Jaguars K Riley Patterson ‘getting better with every game’

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a revolving door at kicker throughout most of the offseason. They put an end to it when they picked Riley Patterson off waivers before the start of the season. During his stint in Jacksonville, Patterson has proven both effective and reliable, which is why it wasn’t particularly surprising to learn that was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

During an exchange with the local media, Pederson praised Patterson for executing in spite of the substandard weather.

“That was tough conditions, a week ago”, Pederson said. “Four out of five field goals in those conditions was pretty impressive. And he’s well deserved of that. He’s just shown consistency throughout the course of the year and keeps getting better with every game”.

This season, Patterson is 27-of-32 (84.4 percent completion rate). Although he failed three attempts in Weeks 9 and 10, the Jaguars’ belief in him never wavered. he’s bounced back nicely and has missed just one kick since then. That was against the New York Jets in less-than-optimal conditions, when he went 4-of-5 and was a big reason the Jaguars won the game.

Riley Patterson deserving of AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors

Matthew Wright was serviceable last year but the Jaguars’ brass believed they could get better production from the kicker position, which is why they released him. They then signed veteran Ryan Santoso and undrafted free agent Andrew Mevis. However, neither one proved to be the answer, so the Jags later signed (and later released) Elliot Fry.

Just before the start of the 2022 season, Jacksonville claimed James McCourt off waivers and he originally made the roster. But not long after, they brought in Patterson, who lost the Detroit Lions’ kicker competition to Austin Seibert.

Ironically, Seibert is no longer the Lions’ kicker. He was waived in October and is currently a free agent. Meanwhile, Patterson has brought stability to Jacksonville and given how he’s played, there’s a good chance he will remain with the Jaguars beyond 2022.

The Jaguars have won five games over the last five weeks and are on the brink of making the playoffs. Patterson has played a role in their recent success, which is why he’s getting recognition from around the league.