RICHMOND — The ball bounced off the top of a white television tent set up behind the goalposts and ricocheted into a weather station, blasting it into bits.
Kai Forbath would have probably appreciated the trajectory if it was his intent to reduce the instruments to a pile of metal shrapnel. Instead, the Washington Redskins kicker had missed the left upright by inches on his 43-yard field goal attempt — the latest failure in a rough start to camp for Forbath.
“We’re just getting back in the rhythm of it,” Forbath said, explaining away his miscues. “Hopefully, going into game week, we’ll be there.”
Forbath and his competition, undrafted rookie Ty Long, have combined to make just 70.7 percent of their field goal attempts during the brief sessions held at the end of practice — a figure that would have been the second-worst mark in the league last season.
The incumbent, Forbath, has gone 14-for-20 over five days, making everything within 39 yards but missing six of his 10 attempts from 40 yards or longer. Long, from UAB, has gone 15-for-21, including a 5-for-5 performance on Aug. 3.
The Redskins will open their preseason schedule on Thursday when they visit the Cleveland Browns, and it’s Forbath’s belief that he’ll be more consistent when kicking during a game.
“I mean, that’s kind of always where I’ve stepped up and made kicks is when games come down to it, so I’m looking forward to Thursday.”
Forbath made 24 of his 27 attempts last season, his second with the Redskins, with his 88.9 conversion percentage tying for eighth in the league. He made 18 of 22 field goal attempts the year before and 17 of 18 in 2012, when he was signed by Washington midway through the season.
His 88.1 career conversion percentage, buoyed by a streak of 17 successful attempts to start his career, remains the best in team history among players with at least 50 attempts.
Long, who made 59 of his 77 field goal attempts during his four years with the Blazers, wrapped up his career by making 13 of 17 attempts as a senior. He’s the second rookie kicker in as many years to push Forbath for that role after Zach Hocker was drafted in the seventh round out of Arkansas last year.
“He’s a good young kicker,” Forbath said. “He’s got a big leg. I mean, both of us have had our good days and bad days, but like I said, I’m worried about myself and not anybody else.”
The biggest issue, Forbath said, has been that he’s only had a limited number of chances with long snapper Nick Sundberg and holder Tress Way, the punter, since last season ended.
Thursday, he expects, will be different.
“That’s just knowing I’ve kicked that ball a million times in practice and there’s no reason to miss,” Forbath said. “Just go out there and do what I’ve always done.”
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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