Projo Pats Blog

FOXBORO -- With only 11 games played, Patriots kicker Stephen Gostowski has already set his career high for touchbacks, his 16th of the season coming in the second quarter against Miami.

Gostowski said it isn't the result of some massive workout program for his legs, or coverage changes -- just some good weather, some good kicks, some good luck, and strong Patriots kick coverage making returners reconsider trying to run that gauntlet.
"During the beginning of the year, I'd kick a good kick, and they'd bring it out, and we'd stop them inside the 20. So now maybe they think twice before bringing it out," Gostowski said.

Gostowski's 16 touchbacks place him third in the league, a bragging point for a kicker who has been known for his accuracy, not his leg strength. But Gostowski said that he really doesn't think he's kicking harder than last year -- although he acknowledged that he has had a shorter memory about poor kicks.

"I know I'm kicking the ball higher, but I don't know about farther," Gostowski said. "A lot of times, it's about attitude, and how you attack the ball. I'm definitely trying to attack it with the attitude that I want to kick it far. Sometimes you go up there afraid to mishit one, and that's not the attitude you want to have. I had a couple balls that I hit out of bounds last year, and that may have altered the way I approached it, but you don't want to do that."

Gostowski is also having an accurate year kicking field goals, adding two Sunday to give him 26 made in 28 attempts on the season.

 Tags  Dan Barbarisi New England Patriots Stephen Gostkowski

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