Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop’s seat is probably feeling a bit toasty right now. He still has the kicking job under wraps. Things are just heating up around him.
The Ravens signed Jake Moody to their practice squad after roster cutdown day, putting an NFL-caliber leg up against Loop. Moody isn’t exactly good, at least he hasn’t been across his three-year career; however, he’s an experienced kicker nonetheless. It’s a great opportunity to see how Loop reacts to another player gunning for his spot.
And according to head coach Jesse Minter, Loop is crushing it in the face of adversity.
“To Tyler’s credit, he’s responded really well,” Minter said. “Normally [competition] brings out the best when you've got the right type of guy, and I don’t think he’s missed a kick since we brought Jake in.”
Those are encouraging signs as the Ravens near Week 1. Maybe the decision to bring in competition is in the midst of catapulting Loop to another level.
Baltimore Ravens’ competition for Tyler Loop could propel him to the next level
Let’s get something straight. We’ve heard this song and dance before with Tyler Loop. It’s gone on all offseason. He had no problem knocking the ball through the uprights in training camp and preseason. It’s the actual in-game reps that fans have had to worry about.
This year’s preseason slate saw Loop enter on absolute fire. He nailed nearly every kick he attempted in practice. In those games, though? Completely. Different. Story.
Loop went an extremely shaky 5-for-8 across the three-game stretch and posted a -4.05 kicking value added (39th), per FanSided. That included going 1-for-3 from 50+ yards, after a rookie campaign where he was 1-for-4 from that distance.
It’s quite clear where Loop needs to improve—accuracy from long range and ability under pressure. From the sound of it, the competition from Jake Moody could help him conquer those woes.
It’s certainly a small sample size, as the team only signed Moody a little over a week ago. You can’t take Loop’s performance from that point and judge whether or not he’s turning a corner. However, it appears he’s heating back up ahead of the regular season. That’s the biggest news there.
For a player who’s going through a crisis of kicking troubles, Loop must build his confidence back up ahead of Week 1. Kicking is half a mental game. No kicker is going to step up and make kicks consistently if they’re questioning their entire process.
Loop has Minter’s confidence, too. That’s a big bonus. When seemingly the entire fanbase and media are slandering your name every chance they get, you need that faith to keep your head up and in the game.
In all honesty, it’s not looking great for Loop, but it’s possible he carries this momentum into the regular season. He needs to. If not, he might lose his job.
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