Buccaneers still plagued by kicking problems

They thought they were past this.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers thought they solved their kicking woes when they cut Roberto Aguayo, their second-round pick of a year ago, and made veteran Nick Folk their full-time kicker this offseason.

But old problems re-emerged Sunday. First, Folk missed an extra-point attempt that would have put the Buccaneers up 14-0 on the New York Giants. Then, he missed two of his next three field-goal tries, a 46-yard attempt and a 49-yard try. His only make was a 20-yard chip shot.

The missed opportunities allowed the Giants to claw back into the game and take a 17-16 lead.

"(Kickers) have to make it. That's what they get paid to do," Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter said after the game, according to Joey Johnston of The Sports Xchange.

Folk redeemed himself with a game-winning 34-yard field goal as time expired, but even that kick barely snuck inside the upright.

"In the end, that's all that matters, but I've probably never felt worse after a game-winning kick," Folk said afterwards.

"We left plenty of points out there and the game didn't have to be that close," Koetter added.

The Bucs will have just three days to sort out their kicking situation before hosting the New England Patriots on Thursday night.

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