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09-09-2006, 09:37 AM
Swift Kick
Suisham Expected To Kick In Sunday's Opener
Rob Phillips - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
September 8, 2006 5:39 PM
IRVING, Texas - Unless Bill Parcells has a change of heart between now and Sunday, Shaun Suisham will handle kickoffs and place kicks against Jacksonville in place of veteran Mike Vanderjagt.
"I'm not 100 percent sure right now, but I think I'm going to kick Suisham," Parcells said Friday. "I can change my mind, but I think that's what I'm going to do."
Vanderjagt and Suisham, a second-year kicker from Ontario, each kicked regularly in practice this week, but Parcells apparently isn't convinced Vanderjagt's sore groin muscle or accuracy has improved enough for him to handle both chores in Sunday's 3:15 p.m. (CDT) season opener at Alltel Stadium.
Parcells said he can't afford to keep both kickers on his 45-man game-day roster, so whoever dresses will be in charge of field goals, extra points and kickoffs against the Jaguars.
As of Friday, that appears to be Suisham, who slipped past final cuts and onto the 53-man roster because of solid kickoffs in preseason and Vanderjagt's ongoing groin problems.
"My ability to kick off well has kept me around to this point where now I have an opportunity to kick field goals as well," Suisham said. "So it's exciting."
Vanderjagt's sore groin began limiting his practice time by the second week of training camp in Oxnard, Calif. He nailed a 21-yard field goal attempt in the Aug. 12 preseason opener at Seattle but didn't kick again until last Thursday's preseason finale, landing one kickoff at the 12-yard line and missing two overtime attempts (33, 32 yards) in an eventual 10-10 tie with the Vikings. He said after the game he wasn't 100 percent healthy yet.
Vanderjagt has kicked in practice the last two weeks, but Parcells clearly doesn't want to risk his health in the opener. Parcells also realizes the Cowboys have only the Jacksonville game and next Sunday night's Washington contest at Texas Stadium before hitting the early bye week, which could buy Vanderjagt nearly a full month before kicking in another game.
"I've just seen (Suisham) do a little bit more right now and I'm not sure about Mike physically exactly, based on what he said after the game last week," Parcells said. "Mike kicked pretty good today in terms of numbers and stuff, and we'll see where we are."
The Cowboys signed Vanderjagt to a three-year, $5.4 million deal in March, including a $2.4 million bonus, to apparently end last year's kicking carousel. The Cowboys used three kickers last season - Jose Cortez, Billy Cundiff and Suisham on two different occasions - all connecting on 20 of 28 attempts. But critical misses by Cortez and Cundiff cost Dallas at least two potential victories in 2005.
No kicker in NFL history can match Vanderjagt's career 87.5 field-goal percentage, but Parcells has been concerned by his inability to kick consistently in preseason. He also has yet to prove he can resume kicking off regularly for the first time since 2003.
So with Vanderjagt still rounding into form, Parcells is planning to put his faith in Suisham against Jacksonville. Suisham shuffled between the practice squad and the active roster last season but connected on 3 of 4 attempts in three games. His lone miss came in the season finale against St. Louis, when the Cowboys already had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
"Any experience is (good), especially for a young guy," Suisham said. "Maybe when you miss a kick in the present it's maybe not a great thing for you, but I've tried to take something from everything and I feel like I'm in a better spot now for it."
Parcells said he hasn't decided if both Vanderjagt and Suisham will travel to Jacksonville. But he "would prefer not to" carry two kickers on his game-day roster at any point this season, and he won't do it Sunday with the high temperature in Jacksonville scheduled to be 89 degrees.
"It's a combination of the weather and everything," Parcells said. "I need all the defensive players I can get. They're going to be core special teams players. They've got a dangerous punt returner and a dangerous kickoff returner, so I need guys. We need guys that can tackle."
Parcells would rather use that extra roster spot on someone like linebacker Oliver Hoyte, a rookie free agent who is already emerging as one of the Cowboys' most productive coverage players on special teams. Hoyte and Ryan Fowler also back up inside linebacker Bradie James, who has practiced this week but is being listed as questionable after taking a helmet to the groin area against the Vikings.
Parcells also could use that spot on an extra wide receiver, possibly rookie Sam Hurd. Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Jamaica Rector are all expected to be active, but Parcells said he wanted to see how Patrick Crayton looked in practice this week before making a decision on the third-year receiver who missed two preseason games with a high ankle sprain.
Parcells has reserved the right to change his mind before Sunday's kickoff, but Suisham is expected to fill that single kicker slot.
That means Vanderjagt would have to wait another seven days to make his official Cowboys debut.
Suisham Expected To Kick In Sunday's Opener
Rob Phillips - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
September 8, 2006 5:39 PM
IRVING, Texas - Unless Bill Parcells has a change of heart between now and Sunday, Shaun Suisham will handle kickoffs and place kicks against Jacksonville in place of veteran Mike Vanderjagt.
"I'm not 100 percent sure right now, but I think I'm going to kick Suisham," Parcells said Friday. "I can change my mind, but I think that's what I'm going to do."
Vanderjagt and Suisham, a second-year kicker from Ontario, each kicked regularly in practice this week, but Parcells apparently isn't convinced Vanderjagt's sore groin muscle or accuracy has improved enough for him to handle both chores in Sunday's 3:15 p.m. (CDT) season opener at Alltel Stadium.
Parcells said he can't afford to keep both kickers on his 45-man game-day roster, so whoever dresses will be in charge of field goals, extra points and kickoffs against the Jaguars.
As of Friday, that appears to be Suisham, who slipped past final cuts and onto the 53-man roster because of solid kickoffs in preseason and Vanderjagt's ongoing groin problems.
"My ability to kick off well has kept me around to this point where now I have an opportunity to kick field goals as well," Suisham said. "So it's exciting."
Vanderjagt's sore groin began limiting his practice time by the second week of training camp in Oxnard, Calif. He nailed a 21-yard field goal attempt in the Aug. 12 preseason opener at Seattle but didn't kick again until last Thursday's preseason finale, landing one kickoff at the 12-yard line and missing two overtime attempts (33, 32 yards) in an eventual 10-10 tie with the Vikings. He said after the game he wasn't 100 percent healthy yet.
Vanderjagt has kicked in practice the last two weeks, but Parcells clearly doesn't want to risk his health in the opener. Parcells also realizes the Cowboys have only the Jacksonville game and next Sunday night's Washington contest at Texas Stadium before hitting the early bye week, which could buy Vanderjagt nearly a full month before kicking in another game.
"I've just seen (Suisham) do a little bit more right now and I'm not sure about Mike physically exactly, based on what he said after the game last week," Parcells said. "Mike kicked pretty good today in terms of numbers and stuff, and we'll see where we are."
The Cowboys signed Vanderjagt to a three-year, $5.4 million deal in March, including a $2.4 million bonus, to apparently end last year's kicking carousel. The Cowboys used three kickers last season - Jose Cortez, Billy Cundiff and Suisham on two different occasions - all connecting on 20 of 28 attempts. But critical misses by Cortez and Cundiff cost Dallas at least two potential victories in 2005.
No kicker in NFL history can match Vanderjagt's career 87.5 field-goal percentage, but Parcells has been concerned by his inability to kick consistently in preseason. He also has yet to prove he can resume kicking off regularly for the first time since 2003.
So with Vanderjagt still rounding into form, Parcells is planning to put his faith in Suisham against Jacksonville. Suisham shuffled between the practice squad and the active roster last season but connected on 3 of 4 attempts in three games. His lone miss came in the season finale against St. Louis, when the Cowboys already had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
"Any experience is (good), especially for a young guy," Suisham said. "Maybe when you miss a kick in the present it's maybe not a great thing for you, but I've tried to take something from everything and I feel like I'm in a better spot now for it."
Parcells said he hasn't decided if both Vanderjagt and Suisham will travel to Jacksonville. But he "would prefer not to" carry two kickers on his game-day roster at any point this season, and he won't do it Sunday with the high temperature in Jacksonville scheduled to be 89 degrees.
"It's a combination of the weather and everything," Parcells said. "I need all the defensive players I can get. They're going to be core special teams players. They've got a dangerous punt returner and a dangerous kickoff returner, so I need guys. We need guys that can tackle."
Parcells would rather use that extra roster spot on someone like linebacker Oliver Hoyte, a rookie free agent who is already emerging as one of the Cowboys' most productive coverage players on special teams. Hoyte and Ryan Fowler also back up inside linebacker Bradie James, who has practiced this week but is being listed as questionable after taking a helmet to the groin area against the Vikings.
Parcells also could use that spot on an extra wide receiver, possibly rookie Sam Hurd. Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn and Jamaica Rector are all expected to be active, but Parcells said he wanted to see how Patrick Crayton looked in practice this week before making a decision on the third-year receiver who missed two preseason games with a high ankle sprain.
Parcells has reserved the right to change his mind before Sunday's kickoff, but Suisham is expected to fill that single kicker slot.
That means Vanderjagt would have to wait another seven days to make his official Cowboys debut.