Philadelphia Eagles: Jake Elliott’s perfect season is over
After 16 straight makes over 13 games, Jake Elliott’s field goal streak came to an end in the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Jake Elliott is in the midst of his best professional season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The proud recipient of a five-year $21.8 million deal, Elliott came into Miami week rich, the team’s sixth captain, and on a 12 game field goal streak, with an all but guaranteed win on the books.
But as these things so often go, once the money rolls in, the pressure rises significantly.
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One week removed from Brandon Brooks‘ own bout with post-extension anxiety (more on that here), Elliott was relied on early and often for a trio of 48ish yard field goals, and after sinking the first two, things took a sour turn on his third attempt.
Set up in the middle of the field – a routine kick if there ever was one – Elliott hooked the ball wide left, narrowly ending his streak at 16.
And on this one, the miss was all Elliott.
The snap? Good. The hold by Cam Johnston? Also good. Baring some sort of cramp situation or glare from the sun, there really was no external stimulation that caused Elliott to miss the kick.
But that’s ok.
While keeping the streak alive was the surest fire route for Elliott to earn his first Pro Bowl appearance in this his third professional season – maybe even a spot on an All-Pro list – the former Memphis fifth-round pick has still been better than anyone could have hoped, and the Birds’ best kicker since David Akers in the mid-2000s.
Through 13 games, Elliott has now gone 16-17 from the field and 23-25 on extra pointers. All and all, Elliott has scored 71 points on the season, the most of any player not named Carson Wentz.
Sure, it is a bit telling that Elliott’s first miss came in only his second game of the season with three field goal attempts, as the Eagles have used their kicking game sparingly so far this season, but one miss every now and then really isn’t something to worry about.
Believe me, Elliott’s missed field goal was the least of the Eagles’ issues against the typically hapless Miami Dolphins.
Next. Josh Rosen needs to back up Carson Wentz in 2020. dark
Now if Jake Elliott turns this blip in his perfect record into a trend then yeah, Howie Roseman and company may start to worry about their monetary investment, but personally, I don’t see that happening. With five more seasons under contract (2.5 guaranteed), it looks like the Philadelphia Eagles will be in good shape at kicker for quite some time, even if we have to suffer through the occasional miss in an ugly, ugly trap game.