Jets' Veteran Kicker Showcases Range in Hall of Fame Game
Greg The Leg was in mid-season form during Thursday’s preseason opener in Canton.
New York Jets’ veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein connected on all three of his first-half field goal attempts, including two 50+ yarders, against the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame Game. His 10 points (3 FG + 1 PAT) helped Gang Green take a 16-7 lead into halftime.
“He’s definitely an asset,” said Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh following the 21-16 preseason setback.
The 35-year-old Zuerlein, who is also affectionately known as Leg-a-tron, opened the game’s scoring by nailing a 54-yard field goal with 2:04 left in the first quarter. Fewer than two minutes later, Zuerlein turned a takeaway by the Jets’ defense into three more points as he hit from 44 yards out with 22 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
“Obviously, we feel pretty good about our defense, so every point matters,” said Saleh. “Knowing that he’s got the ability to give, you know when we say three, we feel really good about getting three.”
With the Green & White looking to cash in on Xavier Gipson’s 45-yard kickoff return in the final minute of the first half, Zuerlein delivered again. He smoothly converted on a 44-yard field goal attempt as the second-quarter clock expired.
The in-game performance looked a lot like Jets’ Training Camp practices, where Zuerlein has been money thus far.
Unofficially, Zuerlein did not miss a field goal attempt during open sessions until Practice No. 8 when he made 9 of 10 attempts with the lone miss coming from long distance. One practice earlier, the savvy veteran went 7-for-7 including makes from 50 and 55 yards.
Zuerlein, who entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick of the Rams in 2012, performed effectively during his first season with the Jets in 2022. The former small-school product (Missouri Western State) was a perfect 15-for-15 on field goal attempts less than 40 yards in distance while making more than 50 percent of his kicks from beyond 50.
On the way to setting the franchise record by nailing a 60-yard field goal at Minnesota, Zuerlein accounted for a 6-for-11 clip from 50+ yards last year.
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