Gao was the most consistent, with a smooth setup and good loft. He had learned to take a deep breath and let his hands swing loose before approaching the ball. From 40 yards, his kick barely made it over the crossbar. The others' kicks fell short. Five yards farther back, all three of them pulled the ball to the left.
The first time these kickers watched an NFL game in its entirety was the Super Bowl last month. They saw the rare miss from the Indianapolis Colts veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri on a chip shot from 36 yards just before halftime. They noted the extenuating circumstances -- the pouring rain and bad ball position on the hold. And they watched how Vinatieri shook it off and followed with two successful field goals in the second half.
"It shows he's got the ability to handle the pressure," Gao said.
Spoken like a true student of the position.
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