Patriots Kicker Implodes Right Before Preseason Finale

As the New England Patriots preseason nears its end, so does the teams' kicker competition. Special teamers Chad Ryland and Joey Slye have been competing for the No. 1 kicker role throughout the summer, however, neither player has done an effective job of separating himself from the other.

At least, that was the case until Wednesday's practice.

Patriots News: Chad Ryland Implodes During Wednesday's Practice

The Patriots held one of their final preseason practices on Wednesday and things didn't go well for Ryland. While Slye went a perfect 4-for-4 during the session, Ryland only finished 1-for-4 as he tallied misses from 41, 47, and 50 yards out, per team insider Alex Barth.

Following Wednesday's practice, Slye is now 40-for-48 (83.3%) on field-goal attempts this summer while Ryland is a putrid 36-for-47 (76.6%). Unless an unexpected injury or scandal pops up, the latest kicking session may have ended the kicker competition in New England.

The fact that Ryland struggled with Wednesday's lengthier kicks isn't surprising. The former Maryland product only sunk seven of his 14 attempts (50.0%) from 40 yards or further as a rookie, leaving a ton of points on the board for the Patriots in the process.

With Ryland continuing to struggle, it's become clear that he's one of Bill Belichick's worst recent draft picks. The Patriots weren't even kicker-hungry when they used a 2023 fourth-round selection on him and the fact that he's been unable to silence his doubters makes the pick look even worse.

We'll see if the struggling kicker can turn things around against the Washington Commanders in this weekend's preseason finale. The 24-year-old special teamer could see a handful of opportunities on Saturday in a game where the Patriots are 4.5-point road favorites over the Commanders.

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