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Andy Borregales knew he just had to do his job - and because he did it perfectly, the New England Patriots have at least one more game left this season.
There have been plenty of dramatic kicks in New England’s history and while Borregales didn’t have to go full Vinatieri in Sunday’s Wild Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he still had to step up and make routine kicks look exactly that way.
“I do it for everyone in this locker room and the coaches,” said Borregales after making three field goals in the Patriots’ 16-3 win over the Chargers. “Just going out there excited kind of knowing in my head the kick is going to go in.”
With low temperatures and a soft breeze, Sunday’s weather was hardly perfect for kicking a football. After a season where he made 32 of 37 - with a long of 59 - and 53 of 55 extra points, the rookie sixth-round pick has learned to not stress about the conditions and focus on the task at hand.
“That’s not controllable,” Borregales said. “I really just go out there and do what I can do - make my kicks and do my job.”
Borregales - as well as long snapper Julian Ashby and holder Bryce Barringer - were perfect on Sunday night.
Points were tough to come by, something made apparent by the defensive efforts on both sides. The Chargers had a chance to add a chip-shot field goal in the first quarter, but tried to go for the touchdown. New England’s defense got a stop and the game remained scoreless.
Borregales changed that in the second quarter after New England’s drive stalled at the Chargers’ 5-yard line. The analytics era has changed NFL playcalling, but coach Mike Vrabel elected to send his rookie kicker out to get points instead of going for a touchdown on fourth down.
Tied at 3 and looking for points at the end of the second quarter, a 37-yard run by Drake Maye brought the Patriots into field goal range at the Chargers’ 17. Two incomplete passes later, Borregales went out and buried a 35-yarder for a 6-3 halftime lead.
The third field goal fell under similar circumstances. Maye hit Kayshon Boutte on a 42-yard completion, but the drive stalled at the Chargers’ 21 with 1:34 left in the third quarter. Borregales ran out, ripped another through the goal posts and the Patriots took a 9-3 lead into the fourth quarter.
“Everything was clean,” said Borregales, who booted the extra point on Hunter Henry’s touchdown for the game’s final point.. “At the end of the day, you’ve just got to turn the page. Good or bad, you’ve just got to turn the page.
"Time is not going to stop for anyone. I’m just trusting God’s plan. I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
The Patriots' next game will take place on Sunday, Jan. 18, against the winner of Monday’s game between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The way-too-early weather forecast shows a chance of snow.
If that happens, Borregales won’t be stressed out. He’ll just be ready to do what he does best.
“It doesn’t really matter about the weather,” Borregales said. “If your confidence is up, it’s going to roll over.
“Cold weather, windy – it’s just like any other game. You’ve just got to go out there and prepare for that.”
Journal sports writer Bill Koch contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How many field goals did Andy Borregales make for the Patriots vs. the Chargers
Continue reading...
There have been plenty of dramatic kicks in New England’s history and while Borregales didn’t have to go full Vinatieri in Sunday’s Wild Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he still had to step up and make routine kicks look exactly that way.
“I do it for everyone in this locker room and the coaches,” said Borregales after making three field goals in the Patriots’ 16-3 win over the Chargers. “Just going out there excited kind of knowing in my head the kick is going to go in.”
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With low temperatures and a soft breeze, Sunday’s weather was hardly perfect for kicking a football. After a season where he made 32 of 37 - with a long of 59 - and 53 of 55 extra points, the rookie sixth-round pick has learned to not stress about the conditions and focus on the task at hand.
“That’s not controllable,” Borregales said. “I really just go out there and do what I can do - make my kicks and do my job.”
Borregales - as well as long snapper Julian Ashby and holder Bryce Barringer - were perfect on Sunday night.
Points were tough to come by, something made apparent by the defensive efforts on both sides. The Chargers had a chance to add a chip-shot field goal in the first quarter, but tried to go for the touchdown. New England’s defense got a stop and the game remained scoreless.
Borregales changed that in the second quarter after New England’s drive stalled at the Chargers’ 5-yard line. The analytics era has changed NFL playcalling, but coach Mike Vrabel elected to send his rookie kicker out to get points instead of going for a touchdown on fourth down.
Tied at 3 and looking for points at the end of the second quarter, a 37-yard run by Drake Maye brought the Patriots into field goal range at the Chargers’ 17. Two incomplete passes later, Borregales went out and buried a 35-yarder for a 6-3 halftime lead.
The third field goal fell under similar circumstances. Maye hit Kayshon Boutte on a 42-yard completion, but the drive stalled at the Chargers’ 21 with 1:34 left in the third quarter. Borregales ran out, ripped another through the goal posts and the Patriots took a 9-3 lead into the fourth quarter.
“Everything was clean,” said Borregales, who booted the extra point on Hunter Henry’s touchdown for the game’s final point.. “At the end of the day, you’ve just got to turn the page. Good or bad, you’ve just got to turn the page.
"Time is not going to stop for anyone. I’m just trusting God’s plan. I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
The Patriots' next game will take place on Sunday, Jan. 18, against the winner of Monday’s game between the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The way-too-early weather forecast shows a chance of snow.
If that happens, Borregales won’t be stressed out. He’ll just be ready to do what he does best.
“It doesn’t really matter about the weather,” Borregales said. “If your confidence is up, it’s going to roll over.
“Cold weather, windy – it’s just like any other game. You’ve just got to go out there and prepare for that.”
Journal sports writer Bill Koch contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: How many field goals did Andy Borregales make for the Patriots vs. the Chargers
Continue reading...
