Not bashing him but AV was not automatic

[shatch62]

I think we all agree that AV was – is – a clutch kicker but he was not as automatic as I remembered him to be. I looked up his post-season stats since 2001. The Pats made the playoffs 4 times (01, 03, 04 and 05). Here are his stats for those years:

Year G 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ FGM FGA Pct Lng
2005 2 0-0 0-0 1-1 1-2 0-0 2 3 66.7 40
2004 3 0-0 2-2 2-2 1-1 0-0 5 5 100 48
2003 3 0-0 3-3 2-4 2-3 0-0 7 10 70 46
2001 3 0-0 2-2 1-1 3-3 0-1 6 7 85.7 48
Tot: 11 0-0 7-7 6-8 7-9 0-1 20 25 80 48

Again, not to bash him because the guy made some clutch kicks but he was not as automatic is I think we all believed him to be. Over the 11-playoff games, on kicked 30+ yards he was 13-18 (72.2%). This is nothing to be embarrassed about but it is far from perfect. Over that same period David Akers of Philly is 12-14 (85.7%) from 30+ and John Kasey of Carolina is 11-13 (84.6%) and 2 of the 11 were from 50+. AV had the snow kick and won 2 S.B.s on last second kicks but he was not perfect.

AV was an icon here and he made some of the most clutch kicks in NFL history but maybe, just maybe he is not the god we all made him out to be.

 

[Murphys95]

I consider AV more of a folk-hero. Statistics are nice, but moments make the man. Scott Norwood was a very good kicker, but we all remember him for one moment.

 

[Miguel]

No football player is automatic

The best of QBs throw INTs at the most inopportune times, on occasion. The best of LTs give up sacks. The best of CBs give up TDs.

 

[maverick4]

re

Awesome, these are interesting numbers.

You can't take Adam's big kicks away - they were huge. But I think your numbers prove that aside from 'clutchness', Adam wasn't the best kicker percentage wise.

For some reason I am reminded of Joe Namath. He made his one famous, bold prediction, and backed it up when he won the Superbowl. He got a lot of press, publicity, and even made the Hall of Fame. However, if one looks at the numbers in his career, he was actually a pretty average QB.

 

[sarge]

Adams claim to fame was never his consistant accuracy!

While I think he was probably above average (don't really know), I don't think(again, don't know) he was even considered for the probowl till after the 2001 season.

Adams claim to fame has always been clutch kicks. He missed some (3 I think, a 32 yarder against the Chiefs and two kicks in OT against the Bills) in 99, but where it not for those misses, Carol probably would have remaned the Coach, and BB would have stayed the coach of the Jets! Man, he even knew when to miss!

The only clutch kick I remember him missing during the BB era was the OT kick against the Texans. He hit the second one.

 

[jczxohn1]

I think the team's refusal to go the whole 9 yds for Adam had something to do with a concept BB discussed during the season called "hidden yardage". He was particularly aggravated about the opponent that day consistently starting their possessions past their 35 yd line.In addition to allowing long returns and ST penalties , he mentioned short KO's. Not saying this was a deciding factor, but it may have played into the picture. IMO, the ST penalty factor definitely had something to do with keeping Davis, who improved his penalty stats in '05 compated to '04 and letting Chatham go, who did not.

 

[stinkypete]

I made the same point a couple of days ago. The difference between an opponent starting on the 35 and starting on the 20 is huge, much bigger than we give it credit for being.

Adam V has really had 2 statistically great years, in which he was truely automatic, 2002 and 2004. During the remainder of his career, he has been a middle of the pack kicker, except for his tendance to make the big kick at thebig moment.

 

[spacecrime]

AV once ran down Hershel Walker from behind and tackled him.

And his Snow Bowl kick was the greatest kick in the history of the NFL in this universe and all alternate and future universes.

But he wasn't automatic, as you say.

It is great that his kick won the game against the Panthers in Houston, but if he hadn't missed one earlier, and had one blocked by kicking it too low, that last kick would have been meaningless.

Worse for me was the miss in Denver that would have made the game a one possession one.

But like NOrwood, there is no reason to remember Adam for missing in Denver.

My memory will always be staring at the TV trying to see the ball in the snow.

Wish he'd have stayed, but it is far frm a clamity that he didn't. Not re-signing Givens will have a bigger effect on the team, IMO

 

[fgssand]

AV once ran down Hershel Walker from behind and tackled him.

And his Snow Bowl kick was the greatest kick in the history of the NFL in this universe and all alternate and future universes.

But he wasn't automatic, as you say.

It is great that his kick won the game against the Panthers in Houston, but if he hadn't missed one earlier, and had one blocked by kicking it too low, that last kick would have been meaningless.

Worse for me was the miss in Denver that would have made the game a one possession one.

But like NOrwood, there is no reason to remember Adam for missing in Denver.

My memory will always be staring at the TV trying to see the ball in the snow.

Wish he'd have stayed, but it is far frm a clamity that he didn't. Not re-signing Givens will have a bigger effect on the team, IMO

The memory of being in Foxboro when he made that snowy kick and being in New Orleans as well as Houston when he made his two SB winnahs will stay with me forever. Sadly, the memory of AV leaving us for money and a dome will also stay with me.

You are what you are and you Adam V. are a DOLT!!