It’s now or never for second-year placekicker Tyler Loop. Drafted in the sixth round last year, the rookie faced an almost impossible situation: take the place of an all-time great after the sudden release of Justin Tucker. Loop had big shoes to fill. After an up-and-down rookie year with plenty of highs and really low lows, he comes into his second season with even more pressure after how last season ended.
Up and Down Rookie Year
Tyler Loop started his rookie season as well as anyone. Throughout his first four games, he went a perfect 7-for-7 on field goals and 14-of-15 on extra point attempts. He had demonstrated consistency and the ability to stay poised.
It was these traits that led Baltimore to draft him, believing he could be the successor to Tucker’s legacy. For as big a leg as Tucker had, his legacy didn’t come from his leg strength. It was his ability to stay calm and show up when the lights were brightest.
In Tucker’s rookie year, he excelled at long distance, going 4-for-4 from 50-plus yards and 13-for-17 of kicks of 40-plus yards. Loop struggled, going just 1-for-4 from 50 yards out. After making his first 50-yard kick of the season, he went 0-for-3 the rest of the year from that distance.
His struggles on special teams happened when the team needed him the most. Baltimore started out the year with a 2-5 record. The Ravens then went 6-3 in their next nine games to get back to .500, with a chance to win the division and make the playoffs.
Loop struggled to become a key storyline for the team during the final three weeks of the season. He went just 4-for-6 on field goals, with most misses coming at 40-plus yards, including the kick that would have sent the Ravens to the playoffs. In a season defined by resilience for a team that had to battle its way back, that final miss ultimately cost the Ravens their season and now leaves Loop on very thin ice.
Looking Ahead to Year Two
Loop’s rookie year showed plenty of flashes. It also featured heartbreak. Both the Ravens and Tyler Loop know they can’t repeat last year. They also know that year two will define his NFL career and determine whether he can cut it in this league. Loop is still young, turning 25 in August, and still has plenty of potential. Not many can hit 62-yard field goals as he did in college. But if he wants to stick, he needs to be consistent from long range.
While the NFL is where dreams are made, it is also a business. The NFL won’t wait for you to get your bearings; you either perform or get cut.
For Loop this offseason, it is clear what he needs to work on. If he can be more consistent from long range, he can be a great player. He only missed two extra points all year and only missed four kicks total, going 30-34 in his rookie year. If he adds the long-range consistency to his game, he makes the Baltimore Ravens that much more dangerous.
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