The 2018 season was always thought to be an outlier for Chris Boswell.
But, after making only 20 of 28 field goal attempts, ranking dead last in conversion percentage among qualifying kickers, Boswell finished the 2022 season far below expectations.
At season's end, Mike Tomlin wasn't ready to express any level of concern after the Steelers gave him a four-year, $20-million contract. However, he was very clear that Boswell was expected to make more field goals.
"I haven't begun to assess it in that way yet. I'm sure that I will, and he will," Tomlin said during his end of season press conference. "We acknowledge and I acknowledge that the ball didn't go through the upright at times and largely as much as we would like it to."
Boswell's first miss came in the season opener against the Bengals when he had a chance to win the game in overtime, but hit the upright. Fortunately, he was given a second chance and came through to secure the upset victory.
However, Boswell missed a 49-yarder in Week 3 and missed two more at Buffalo in Week 5. Despite making three straight over the following two weeks, it was revealed that he suffered a groin injury and was subsequently placed on injured reserve after missing the Week 8 thrashing at Philadelphia.
But, the game Boswell returned from injury might have included the most impactful miss of the season. Calais Campbell blocked a 40-yard attempt that would have pulled the Steelers within three early in the fourth quarter, and Pittsburgh would eventually lose the game, 16-14. As we now know, just one more win would have put the Steelers in the playoffs.
Then, Boswell missed two attempts in the frigid Christmas Eve victory over the Raiders and hit the right upright on a 48-yard attempt at Baltimore in Week 17.
I had a chance to ask Boswell if the injury midseason played a factor is disrupting any rhythm he was trying to find, especially after some misses early in the season.
"Yes and no. I mean, I didn't kick for a month," Boswell told me. "I just had to let it fully heal so I didn't go back and forth all season long. Starting and going 12 weeks, taking a month off, then trying to get back into it again is definitely difficult."
Of course, it would be more than understandable for a kicker to struggle with a groin injury. How long was it possibly bothering him before he went on IR? Was it still bothering him after he returned?
But, the answers to those questions really don't matter at all. Boswell was emphatic when he told me, "It wasn't the reason for anything at all."
The last thing anyone might want to hear is Boswell battled mental struggles this season. That was the cause for the horrid 2018 season where he made only 65% of his field goal attempts and missed a career-high five extra points. Boswell was in a dark place during that season, and the death threats he received from fans during that campaign didn't help.
Boswell was candid talking about the mental side of a 2022 season that challenged him, and it's a clear sign that this isn't a repeat of history.
"Mentally, it was definitely up and down. Definitely a fight," Boswell told me. "Every miss, I just came back swinging. Just focused on the next one. I feel like I did a -- despite the numbers -- I feel like I had a pretty good, solid year. The numbers won't obviously reflect that."
That answer might be the best news regarding Boswell's future as the Steelers' kicker. This isn't a 2018 situation where Boswell crawled into a mental hole and couldn't get out. Having that kind of optimism after having an obvious down year is an encouraging sign that Boswell never allowed the misses this season to deter him.
The mental battle is arguably the largest roadblock for a kicker. With Boswell in a good headspace, he'll put himself in a good position for a bounce back season in 2023.
The Steelers need it. Boswell draws a cap hit of $5.64 million next season. As long as he's healthy, they'll be expecting him to make at least 90% of his field goals, just as he had in five of his seven previous seasons.
But, with Boswell employing a "next one" mentality towards kicking in 2022, he'll likely take the same approach with turning the page from 2022 as if it's just a bad kick. Just focus on the next one.
