Should Colts fans be worried about kicker Matt Gay?
The current No. 1 team in the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens. The Indianapolis Colts defeated Baltimore back in Week 3, thanks to kicker Matt Gay. It was a historical game for Gay, as he went 5-for-5 on field goals, with four of them being over 50 yards, including the game-winning 53-yarder in overtime.
After the game, there was nothing but praise for Gay and Colts general manager Chris Ballard. Ballard and Indianapolis gave Matt Gay the largest free agency contract for a kicker during the offseason and the win against the Ravens was a clear example of that contract paying off. While some may have initially criticized the signing, Gay’s performance against Baltimore left everyone excited that the Colts finally had a reliable kicker.
Unfortunately, that’s no longer the sentiment surrounding Matt Gay. In a Week 14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Gay missed an extra point and a 38-yard field goal. Everyone was prepared to dismiss it as just an off day. That was until Gay followed it up with another concerning performance. In Indy’s Week 15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gay made all of his extra points but was 3-of-5 on field goals.
The miss were from 56 yards and a 43-yarder that went off of the right upright. The 56-yarder likely would’ve been forgiven because of the distance, but the miss was because of accuracy. Gay pushed the ball so far left that it left everyone analyzing the replay to see if anything contributed to a miss that bad. After it was clear that Gay was just struggling, everyone is now wondering if it’s time to be concerned.
The answer is yes.
Don't mean to be alarmist about Colts K Matt Gay, but he's on a concerning streak all of a sudden. That's his third missed kick in two games, including an extra point last week. Granted, this was a long attempt (56 yards), but he missed it by a mile. Bears watching.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) December 16, 2023
Matt Gay is struggling at a bad time for Colts
Could Gay just be in a random slump? Absolutely. On the season, Matt Gay is 26-of-33 on field goals, with a long of 57, and 32-of-33 on extra points. Clearly, Gay isn’t having a bad season, but he’s bad right now, and that’s a big problem for Indianapolis.
The Colts are in the middle of a tight playoff race. Everyone knows that at this time of the season, the keys to winning are running the ball, pressuring the quarterback, and having a reliable kicker. It’s very possible that Indy’s playoff hopes could come down to a kick. If that happens, it’s unclear which Matt Gay Indianapolis will get. Will the Colts get the Gay from early in the season, that had everyone saying he deserved his contract, or will Indy get the Gay from the last two weeks that has left everyone disappointed and confused?
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