Andy Borregales shanked a 40-yard field goal attempt in the New England Patriots’ Week 8 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. That miss wasn’t just another bad kick; it marked his third missed field goal of the season from inside 50 yards, and you know that’s not what any team wants to see from their kicker. Through eight games, the second-year kicker is sitting at 10-of-13 on field goals and 20-of-21 on extra points. Those extra point numbers look good, sure, but those field goal misses are starting to add up, especially the short ones.
The Kicking Woes and Coach Vrabel’s Stance
When your kicker misses from 40 yards, that’s not a “tough kick,” that’s a chip shot you absolutely have to make. Yet, despite Borregales’ struggles, head coach Mike Vrabel is still backing his guy. “That needs to get corrected,” Vrabel said Monday, acknowledging the obvious. But then he doubled down: “I’ve got a lot of confidence in Andy. I think when you see the timing and when the approach is in rhythm, it looks really good.” Look, it needs to look “really good” when the ball goes through the uprights, not just when he’s practicing. Vrabel kept it direct, saying, “We have to make our kicks. Everybody has a job here. There’s no real message. It’s, ‘Hey, we’ve got to make them.’ But I’ve got a lot of confidence.” He even threw in a compliment about Borregales’ kickoff placement, which is great, but isn’t the main concern right now. He ended by hoping Borregales is “making a lot of extra points and not having to kick a lot of field goals,” which honestly sounds like a wish for the offense to just score touchdowns and avoid these pressure kicks altogether.
No Competition, More Pressure
Borregales was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. His rookie season started a little rough, too, with a pair of missed extra points in Miami in Week 2. But after that shaky start, he settled down, missing just three kicks over the remainder of that regular season. What’s interesting is that the Patriots haven’t brought in any real competition for Borregales since his rookie season, when John Parker Romo briefly pushed him during training camp. Vrabel, in a weekly appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, even took a shot at how quickly analysts and fans call for players to be benched or released after mistakes, name-dropping Drake Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson as examples. It’s a fair point about the fan reaction, but when a second-year kicker is missing makeable field goals at this rate, the calls aren’t just knee-jerk. For now, Vrabel appears content to stick with his kicker, but that “emphasis on the need for better results” is ringing loud and clear.
So, while Coach Vrabel is holding firm, the pressure is squarely on Borregales to start hitting those chip shots. The team’s gotta make their kicks, and right now, all eyes are on Borregales to prove his coach’s confidence isn’t misplaced.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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