Tyler Loop’s preseason finale was absolutely brutal, with him shanking field goals from 58 and 51 yards and dragging his overall preseason stat down to a concerning 5-of-8. The Baltimore Ravens did keep him on the roster, sure, but the immediate signing of Jake Moody to the practice squad on Monday screams volumes about their true feelings. That’s not a vote of overwhelming confidence, that’s a “we need a backup plan, ASAP” move. This whole situation tells you everything you need to know about the anxiety bubbling around the kicking game in Baltimore right now.
The Kicks That Are Already Haunting Baltimore’s Season
Let’s be real, this is not about a single bad day at the office for Loop. This is a pattern that should have Ravens fans sweating. Finishing his preseason run a dismal 5-of-8 is one thing, but those two long-range misses in the finale? Those are impossible to ignore. Remember, this is the guy the Ravens drafted in 2025 to try and fill the gargantuan shoes left by Justin Tucker. And his first pro season? He was 30-of-34 on all kicks, which on the surface sounds pretty good. But then you dig into the ugly truth: he was a horrific 1-of-4 from 50 yards or longer. That wasn’t just bad, that was the second-worst rate in the entire NFL. Think about that for a second. This is also the same kicker whose 44-yard miss in Week 17 last season literally ended the Ravens’ season. You simply cannot have that kind of history hanging over your head as a professional kicker. Every single kick feels like a replay, doesn’t it? The pressure must be immense.
Confidence From the Top? Or Just a Smoke Screen?
Ravens’ coach Jesse Minter stepped up to the mic and said all the right things, probably trying to give his guy a much-needed morale boost. “I have a lot of confidence in Tyler still,” Minter told Jamison Hensley of ESPN. He even hyped up Loop’s “great training camp” and added, “I expect him to be our kicker going into [the Sept. 13 season opener in] Indianapolis.” Okay, fine, but if Loop’s training camp was so “great,” why did he perform so poorly in actual game situations? And why did they immediately snap up Jake Moody for the practice squad? Minter’s own words kind of betray the situation when he added they are “always trying to just have every scenario covered.” That’s classic coach-speak for “we need a Plan B, and possibly a Plan C, because this is looking dicey heading into Week 1.” Loop might be on the active roster for now, but there is no doubt he will have to fight to keep that job with Moody breathing down his neck. The leash has to be incredibly short, wouldn’t you agree?
The Ravens kick off their season on September 13 against Indianapolis. Every single snap, every single kick from Loop in that game, will be under the harshest spotlight imaginable. His job is absolutely on the line, and the team’s trust in him is hanging by a thread after these preseason struggles and last year’s heartbreaking miss. This is going to be must-watch football for Baltimore fans, where every kick holds the weight of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
Leave a Reply