Here's How Mike Nugent's Stats Compare To Stephen Gostkowski's
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The relationship between Stephen Gostkowski and Patriots fans has perhaps been more complicated than people might expect for a three-time Super Bowl champion kicker. Despite replacing a surefire Hall of Famer and living legend, and despite being one of the most consistent kickers in NFL history, Gostkowski has always absorbed a slightly disproportionate level of criticism over the course of his 14-year career.
That's not to say that all Patriots fans (and radio voices) have been enraged with the kicking exploits of Gostkowski in recent years, of course. But with a number of high-profile misses on his resume -- a PAT in the 2015 AFC Championship Game in Denver, a PAT in Super Bowl LI, a field goal and a PAT in Super Bowl LII, and another field goal in Super Bowl LIII -- the magnifying glasses came out every time Gostkowski has erred over the past five years.
And to be sure, Gostkowski has not been a perfect kicker in that time. After leading the NFL with 35 field goals made in 2014, he missed an average of four kicks in each of the following four seasons. This year, with one miss through four games, he was on the same pace. And after going a perfect 52-for-52 in the first regular season with the longer PAT, he has since missed 10 PATs in 161 tries, including four misses this season.
Those misses might have led some in the region to welcome in some change at the kicker position. Gostkowski's hip injury now ensures that change is coming.
The team will reportedly put its kicking trust behind Mike Nugent, a 37-year-old journeyman who will now join his ninth NFL team.
On the one hand, Nugent's long list of employers shows that he's been reliable enough to hold down a job in the NFL for 15 years. On the other hand, his bouncing around the league (and his availability prior to Thursday) shows that he's just not quite the kicker that teams have viewed as a long-term solution. After spending seven seasons with the Bengals, he's now joining his fourth team in three seasons.
While Nugent's experience kicking for teams with outdoor stadiums in cold weather -- the Jets, Bengals, and Bears -- should help him in his newest career endeavor, there's no mistaking that going from Gostkowski to Nugent is a significant downgrade for the Patriots.
Statistically, here's a look at how Nugent and Gostkowski compare over the past five seasons.
Field goals, total, 2014-18
Mike Nugent: 89-for-109 (81.7%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 166-for-185 (89.7%)Field goals less than 50 yards, 2014-18
Mike Nugent: 85-for-98 (86.7%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 153-for-166 (92.2%)Field goals less than 40 yards, 2014-18
Mike Nugent: 54-for-59 (91.5%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 107-for-110 (97.3%)PATs, 2014-18
Mike Nugent: 129-for-139 (92.8%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 254-for-264 (96.2%)
Career-wise, that discrepancy holds up for two careers that began one year apart.
Field goals, total, career
Mike Nugent: 253-for-311 (81.4%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 374-for-428 (87.4%)Field goals less than 50 yards, career
Mike Nugent: 240-for-281 (85.4%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 349-for-393 (88.8%)Field goals less than 40 yards, career
Mike Nugent: 163-for-179 (91.1%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 253-for-269 (94.1%)PATs, career
Mike Nugent: 363-for-377 (96.3%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 653-for-664 (98.3%)PATs, since 2015, when PAT moved to 33 yards
Mike Nugent: 90-for-100 (90%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 203-for-213 (95.3%)
And considering the Patriots (as always) have Super Bowl aspirations, the playoff history figures to be an important factor to explore. In that regard, well ... Nugent doesn't quite carry the same experience as Gostkowski.
Field goals, playoffs, career
Mike Nugent: 7-for-8 (87.5%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 39-for-44 (88.6%)PATS, playoffs, career
Mike Nugent: 5-for-5 (100%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 88-for-92 (95.7%)PATs, playoffs, since 2015
Mike Nugent: 1-for-1 (100%)
Stephen Gostkowski: 31-for-35 (88.6%)
Of course, with Gostkowski ranking fourth all time in successful field goal percentage, eighth all time in extra points made, and 14th all time in field goals made, a comparison with any kicker who's available in Week 5 of the 2019 season is going to be a bit unfair. And with a half-dozen or so kickers visiting Foxboro this week, Nugent was chosen as the best option. (The inexperienced Younghoe Koo will join the practice squad as a backup plan.)
Nugent's new job in New England represents the best opportunity of his career. It's now up to him to make the most of it. If he comes up short (or just wide), it'll have those same fans and radio voices clamoring for the golden days of the Gostkowski era, a time when things were perhaps better than they might have realized.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
