Stephen Gostkowski Used Unique Tactic To Break Out Of Kicking Funk

Stephen Gostkowski was somewhat of a liability for the Titans over his first two weeks with Tennessee.

The same couldn’t be said for the Titans’ Week 3 win, however. In fact, Gostkowski played a major role in Tennessee’s road victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

After missing a combined three field goals and two extra points in Weeks 1 and 2, Gostkowski was 6-for-6 on field goals and drilled his lone extra-point attempt Sunday. Three of those field goals were from 50-plus yards, including a go-ahead 55-yarder with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

So, how did Gostkowski put his struggles behind him? The 15th-year pro believes going sockless on his kicking foot played a part.

“I practiced all summer without them,” Gostkowski said, per Titans Insider. “It’s a little like baseball. When you’re in a slump you want to try something else and you get on a roll. I think my experience playing multiple sports kind of helps deal with a little bit of a bind. In a sport like baseball, you strike out or get embarrassed, you turn the page.

” … We’re only three games in and I’ve got a long way to go and I’ve a lot of work to do, but I’m excited to help the Titans be 3-0.”

Hey, whatever works.

We imagine Gostkowski will continue to go sans sock on his right foot as long he’s finding success. We’re not sure if he’ll be able to keep up with this strategy throughout the season, though, as it could be tough in cold-weather games.

Socks might not be optional when the Titans visit the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 27, for instance.