Oct 6, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas (2) questions a call with an official in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at LP Field. The Chiefs beat the Titans 26-17. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Since the Tennessee Titans signed Rob Bironas in 2006, he has been one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers. According to NFL.com, Bironas has made 222 out of 261 attempted field goals in his career. Those are numbers you want to see from an NFL kicker. H has been a rare model of consistency through many tough years for Tennessee. This year, however, Bironas is struggling. He is 8-of-11 and has instilled a sense of worry in fans when the team decides to kick a field goal.
What is wrong with Rob Bironas? He’s suffered minor injuries throughout his career but never anything major. His approach seems fine and looks like he’s kicking the same way he always has. There haven’t been many reports of his struggles this season due to the other major story lines the team has had to deal with, but this could end up being a major issue. Although it was garbage time, Bironas was sent out on the field at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs game in Week 5 to attempt a short field goal. He missed it. His other misses have come at bad times and may have cost the Titans the game in Houston. He will be given some slack because of his consistency through the years, and he has.
It’s time for him to step his game up or lose his job.
Will the Titans ever consider cutting Bironas? I have my doubts because Coach Munchak seems to allow players the opportunity to play through their ruts, but if Bironas continues to miss easy and important field goals, the Titans may want to consider going in a different direction. Being a kicker in the NFL requires only one job; kicking the ball through the uprights. If fans don’t start seeing that consistency from Bironas again, the faint cries we hear now will get louder, and the Titans will feel pressure to make a change.
Bironas has some time to figure things out, and it’s doubtful that he’ll be cut in the middle of the year, but his performance needs to step up. If it doesn’t, he’s going to watch a kicker take his job either next preseason or the one after that. The Titans can find another kicker easily. Bironas should think about that the next time he lines up for a potentially game-changing field goal.