Bengals Nugent can empathize with NFL’s struggling kickers

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 23: Mike Nugent #2 of the Cincinnati Bengals attempts a field goal during the fourth quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium on October 23, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Cleveland 31-17. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 23: Mike Nugent #2 of the Cincinnati Bengals attempts a field goal during the fourth quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium on October 23, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Cleveland 31-17. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Having just missed a pair of field goals himself earlier in the day, Bengals kicker Mike Nugent couldn’t help but empathize with Seattle’s Steven Hauschka and Arizona’s Chandler Catanzaro after players they missed chip shot field goals at the end of overtime in their 6-6 tie Sunday night.

“You get to know these guys on a personal level, and I’ve gotten to know Chandler really well just from being out in Arizona every now and then and Steve from playing against them,” Nugent said. “When you kick as many balls as we do, I think sometimes that’s just bound to happen. Sometimes you wish it was at a different time.”

The timing couldn’t have been better for Nugent as his misses — a 40-yarder that went wide right and a 45-yarder that hit the upright — came in a game the Bengals won easily thanks to a 31-point, 559-yard outburst.

“It eases it only because I can say, ‘The game I had today did not contribute to a loss,’ ” Nugent said. “That’s the good thing.”

Nugent, the Centerville High School graduate who played at Ohio State, had been 13 of 13 this year on field goals less than 50 yards before Sunday’s misses.

“I was really happy with the way I hit both the balls,” he said. “I’m not blaming the wind. If it’s blowing 100 miles per hour, I need to play it in a certain spot and hit the same ball. I think I could have played the wind a little bit better. I’m happy with how I hit them, but I’m not happy with how I aimed them up. It’s going to give me something to learn. I’m always striving to get better for the next one.”

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