Blair Walsh made 73.8 percent of his field goals at Georgia. Nate Freese made 86.4 percent of his at Boston College.

Walsh made 60 percent (21 of 35) as a senior in 2011. Freese made 100 percent (20 of 20) as a senior in 2013.

Yet it is the Vikings' Walsh who set the bar for NFL rookie kickers for decades to come, if not permanently, and Freese who was released in Detroit this week after only three NFL games.

"It's tough," said Walsh, a sixth-round draft pick of the Vikings in 2012. "There's definitely a learning curve as a rookie. There are certain mistakes that I made that I feel I would not make now.

"But at the same time, it's not like another position where you have to learn a playbook and stuff like that. You're just out there handling your job. And it doesn't change from college."

In 2012, Walsh, a sixth-round draft pick, made 35 of 38 field-goal attempts, including an NFL-record 10 of 10 from 50 yards and farther, while earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors. Freese, a seventh-round pick in 2014, missed four of seven attempts, all between 40 and 49 yards.

"It's difficult to put your finger on why," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "At this particular level, it's difficult. You get heavily scrutinized and the pressure mounts on you."

The Lions signed former Eagle Alex Henery, who lost his job to undrafted rookie Cody Parkey. Parkey has made eight of nine attempts, including two of two from 50 and beyond.

But Parkey isn't the top rookie kicker. So far this season, that distinction belongs to Arizona's Chandler Catanzaro, another undrafted player who has made all nine attempts, including one from 50 and beyond.

THIRD-AND-2

Three observations

• The Titans, Dolphins, 49ers and Vikings are a combined 0-8 since their 1-0 starts.

• The Patriots, Ravens and Chargers are a combined 6-0 since their 0-1 starts.

• The combined completion percentage of all 32 teams was 64.2, the highest ever through three weeks.

Two predictions

• This is the week Rex Ryan asks Michael Vick to help save his job.

• Teddy Bridgewater will run for a touchdown and throw for one.

MARK CRAIG