As the Ravens’ holder, Jordan Stout has a front-row seat watching Tyler Loop every day.
During Sunday’s open practice at M&T Bank Stadium, 26,052 fans saw what Stout sees – a talented rookie kicker who seems to be gaining confidence each day.
“You guys saw him today, right,” Stout said. “He’s pretty good, huh?”
Loop was 11-for-11 on field goal attempts, including a 60-yarder that drew a loud ovation from the crowd. Afterward, Loop found himself surrounded by media in the Ravens’ locker room, being asked about having a day in front of Ravens’ fans.
“Beautiful stadium, beautiful environment, I love the purple,” Loop said. “The fans are great. It’s such a passionate city for football.”
As the first kicker drafted in franchise history, and the Ravens’ first new kicker since 2012, Loop knows he’s being thrust into a pressure situation on a Super Bowl contender. However, he’s simply focusing on getting better each day and not comparing himself to Justin Tucker or any other kicker.
“Tuck is incredible, I would say he is the greatest of all time at this position and he got there by being process-oriented, picking his targets, hitting his targets,” Loop said. “That’s something [Special Teams Coach] Randy [Brown] and I talked a lot about. We’re going to build your process, and we’re going to stick to it.”
The Ravens waived undrafted kicker John Hoyland on Saturday, leaving Loop as the only kicker remaining in camp. Loop said Hoyland definitely made him a better kicker, and he anticipates seeing him have success in the NFL. But on Sunday, Loop took center stage and kicked lights out at the stadium.
“He’s going to be good. [His confidence] has got to skyrocket, right?” Stout said. “Overall, he’s a pretty confident guy in the first place. I think he’s confident now in the best way possible.”
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