Friday, September 18, 2009
"It's finally here… the season opener!”
“I can't wait to get under the lights in my Titans uniform and get our season started!”
“I hope I get the first kickoff of the game, so I can start the victory train as we charge through Steel Town!"
These were the thoughts running through my mind right up to the moment we ran onto the field in Pittsburgh to face the Steelers last Thursday.
I knew it was going to be a good game, and we were going to snatch victory away from Pittsburgh on their home turf. I was certain our record would be 1-0 because we had defeated the Steelers! “What a great start to this season!” I thought. Sadly, this isn’t how the game played out.
It would have been so cool to beat the reigning Super Bowl Champs in the opening game of the season! Week 1 was disappointing, though, because we lost in overtime. We didn’t play our best game, and neither did the Steelers. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to overcome our mistakes and walk away with the victory. I wasn’t satisfied with my performance and I hate missing field goals more than anyone else on that field… player, coach or fan. It takes eleven guys doing their jobs to make a field goal, but when one kick is missed, it’s my foot that misses it. It’s me that has to get things right to ensure I make the next one. I don’t miss a field goal often, and rarely miss two in a single game. Much less… two shorter ones.
After missing my previous two attempts, I was nervous to take the field again and go for the extra point. I had confidence our field goal unit had worked out any glitches, and we would run the play like clockwork. A huge part of my job as kicker is having a short-term memory. I must forget the last miss and make the next one. It’s a part of being a “professional” that’s hard for some of the rookies to cope with. I tell myself, “get the miss out of your head and just kick it in like normal.”
I was glad to get one through the uprights. I knew it would still be a close game, and we may need another kick or two before the clock runs out. There is nothing I can do about a missed kick and nothing our team can do about a missed opportunity. However, we can prepare ourselves to make sure we take advantage of every opportunity coming up next!
There were some positive moments from the game, including forcing the Steelers into overtime! We are a good team, and we understand the mistakes we need to fix to bring our game to the next level. As a team, we’re proud of the powerful plays we made, and anxious to give things another go when we square off with Houston this weekend.
This Steelers match-up was a great way for us to analyze all of our strengths and weaknesses. It's a long season and every game counts. We have to start filling up the win column now! We’re overcoming this loss and concentrating on the next game. Now, our focus is on securing a victory Sunday night against the Texans here at LP. We've practiced hard this week to prepare for Houston, and the game Sunday will show us if it was enough to lock-in our first win this season.
Weather forecasts say it’ll probably be wet at game time. Well, that’s fine. We’re bringing the Titan thunder to the house and storming away with a victory!
~RB2
