Jake Moody didn't exactly instill confidence in the San Francisco 49ers fanbase by missing both field goal attempts during Sunday's preseason loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The former Michigan Wolverine enjoyed a lot of collegiate success, and the Niners made him the No. 99 overall pick, the highest-drafted kicker since 2016 (Robert Aguayo, Buccaneers, No. 59 overall).
Jake Moody, drafted in the third round by the 49ers to replace Robbie Gould, misses his first field goal attempt: wide left from 40 yards...
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) August 13, 2023
Jake Moody, drafted in *REDACTED*, misses from 58 yards
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) August 13, 2023
"It's unfortunate because I know the pressure's on him when everyone's looking, and I know he missed those two today, but he's been great in practice," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game.
In the visitor locker room at Allegiant Stadium, Moody insisted he's put the missed kicks behind him. He also admitted that he hoped for another opportunity against the Raiders.
"I was hoping we had one more just so I kind of prove that those were flukes, and that's not normal, I guess," Moody told reporters. "I wanted one more just to kind of feel better, but I guess I'll just have to wait until next week."
49ers players were surprised when Raiders coach Josh McDaniels called timeouts before each of Moody's kicks, a bizarre move for a preseason bout. Although, the coach insists that had nothing to do with Moody.
"No, that was not icing the kicker," McDaniels told Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We had a little issue with the substitutions."
Moody wasn't exactly in a hostile environment against the Raiders. There was a lot of red in the stands at Allegiant Stadium, where the 49ers hope to play again in February for Super Bowl 58. Much of that rides on having a reliable kicker throughout the 2023 season.
The rookie insists that he wasn't overwhelmed by his first NFL action.
"Felt very calm out there," Moody said. "It's just another game. Especially for kicking, there's not much that changes from college to the NFL besides the hash marks getting closer. It felt great, got good snaps, and good holds all day. So it's just something to learn from and just get better."
After the game, the 49ers boarded a plane for the return trip to the Bay Area and will start preparing to face the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium on Saturday. Hopefully, that's when the rookie can help fans forget what happened in Vegas.
"The first one felt good. It just happens," Moody said of his first missed kick. "I'm glad it happened now. There's a lot to learn from it. Watch the tape, stuff like that. Just move on to the next one."
Moody replaces Robbie Gould, the team's longtime reliable veteran kicker who was allowed to hit free agency. The rookie hopes to make adjustments this week, ensuring his NFL career doesn't have a rocky start. His coach doesn't seem overly concerned about the in-game miscues.
"[H]e's been great (in practices)," Shanahan said. "He handles himself well. So no issues here with me."
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