Jets preseason finale unveils ugly truth about current kicker situation

It's not hyperbole to say the New York Jets have a massive problem at kicker. Despite being named the starter this past week, Jason Sanders showed in the preseason finale that he isn't equipped to be the answer at kicker for the Jets and needs to be replaced.

The former Miami Dolphins All-Pro missed both of his kicking opportunities on Friday night, missing an extra point attempt and a 54-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. If you're going to be an NFL kicker, you have to be able to make kicks from long range, and Sanders just doesn't seem to have it.

New York needs to find another leg to add to their current competition at kicker. The decision not to match the Atlanta Falcons' offer to Nick Folk in free agency may seriously bite general manager Darren Mougey, especially if these kicking woes persist into the regular season.

New York Jets have serious trouble with kicker Jason Sanders

After the game, head coach Aaron Glenn spoke with reporters and was asked if he was worried about the Jets' current kicking situation after Sanders' struggles in the preseason finale.

"I didn't like the fact that we missed these field goals. But the thing is, we're not going to panic. And we're going to make sure we make the right decision to make sure we get- either we fix those issues, or we get the right person in here. But Jason's been good for us. I mean, he's been good in practice. So I'm going to evaluate that and see exactly what direction we'll go."

Glenn defended his veteran kicker, despite his inability to make any kicks against the Giants, and pointed to the fact that Sanders has been "good" in practice. In fairness, we aren't seeing how the former Dolphins kicker is performing behind closed doors, and Friday may have just been the anomaly and not the norm.

Regardless of how the Jets' head coach feels about him, though, New York can't be taken seriously if they continue to trot Sanders out as their only option. With Sunday serving as the deadline for teams to finalize their 53-man rosters, there should be a couple of names that shake loose from other teams with ongoing kicker competitions.

Players like the New Orleans Saints' Charlie Smyth, the Indianapolis Colts' Blake Grupe, or Spencer Shrader are names that come to mind with legitimate NFL kicking experience that could replace Sanders.

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