San Diego Chargers: The impact of Josh Lambo

Josh Lambo stepped onto the field to kickoff for the first time in a San Diego Chargers uniform and we watched the ball sail out of the back of the end zone. Every time that he went to kickoff, the ball was launched deep and was not taken out the back of the end zone for a return. It was something new for the Chargers and the fans. We had been sticking with Nick Novak and Nate Kaeding for so long, that we never had seen this type of leg before.

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There were many other teams that had launched the kickoff deep on us and we had to sit on the football instead of taking it out of the end zone. This time it was our kicker that rocketed it back there.

In the preseason, you could see that Novak was in awe of the leg and he knew that the competition was stiff. Novak tried to reach the back of the end zone with his kickoffs, but in order to make it happen he started sailing them lower and lower to get the distance. That is a recipe for a big return in the NFL. In the end Novak was unable to compete.

The kickoff advantage will be huge for the Chargers defense. Teams will be forced to start at the 20 yard line and likely will not get a chance for a return. Teams were moving the ball up to the 30 and sometimes to the 40 with their returns on Novak and that allowed a short field to work with. We are looking for special teams to be a weapon for this team this year.

The big question will be Lambo in the field goal department. How will his accuracy be?

Lambo showed that he can use his big leg kicking field goals. He was solid in the preseason, but now the regular season opens up and all eyes will be on the Chargers new kicker. How accurate will he be kicking the ball through the uprights? There will be a bit of nervousness going into the year from the fans with the new kicker as he lines up to kick field goals. The bar has been set high for the kid with the previous guys that held the job. Those guys were accurate and we could count on them to put the points on the board. Can Lambo prove to be the same?

50+ yard field goals will no longer be a question of leg strength. We just need to know if he has the accuracy from deep to make the kick. We know he has the confidence and swagger to knock them through. That likely will give him the edge in the end.

What do you think of Lambo?

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