Giants kicker Robbie Gould has familiarity with Lambeau Field
Giants kicker Robbie Gould runs on the field before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium in London in October. Credit: AP/Matt Dunham
Robbie Gould is the Giants’ third placekicker this season, but he is an ideal match for their first playoff game.
The 12-year veteran spent his first 11 seasons with the Bears, making for plenty of icy home games as well as an annual visit to Lambeau Field, where the Giants will face the Packers Sunday in an NFC wild-card playoff game.
In 11 career games at Lambeau, he is 17-for-18 on field-goal tries, with a long of 47 yards. He also is 6-for-6 in his six career playoff games.
“What’s interesting is that nothing changes for the punter and the kicker,” Gould told Giants.com of kicking in the cold. “They really don’t. It’s just a matter of managing every situation to the best of the ability for that day in either direction.
“For [offensive and defensive players], the tempo, the speed, the physicality of the game is going to obviously increase, significantly . . . For me, nothing is going to change. I’m just going to go out there, trust my tempo, trust my technique. I have a lot of great guys around me that have been doing a great job blocking, snapping and holding.”
Still . . . cold is cold, especially with temperatures at kickoff expected to be in the low teens.
“The ball is definitely harder,” Gould told Giants.com. “It’s like kicking a brick. It’s not going to go as far, and it obviously doesn’t expand as much when you hit it like it would in a dome or a warm weather area. The ball is just not going to be able to travel as far. You just have to be able to manage the hang time and the distance on kickoffs, making sure that you give the guys on kickoff really good hang [time] and with good direction.
“On field goals, you just have to know what your distances are, and know how far your limits are. Just trusting that you hit a good ball and it will go in.”
Gould joined the Giants in London on Oct. 23 after the team released Josh Brown. He is 10-for-10 on field goals but has missed three of 23 extra-point tries.
“It’s actually one of my favorite places to play in the NFL,” he said of Lambeau Field. “The irony of last week and hitting the game-winner is a former Bear kicked both the Packers and the Lions into the playoffs [by eliminating the Redskins]. That’s kind of different. I think it’s a place you look forward to playing every year, especially when you’re in the NFC North.
“Usually the rivalry between the Bears and Green Bay is pretty good. There is some history with the Giants going up there in the playoffs, too. I’m excited to be a part of it and be back in the playoffs. I think it’s great for this organization and the players in the locker room.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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