Earlier this decade, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers presumed that they had their kicker position under control well into the future, given the presence of Martin Gramatica.

But then he lost his fastball (or whatever in the hell it is that kickers lose), and before too long Gramatica was gone.

Matt Bryant is the leg-swinger for Tampa now, but after missing five of 12 field goals in the preseason, the team surely is concerned.  But, apparently, they aren’t yet thinking about giving Bryant the boot.

“We need him to be our leading scorer just like every other kicker is in this league,” coach Jon Gruden said.  ”He’s got the talent and certainly he can get it done.  I have confidence he will.”

Bryant helped his cause by making three consecutive field goals after missing his first two against the Texans on Thursday night.

The problem apparently relates to his follow-through when kicking from the right hash mark.  Whatever it is, he’d better get it ironed out or he won’t be kicking from either hash, or the space between them, for very long.

But Bryant had better not count on Gruden to help him get it figured out.  “I don’t want to talk to Bryant about kicking,” Gruden said. “I don’t know much about it really.  I try to kick myself and I can’t even express how bad I am.”