Start Tyler Loop over Will Reichard — Week 1 Start/Sit Verdict

Start Loop — the game script and red-zone opportunity edges are too wide to ignore.

Tyler Loop plays in the better game script (26.5 implied team points to 21.5) and gets more red-zone stalls to kick from (1.9 to 1.3 per game). Reichard's edge is attempt volume, 2.1 to 2.0 projected attempts. The gap is comfortable.

Tyler Loop

K12BALvs IND

8.58.58.5 Projected Points

Start· high

Will Reichard

K12MINvs GB

8.48.48.4 Projected Points

Toss-Up

Why Tyler Loop

Start· high

Starting placekicker who handles kickoffs. Accurate inside 50 but limited range, hitting just 1-of-4 from 50-plus as a rookie with a long of 52.

K10 with a 26.5 implied total, 88% accuracy (30/34) and 1.9 red-zone stalls per game — 1.7 FGs plus 2.6 XPs is a top-10 floor.

2.0 FG tries projected, right at the 2.0 league median this week.
BAL's offense stalls in the red zone 1.9 times a game (2025) — that's where kicker points come from.
Vegas has BAL at 26.5 points as 3.5-point favorites.
88% on field goals (2025), with a 50-plus make in 1 game.

The call

A 26.5 implied team total is among the best kicker environments on the board: 2.6 projected extra points give him a scoring floor before a single field goal.
Baltimore stalls in the red zone 1.9 times per game, which converts drives into the 2.0 attempts projected here — volume plus touchdown equity is the ideal kicker mix.
He's 30-of-34 (88%) on the season and locked in as PK1 with no injury designation; the retractable roof removes most weather downside even with no forecast yet.
Only real cap is the 50-plus profile — one make from that range with a long of 52 — so the upside is volume-driven rather than bonus-leg driven.

Latest on Loop

Minter backs Loop as Ravens add kicker competition in Moody

Baltimore signed Jake Moody to the practice squad three days after Tyler Loop missed two kicks in the preseason finale.

ESPN · Aug 31, 2026

Jesse Minter still has confidence in K Tyler Loop

Jamison Hensley breaks down the kicking situation for the Ravens.

ESPN · Aug 31, 2026

K Tyler Loop struggles in preseason finale

Jamison Hensley discusses whether Tyler Loop's job is in jeopardy after a lackluster preseason.

ESPN · Aug 29, 2026

Reported by the sources listed — not independently verified.

Why Will Reichard

Toss-Up

Starting K with strong leg. Handles kickoffs and long-range attempts.

Toss-up — K12 by consensus, projects K14 this week: kicks indoors, and 1.3 red-zone stalls a game.

Kicks indoors — no weather risk.
2.1 FG tries projected, just over the 2.0 league median this week.
MIN's offense stalls in the red zone 1.3 times a game (2025) — that's where kicker points come from.
Vegas has MIN at 21.5 points as 1.5-point dogs.

Head-to-head stats

Metric	Tyler Loop	Will Reichard
Projected points	8.58.58.5	8.48.48.4
Consensus rank	K12	K12
Projected FG attempts	2.0	2.1
Red-zone stalls / game	1.9(2025)	1.3(2025)
Kicking conditions	—	Indoors, no weather risk
Implied total · spread	26.5-3.5	21.5+1.5
Field-goal %	88.2%(2025)	94.3%(2025)
Depth chart	K1	K1
Start/Sit record	—	0–0+1 toss-up