Fear not Buccaneers fans, Roberto Aguayo is doing just fine.
After going 3 of 3 on extra points and 3 of 3 on field goals last week against the Browns in the team's third preseason game, Aguayo was again perfect against Washington in Wednesday's preseason finale. He hit an extra point and a pair of field goals, highlighted by a 50-yarder in less than ideal conditions.
"I feel comfortable going now obviously with the weather -- obviously you have to adapt, you have to do what you've got to do," Aguayo said, via The Tampa Bay Times. "Coach (Jimbo) Fisher used to tell us 'Everything works to your advantage,' and that's the mindset you've got to have. I was glad I was able to hit it smooth, get it through and overall get confidence."
Added Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter: "I think that probably the two brightest spots of the game (were) Roberto's 50-yarder and Bryan Anger had a really nice night punting the ball. Our coverage teams on kicks were good, but that's about the end of the highlights right there."
What an incredible weight off of everyone's shoulders. While Tampa Bay obviously has much more to worry about than the kicking game, having a second-round pick struggle in such a lonely, public way can drag down the morale of everyone else. It can frustrate the front office folks who made the very unpopular deal, and it can frustrate the coaching staff as they work overtime to try to solve a problem that can't really be fixed with coaching.
Aguayo showed his mental strength and will be better off having gone through his struggles in the preseason when the games don't count.