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Jason Sanders – December 28, 2020 Download PDF version

Monday, December 28, 2020

K Jason Sanders

(I wanted to ask you, how big was the game for you last week? Not only just the game-winning field goal but from rebounding after the missed kicks after the last two weeks?) – “It was a big win for the team. When I miss a kick, I don’t try to overanalyze, overthink it. It’s usually just onto the next one and I think that’s what usually helps me for future kicks is not just dwelling on a missed one.”

(I was just googling Andrew Franks’ k-ball. I wanted to try to remember that deal. In 2016 at Buffalo, Franks is going to kick a 55-yarder to tie the game and keep the Dolphins playoff chances alive. Are you familiar with that story and have you heard the story about how he looked down and realized it wasn’t a k-ball like it was supposed to be?) – “No, I didn’t know that wasn’t a k-ball; but I remember the kick. I remember I saw a video of the kick, but I don’t know the incident with the k-ball. I don’t know how – I haven’t kicked a quarterback ball or anything, so I’d assume it wouldn’t be much different. It’s just not identified as a kicking ball.”

(I went back and watched the game today and I saw you gave a good little fist pump after the game-winning kick. I’m wondering, what was the emotion like of knowing that you just put the team on top for the final score of the game? I’m also wondering, did you play other sports growing up and is there an equivalent to a game-winning kick? Like maybe a walk-off homer or a buzzer-beating three?) – “Yeah, it’s about the same – or a soccer goal in the last second. The game was up and down and it feels good to be able to come up with a good win like that for the team. There was a lot of energy on the field, so a lot of energy goes into how important the kick was and when you hit a kick like that, it’s hard not to celebrate.”

(I think you’re 1-for-1 on field goals in two games at Buffalo and maybe something like 5-for-5 on extra points? When it’s expected to be very cold, how do you feel about the cold and does that affect anything about the inflation of the ball, how it travels? What are some factors you need into consideration?) – “I’ve maybe had one or two cold games here with the Dolphins and I’ve had a lot of success in it. It’s just, I think the thing with Buffalo is the conditions. I don’t think the cold will be as big of a factor as maybe the wind. It’s just staying smooth with your process and it’s a pregame thing where you identify how it’s working, how the ball is flying off your foot and you’ve got to make it happen from there. So I’m going to identify where the wind is blowing and probably just go off that and hopefully all my kicks go in. (laughter)”

(A lot of us – myself included – thought you had a really good shot at the Pro Bowl this year. What were you thinking about that? Was it a disappointment or were you just waiting to see what was going to happen?) – “I think nothing takes away from a good season that I’m having. As a kicker, you know if you’re doing well or if you’re not doing well and just because I didn’t make the Pro Bowl doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good year. That’s ultimately what I reflect on.”

(Can you take some of us back to what those 19 seconds were like before QB Ryan Fitzpatrick’s head almost got ripped off and he’s throwing it down the sideline? What was your reaction to seeing the play and the flag, and then did you kind of scurry over to get on the field?) – “I was getting loose. When they were kicking the field goal to go up, I was already at the net. With my position, I’m anticipating a kick. The game’s not over until it hits zeros, so I didn’t want that situation happening – (where) I wasn’t loose – so before (Daniel) Carlson even hit the go-ahead at the end, I was already getting loose.”

(Sorry about my obsession with k-balls, but I’m pretty sure the reason they didn’t have the k-ball is because it was the Geronimo drill where they didn’t have time and they just all ran out. So under normal circumstances, who is in charge of the k-ball? Is it LS Blake Ferguson? Is it a special teams assistant? Whose job is it to make sure that doesn’t happen in Buffalo?) – “The ball guys. The ball guys are our equipment guys on the sideline, so when – like you said – on a no-timeout, you’ve-got-to-go situation, you’re going to get what’s already on the field. But on a normal operation, we’ve got the equipment guys throwing in our k-ball.”

(So in those dying seconds – not just the game the other day but any game – are you looking forward to a pressure kick or are you feeling it as that, pressure?) – “What I’ve learned is that I can’t be too comfortable. You want a little bit of nerves going through you. You don’t want to be too comfortable because then it might not feel like an important kick and the way I want to treat every kick is it’s important whether it’s the first quarter or the fourth quarter. I think a little nerves helps and it helps you focus a little more.”

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