Three points. That’s all it takes to shift a season, crack open a Super Bowl window, or slam it shut. Kyle Shanahan knows that pain too well, which is why he shocked the league in 2023 by drafting kicker Jake Moody with the 99th overall pick, only the second kicker in 15 years to be taken in the top 100. Moody, a Lou Groza winner from Michigan, wasn’t just a kicker to him. He was a weapon.

And yet, when the moment came, Super Bowl LVIII, 41-yard attempt in overtime, Moody missed. Mahomes didn’t. That’s the fine line between heartbreak and history. But here’s what matters now: Moody isn’t running from it. He’s resetting. “I want to prove to myself that I deserve to be here, that I belong. It doesn’t have anything to do with last year or other people or anything,” he said this week. Not to prove the critics wrong and not to answer the social media noise. This is internal.

Moody’s rookie season was solid on paper, 21-of-25 on field goals, 60-for-61 on extra points, but every Niners fan still remembers the missed kick in the Super Bowl. And guess what? So does Jake. He doesn’t dwell on it, but he does feel it. “Just changed my mindset to focusing on the now and doing what I can to help myself best make kicks.” he added. That’s a shift. A hard reset.

After a promising rookie season, his story took a turn in 2024. After a clean start, including six field goals in a Week 1 win over the Jets, tying a franchise record, Moody’s performance started unraveling following a high ankle sprain in Week 5. He missed Weeks 6 and 7, and when he returned, something was off. The lift was there, but the accuracy? Not quite. He went just 7-of-13 on field goals over the next stretch.

Then came Week 17 against Detroit, a full-blown meltdown. Moody missed from 51 and 58 yards. Add a missed PAT, and suddenly, what should’ve been a tight win turned into a 40–34 loss. That’s seven points off the board from one player. And that’s the game. From 84% on field goals in 2023 to a shaky 70.6% in 2024, Moody’s regression post-injury isn’t just physical. It’s mental.

Can Jake Moody overcome the pressure of performance?

Jake Moody isn’t just in a competition; he’s in a controlled firestorm. New 49ers special teams coordinator Brant Boyer made sure of that. He’s put Jake Moody and Greg Joseph in a pressure cooker, kicking back-to-back in front of the entire team. Same spot, same wind, and same stakes. “That’s how you create pressure on the guys,” Boyer said. It’s not just reps, it’s theater. And everyone’s watching.

Even Nick Bosa’s been caught enjoying the show. It started hot. Both kickers went 4-for-4 on Wednesday. Then cracks appeared. Moody missed from 50. Joseph missed twice, from 40 and 50. But that miss from Moody? It matters more. Because after 2024’s late-season meltdown and an ankle injury that threw his rhythm off, he’s the one fighting off demons.

Moreover, Boyer sees the technical effort, but he also sees the fragility. “I see a guy who lost his confidence a little,” he said bluntly. “But I also see a guy who was injured half the year.” That’s as honest and as revealing as a coach can get. He’s not throwing Jake Moody under the bus, but he’s not shielding him either. And if you listen closely, that’s not just concern, it’s a warning.

Moody has even overhauled his mechanics, ditching his signature three-step approach for a two-step setup. Less power, more control. He hopes it brings consistency. But in the NFL, hope isn’t enough. You have to hit under fire. “Greg Joseph is putting all the pressure that he can on him,” Boyer added. And that’s what makes this battle real.

All in all, Shanahan drafted Moody to be automatic. Now he’s in a dead heat with a veteran, while Boyer builds chaos around them on purpose. Because if he can’t survive August, he’ll never last in January.