Every position group in Philadelphia has faced adversity through the start of the season. That is no different on the kicking side of things with Jake Elliott. Elliott has been in a difficult slump of late and there is worry he might not be able to break out of it. Comparing his start to past seasons it really isn’t a major concern as it has been made out to be. 

Before looking at past years, take a look at what in the 2020 season led to this moment. The major concern is the lack of faith that Doug has in Elliott. Most notable being Week three against the Bengals.

In OT with a last chance shot to win the Eagles shy away from Elliott kicking a 65 yard FG and instead opt to punt to secure the tie for Philadelphia. Since that moment Doug has been noticeably using more two-point conversions and going for it on fourth down instead of going to his kicker.

Jake isn’t free from all blame though. Heading into this week Elliott has a FG% of 66%, hitting eight of 12 attempts. This isn’t away from the norm though.

Comparing this to his past seasons, Elliott has always had a rough start. In 2017 and 2018 through seven games he had three missed in 2017, and four in 2018. Granted, he had 19 and 15 attempts in those years but still not that far away in terms of misses. In 2019 he was perfect through seven games.

By the end of those seasons, Elliott had barely missed any more kicks. In 2017 and 2018 he finished each with five missed kicks on the season and four in 2019. These starts are not ideal, but it shows he got hot at the right time. 

It might not be on the same level of success but the slump is nothing new. It definitely is something to keep an eye out for but his success should come back to him in a short amount of time. The positive note to take away is when Jake does line up to kick the extra point, he hasn’t missed all season.

Mandatory Credit: Joe Robbins AP