Sturgis was clearly damaged in that fateful game. Up until that point we were all pretty happy with him. After that he never looked the same. If anyone could have done with hiring a sports psychologist it was him. The mechanics existed. He got the yips and couldn't shake them. I feel very sorry for Sturgis.
Nogle puts WAY too much stock in Ks and Ps period, I've always attributed it to his love of soccer, not that soccer is bad, don't want anyone turning it into that, I was team captain in high school. One aspect people don't look at is the size and speed of the NFL blocking squads compared to college, iow, the same things all rookies have to deal with, everyone is bigger, stronger and more angry, and Ks especially are usually very average sized people. It's kind of like William Wallace and the Scots facing down heavy horse, for an average sized human, an NFL field is a scary place to be, and like Wallace and the Scots you have to "HOLD", composure in the face of destruction, your natural inclination is to RUN, that's self preservation talking, and it speaks with a loud voice in your head. The best Ks and Ps don't feel that pressure, they have that ability to deal with pressure, Sturgis was shaky at best dealing with pressure at the NFL level. It's also 1 of the main reasons most Ks these days are UDFAs, because it really sucks to give up a draft pick (5th round for Sturgis) and still get nothing, especially when their are UDFAs that can get the job done.
Very happy they decided to keep Hewitt on the team, who I believe has a lot of potential once he learns the defense and how to use his speed to his advantage a little more. From the very time I watched Jordan Tripp on film I saw a player that was very good going forward, pretty good going back, and pretty bad going laterally. His skill set honestly fits better at Mike in my view, as he can go back on the crossers, stay deep enough for the back crosser and be fast enough to get to the shallow crosser. That's what Sheppard and Misi lack at the position currently. Tripp just doesn't stack and shed well enough to fit in that role, and he is simply not a SAM in my mind. He's a Will, and a Will who can change directions is going to have a hard time sticking. If someone gives him a shot at Mike, he's got a real chance to develop his hand usage to stack and shed, shoot gaps, and play downhill. That's when he's at his best in my view.
