Kicker Wil Lutz, in just a year removed from his rookie season may hold all the card this season for the New Orleans Saints. That being said, the difference from making the playoffs or not may depend on his leg alone.

Being a kicker in the NFL is a tough job. Every home game, fans wear countless jerseys of their favorite player. However, finding a jersey with the #3 on it won’t be an easy find. Kickers in general have always been looked at as being a bit different.

Former Saints kicker John Carney should know. Carney has kicked in the NFL successfully for over 20 years. Additionally, he spent nearly eight years with the New Orleans Saints. Ironically, he worked with Wil Lutz as well. Carney knows a lot about kicking in the NFL.

“I always tell clients in the NFL consistency is king. There’s a lot to it. But there’s so much more they don’t look at. Some scouts and coaches just look at the results on that day. He made eight out of ten field goals. I like him!”

Carney is a perfectionist at breaking down every single detail. Carney looks at specifically of how a kicker performs under PRESSURE. Moreover, how a kicker performed in important games and the way they react after a miss. This is the epitome of whether or not a kicker can make a career out of kicking.

In 2017, the Saints are gonna need the leg more than ever from Wil Lutz. Perhaps it’s not fair to put that much pressure on one player. That being said, there is no way to SUGAR COAT the truth. The way Lutz performs in clutch situations in 2017 may dictate how the Saints finish in the win-loss column. Take a look at these stats.

From 2002, sportingcharts.com came up with these important numbers. They looked at over 2,668 games from 2002 and beyond. These three stats were more important than any:

Margin of victory # of games % of games

1 92 3.45%

2 92 3.45%

3 418 15.67%

Basically, this means that over 20% of games are decided by three points are less. Consequently, in a 16 game season that’s about 3-4 games every year. There is your difference. The three points that Wil Lutz can put up every game is critical. Even more important though, is when those three points come. Kicking field goals in the fourth quarter is going to be so crucial.

In 2017, the New Orleans Saints will need Wil Lutz more than any other player when the time winds down. That’s a fact.