clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Lions training camp: David Akers, Havard Rugland square off on Day 2

The Detroit Lions' competition for the starting kicker job really got going on Saturday.

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Day 1 of Detroit Lions training camp came and went without any real news on David Akers and Havard Rugland. On Day 2 of camp, however, the competition for the starting kicker job started to heat up with Akers and Rugland each kicking four field goals.

According to Tim Twentyman, Akers was perfect on his four kicks. This is good to hear considering Akers didn't do a whole lot earlier in the offseason while he was recovering from an injury. It's also good to hear considering his accuracy was an issue when he was with the San Francisco 49ers last season.

Rugland, per Dave Birkett, went 3-for-4 on his kicks. His one miss was on a 37-yard attempt that went wide left. Although he wasn't perfect, Rugland was "crushing his kicks," according to Mike Mady. His leg strength was apparently quite noticeable, so that's promising.

Four kicks on one day of practice aren't going to determine who wins the starting kicker job, but Akers was the favorite going into training camp. Clearly nothing on Saturday changed that, but ultimately this will come down to which kicker is more consistent over an extended period of time, especially in preseason games. When the bright lights are on, the Lions need someone who can consistently make his kicks.

More from Pride Of Detroit:

Pride of Detroit Direct

Sign up now for a 7-day free trial of Pride of Detroit Direct, with exclusive updates from Jeremy Reisman on the ground at Allen Park, instant reactions after each game, and in-depth Lions analysis from film expert Jon Ledyard.