Colts' Matt Gay Dishes on Kicking Struggles: 'I've Got to Make Those'

Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Gay revealed why he has struggled to make long kicks this season.

Indianapolis Colts place kicker Matt Gay (7) looks up at the goal posts Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis / Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Matt Gay was signed by the Indianapolis Colts in the spring of 2023 to resolve the team's long-standing kicking issues.

The Colts had tried multiple kickers over the previous few seasons since Adam Vinatieri retired. However, those kickers either struggled with consistency or did not possess the leg to hit long kicks consistently. For those reasons, the Colts gave Gay a four-year, $22.5 million contract, the largest free-agent deal for a kicker in NFL history.

And at the onset, the contract looked to be worth it. Gay was coming off back-to-back years with the Los Angeles Rams, which saw him hit over 93% of his field goal attempts. Gay was also the catalyst for the Colts' upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 of last season, becoming the first kicker in NFL history to make four field goals of over 50 yards in the same game.

But since the later part of last season, Gay has been shaky at best. From Week 10 to the end of the year, Gay went 17-of-23 (74%) while battling a groin injury. The struggles have continued in 2024, as Gay is just 3-of-5 (60%), with both misses coming from longer than 50 yards.

"It doesn't seem to be an issue on some of the shorter ones," Gay said about his kicking struggles. "I have full confidence that I’m going to get it right. We’ve got to get out there. I’ve got to make those kicks.”

Indianapolis Colts place kicker Matt Gay (7) reacts after missing a field goal Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Gay began to struggle after his injury last season, and he has admitted it affected his production. Gay has dealt with injuries this season as well, including a hernia that forced him to miss Week 1. But Gay is not making any excuses, reiterating the injuries are not what is causing his most recent struggles.

“I feel really good. I feel like I am past the point the last couple weeks, I feel like I'm getting back to being 100 percent," Gay remarked. "So, I feel like I'm fully back. Don't see any side effects or any pains or anything like that. I feel like I have all the power and everything like that. It's nothing to do with any of that stuff. It's just me and I’ve got to make those kicks."

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So, if it is not an injury causing Gay to miss kicks, what is the cause? Gay does not seem to have any issues with kicks under 50 yards, as he is 100% on those attempts and extra points this season. But on the long attempts, Gay pulls his kicks to the left every time.

"I think the theme there is just not trusting my line," Gay explained. "I have a game plan. I make all my kicks in warmups, and then you get there and I think you’ve got to trust your target line and you’ve just got to bang it to that spot instead of trying to play – it’s the whole aim small, miss small type thing. Pick your target, commit to it and go for it."

The good news for Gay is that trusting his line is not something he needs to fix mechanically. Adjusting your mechanics in the middle of the season can be difficult for any position. What Gay really needs to do is get out of his own head.

“That's a mental thing," Gay admitted. "That's in your lineup, in your steps. You pick a target behind the goalpost that you want to hit the ball to, and just commit to that and hitting that ball to that spot – try to bang the ball instead of place it. Hit it to your spot, hit it to your target as opposed to trying to just like place it in.”

Indianapolis Colts place kicker Matt Gay (7) kicks a field goal Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite his struggles, the Colts have shown unwavering support for Gay going back to last season. Shane Steichen has repeated ad nauseam that he believes Gay will turn it around and begin to make those kicks. However, even Steichen acknowledges that the tides need to change soon.

"Matt's our kicker," Steichen declared on Monday. "He's been doing it for a long time. Obviously, he missed the kick yesterday, and he knows he's got to make those going forward, but he is our kicker.”

The misses by Gay this season have not directly caused a loss for the Colts, but it has been close. Gay's missed field goal against the Green Bay Packers would have meant the Colts could have settled for getting into field goal range on the final drive rather than needing a touchdown. The miss against the Pittsburgh Steelers meant all they needed was a field goal on their final drive to force overtime.

But if Gay does not correct his kicking woes, it will eventually cost the Colts a game. The Colts kicker knows what he needs to do to get back on track. If he can cure his current case of the yips, Gay will be in the clear.

"Kicking is very, very mental," Gay stated. "So, I’ve been very good from 50-plus in my career and I have full confidence going forward that I can make these kicks. I've shown that I can do it. I know I can do it. It's just one of those things that just get into the trusting yourself, being confident in your ability, and again, confident in your process and your target line, and just trusting it."

The popular conversation last week was centered on Anthony Richardson getting out of his own head and letting the ball rip. The same holds for Gay, who needs to get out of his own head and just kick it.

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