The practice performance this week of two placekickers -- Matt Ammendola and Alex Kessman -- will determine who will be suiting up for the Jets against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
"It all depends on what happens the next couple of days," special teams coach Brant Boyer said on Thursday. "Whoever it is, we have confidence in. You know, it's a competition in this league at every position and you have to be your best everyday. They both kicked really well the first couple of days, we will see what happens in the end."
Rookie Matt Ammendola has held down the job the entire season, but the Oklahoma State product has struggled recently and last week he missed on a 42-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter at Houston that could have given the Jets a 7-point lead. Houston later missed a field goal that would have tied the game, and Ammendola acquitted himself when he converted from 37 yards out to basically ice the game.
"Sometimes you can get a bit out of whack with your technique," Boyer said of Ammendola. "He's an ultra-talented kicker and he just needs to convert when we need the points. He came through after he missed a kick and that's a really good sign, coming back and making one and not letting it [the miss] ruin his game."
Kessman, an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, was signed to the practice squad this week and is being given a chance to win the job, for now.
"He's done a nice job," Boyer said. "He's a solid leg talent, good kickoffs. He's been accurate and we liked him before the draft.
"I'd have no hesitation to put either one in the game right now. [As a team] there are a lot of things we could fix, and that's one of them."
"It all depends on what happens the next couple of days," special teams coach Brant Boyer said on Thursday. "Whoever it is, we have confidence in. You know, it's a competition in this league at every position and you have to be your best everyday. They both kicked really well the first couple of days, we will see what happens in the end."
Rookie Matt Ammendola has held down the job the entire season, but the Oklahoma State product has struggled recently and last week he missed on a 42-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter at Houston that could have given the Jets a 7-point lead. Houston later missed a field goal that would have tied the game, and Ammendola acquitted himself when he converted from 37 yards out to basically ice the game.
"Sometimes you can get a bit out of whack with your technique," Boyer said of Ammendola. "He's an ultra-talented kicker and he just needs to convert when we need the points. He came through after he missed a kick and that's a really good sign, coming back and making one and not letting it [the miss] ruin his game."
Kessman, an undrafted free agent out of Pittsburgh, was signed to the practice squad this week and is being given a chance to win the job, for now.
"He's done a nice job," Boyer said. "He's a solid leg talent, good kickoffs. He's been accurate and we liked him before the draft.
"I'd have no hesitation to put either one in the game right now. [As a team] there are a lot of things we could fix, and that's one of them."
