“Houston, we may STILL have a problem.”

The first kick of Chandler Catanzaro’s Buccaneers career was a missed extra point.

Well, that sure as hell didn’t go as planned.

The problems at the kicking position for the Bucs has been well documented and fans hoped Catanzaro would finally solve a troubling problem. His performance Thursday night didn’t exactly calm those concerns as he finished 2-of-3 on field goals and 2-of-3 on extra points.

Also a bit troubling was that the missed field goal was a 53-yard attempt. Last season the Bucs were an abysmal 3-of-7 on 50-plus-yard field goal attempts, and part of the reason Catanzaro was signed was because his leg is more powerful for kick offs and long field goals. The make percentage of 50-plus-yard field goals isn’t high, but Catanzaro was brought in to make those kicks.

ESPN reporter Jenna Laine reported that Tampa Bay is bringing in new competition, but that it is not directly related to the two missed kicks against the Dolphins. Still, the Bucs will have to closely monitor the kicking situation, even if Catanzaro has a $3.75-million guarantee this year.

I wrote about how kicks being made or missed in training camp didn't really amount to anything, and that the kicks made or missed in actual games were all that mattered. I still firmly stand by that thought. The Bucs won the game last night, thanks to a masterful job by back up quarterback Ryan Griffin late game heroics, but the missed kicks just highlighted how close winning and losing is in the NFL. Last year the Bucs were in ten one score games and lost four of them by three points.

It is hard enough to win games in the NFL without having to worry about missed field goals. The good news is that it is just the first game of the preseason, and Catanzaro has time to alleviate the concerns of Bucs fans with some solid performances in the renaming three preseason games. Still, last night was not a promising start.

What do you think? Are missed preseason kicks cause for concern or much ado about nothing?