SVN

saw on nest, felger and pirillo seem to constantly talk about the pressure on the rookie kicker. Even more bothersome -they think they speak for fans when they asked "will the fans realize when he misses a kick that he is isnt adam v " and so on a so forth. i pray for the rookie kicker but i think BB is the right kinda coach for this media so hopefully that helps.

BelichickFan

Guaranteed they'll never remember Vinatraitor's two SB 38 misses or last year's miss vs. Broncos in the playoffs.

PatsRI

Can they name who was PIT kicker last year, Balt's when they won it all? St Louis'? In the end maybe we should want it not to come down to the kicker, it has been done before

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PatsWickedPissah

The Vinitraitor was a decent kicker in his early years and departed as an above avg, typically clutch FG kicker who could not kick off. Let the kid play some games.

jaychamp

He's missed quite a few clutch kicks over his career. I'm not trying to minimize what Vinny has done, I still feel he's the best clutch kicker ever, but no one comes through everytime. Of course everytime the rook misses it's going to be "Vinny would have come through there" blah blah blah.

Mike the Brit

I hope all Patriots fans are as sane about this as the ones on this board -- no one expects perfection.

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They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, Pats fans should be invincible by now. [Fitzy, 16 November 2009]

Still here to learn

stcjones

He is the best clutch kicker of all time in my honest opinion....kills me to say that....but a great percentage of kickers of all time are missing that kick in the snow bowl and may have done a vanderjerk when the pressure was ON during all three SB wins for the Pats....Now if someone were to say "Was he the best kicker of all time....?" No....of course not.....but he had ice in his veins and a big set....when the game was on the line......To be honest, I can't remember the kicks that he MISSED that were must kicks......what were they?

You are right though as a kickoff guy he SUCKED....always kicked it to about the 12-15 yard line!!!!

I think Ghost will be ok......just hope the initial pressure won't get him.....also if he misses the first one....or even a few of his first attempts.....it could be a Ray Finkel kind of thing for him Having to follow a legendary sports figure is never easy........

GO GHOST!!!!!

tombonneau

Even when AV missed his clutch kicks it turns out to be for the best.

Just think back to the Poodle's last year in NE. If Adam makes that kick in wk 17 to send the team into the playoffs, Petey probably buys himself another year.

BB becomes head coach of the Jets, or another team. The Statue stands around for maybe another decade. Brady is never drafted.

The Pats probably never win any Super Bowls

Heck, the butterfly effect isn't just felt in the NFL. Pete probably never gets the job at USC and they never win any national titles either.

Just think all 5 championships that might have never been had Adam made that kick.

brady2brown

Adam Vinatieri's Super Bowl winning kicks were not "must kicks" like Mike Vanderjacks' kick against the Steelers. Vanderjack misses and the Colts lose the game. In Adam Vinatieri's Super Bowl winning kicks, if he missed, the game would go to overtime. Much better to win, of course, but the kicks weren't "must make." His 45-yarder against the Raiders in the snow was a "must make" kick. Had he missed, we would have lost the game.

As far as not remembering Adam Vinatieri's misses, he missed his last kick as a Patriot, against Denver, that would have made it a one-possession game.

He also missed two - count 'em, two - kicks in the Carolina panther Super Bowl. The only reason that last kick was so important was missing on earlier attempts (one wide and one so low it was blocked).

Adam Vinatieri is just over 80% accurate his career (81.9). He made 4 out of 5 attempts. That means he missed 1 out of 5. Mike Vanderjack is 87.5%, making 7 out of 8 for his career, or missing only 1 out of 8. A not-so-good field goal kicker runs about 75%, or misses 1 out of 4.

So that is the difference:

misses:

1 out of 8: Mike Vanderjack, most accurate kicker ever.
1 out of 5: Adam Vinatieri, most good kickers
1 out of 4: JAG kickers

In his ten years as a Patriot, Adam Vinatieri kick better than 80% on four years (1997, 2000, 2002, 2004). He kicked less than 80% four years (1996, 1998, 1999, 2003). He kicked exactly 80% two years (2001, 2005).

By comparison, Mike Vanderjack in 8 years was under 80% only one year (2002), was over 90% 3 years (2000, 2003, 2005). In 2003, he was 37 for 37, an amazing 100%.

I look forward to following Gostkowski's career.

3 to be 4

i agree. first clutch kick that gets missed it will be a nightmare. But you are right. People forget, in 1996 Vinatieri replaced the clutch popular Matt Bahr and he was kind of average for some time. In fact, ask Pete Carroll how the 1999 season was 8-8 instead of 10-6 because of 2 potential game winning misses by Vinatieri at Kansas City and at home against Buffalo.

Give the poor kid a chance to make his own mark. He'll never live up to what Adam was, but its not his fault Adam is gone.