The Washington Commanders got their first real look at the kicking competition in preseason action against the Miami Dolphins, and the early read is becoming hard to ignore: Drew Stevens has the edge, and it’s growing.
The sample size was small, but Stevens made the most of his first NFL game-day test. The undrafted rookie hit his extra point and drilled a 41-yard field goal, showing the kind of clean execution Washington has been searching for.
Jake Moody, meanwhile, had a mixed outing of his own. He doinked a 29-yard attempt that thankfully still went through, and he also converted his lone extra point.
That’s enough for Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic to see a clearer picture emerging with final cuts still a few weeks away.
"Although they had a field goal apiece, (Drew) Stevens seems to have a strong lead over (Jake) Moody, who has had a slew of misses in recent training camp practices. Moody doinked a 29-yard attempt off the upright, but the ball went through. Stevens booted a 41-yarder and nailed an extra-point attempt."
Stevens has been the more encouraging story throughout the offseason, and the preseason opener only strengthened that case. The former Iowa kicker came into camp with momentum, and the Commanders moved quickly when interest from other teams surfaced before his rookie mini-camp tryout. General manager Adam Peters offered him a contract, and the decision is looking smarter by the day.
For Moody, the pressure keeps building. He’s still in the mix, but the confidence around him has clearly taken a hit, and the competition is no longer feeling close. The Commanders gave him a new one-year deal, but they also made it clear that no one was being handed the job.
That’s been the point from the start. Peters wanted real competition at kicker, and he got it.
Stevens is pushing hard for the role, and Moody is trying to hang on. The Michigan product has battled, but the separation is starting to show.
Washington has been looking for steadiness at kicker for a long time, and if Stevens keeps this up through the final two preseason games, he should be in position to handle the job when the Commanders open the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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