was 6-9 in kicks of 50+ and 0-1 with the 60+ range.
LINK: DC DEFENDERS HOME PAGE/SCHEDULE
Two years ago, UFL kicker Jake Bates was signed away and has been the Detroit Lions’ kicker ever since. The Cleveland Browns just re-signed Andre Szmyt, another former UFL kicker.
Are the Cardinals happy with Ryland? Or just content?
A new coaching staff usually means a look at every single position on the roster and how to improve.
