Why is Adam Vinatieri Mr. Clutch?

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

He use to be Mr. Clutch. But that was before his boss called 3 of his SB rings tarnished. Now his heart is no longer in the game and he can't make the big plays like he use to.

 

[patsox23]

David Ortiz is "no longer clutch" because he didn't come through several times this season for the Red Sox. You have to kick the winning FG or knock in the run EVERY SINGLE TIME - WITHOUT FAIL - to be considered clutch and not have it be "overblown."

DON'T YOU PEOPLE GET IT?!!!

 

[spacecrime]

He NEVER missed one when it counted... up until last Sunday. Can you think of a single field goal that he has missed throughout his entire career that cost his team the game?

Yes. New England @ Kansas City. Missed a chip shot.

AV made the best kick in the history of the NFL. He will always have that.

But the guy that made that kick is gone. He is not the player he used to me.

No shame in that, but there are several PK's I'd pick to be on my team ahead of him today, on one of them is the buy currently on our team.

Adam has had his day.

"The King is dead. Long live the King!"

 

[frankiesfly]

Maybe Adam missed that kick last week on purpose. That's why he made it close so it wouldn't look obvious. Maybe his heart is still with the Pats and with all this media crap he is really starting to get that traitor feeling..................Maybe I shouldn't be joking around. Someone might run with this and make it the next biggest rumor.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

Did I miss it, or has nobody in this long thread suggested another kicker better worthy of the title "most clutch kicker ever"? Adam doesn't have to be perfect to rank #1, he just needs to be better than the next guy. Unless I hear a powerful argument for a next guy, it seems like an easy choice.

You didn't miss it, and I agree.

I mean, who else could it be? Jan Stenerud? Garo Yepremian? I know Jim O'Brien won a SB for Balmer way back when but did he ever do it again? I don't think the kicker for Steelers, 49ers, or Cowboys consistenlty played a large role in their SB victories.

 

[bradmahn]

Obviously kickers need the opportunities to kick clutch kicks in order to be clutch--not sure that advances things any.

If the Pats beat the Colts, Gost is halfway there in "big kicks" in the playoffs. Belichick's attention to detail and situational football probably have a hell of a lot more to do with the GW's than most people give him credit for. We've now seen two kickers come through in crunch time in the playoffs for this team. Maybe it's not something inherent in the kicker, maybe it has more to do with the preparation (which would explain why Mr. Clutch choked on a 29 yarder while playing for the Colts). Maybe we've just been lucky enough to have two excellent kickers?

Bottom line, he made the kicks. You were scared at the end of Super Bowl 38? (I can't deal with all those roman numberals.) OK, sorry to hear that. I wasn't. He made the kick.

Nothing is a given, and he wasn't going to live on the laurels of having done it in the past, especially when he had already missed twice in that game. Reliant Stadium was bad to him that year, where he missed four figgies in the stadium (including a game-winning attempt in overtime of the regular season game). Sorry if his performance that year made me worry.

For the record, I think he's an ass for going to the Colts. It just doesn't change what he did for the Pats, and putting down what he did here makes Pats fans sound pathetic.

I'm not putting it down, I'm trying to look at the big picture and reason why he was as good as he was "in the clutch," something that is so intangible and may have more to do with the team and coaches than anything in the make-up of Vinatieri. Good kickers will make game-winning kicks, regardless of the "pressure."

If you want to heap loads of praise on him (which I'm all for, because he was a huge part of the dynasty), do it because he was probably the best bad-weather kicker ever, at least that I've ever seen. The kicks in the Snow Bowl and the kick against Ten. in '03 are a million times more impressive to me than the game winners in domes partly because the adversity was physical and I know those kicks aren't made by the vast majority of the league, unlike the "pressure" kicks in the Super Bowl.

 

[TheGodInAGreyHoodie]

Maybe Adam missed that kick last week on purpose. That's why he made it close so it wouldn't look obvious. Maybe his heart is still with the Pats and with all this media crap he is really starting to get that traitor feeling..................Maybe I shouldn't be joking around. Someone might run with this and make it the next biggest rumor.

I don't think he did it on purpose, at least not consciously. But subconsciously he doesn't want Dungy to get another ring off his foot after Dungy called three of his rings tarnished.

 

[Captain Cliche]

BB comments in some of the SB DVD's, "We felt we had to get to the XX yard line to be in position to try for the field goal." (paraphrasing). BB knew Vinatieri's limitations.

Sometimes they had to get those extra 10 yards to get into Adam's range. He wasn't making any 50 yarders. Maybe a product of the system, but he still had to make 'em.

Maybe now he feels he is more on an island. He didn't look so clutch in the last Pats game.

 

[apricissimus]

In general, I didn't notice much difference in his demeanor before his misses and his demeanor before his makes.

What sort of change of demeanor would you expect to see? What, is he supposed to yell "Flame On!" and burst into flames before he makes a high pressure kick?

 

[solman]

What sort of change of demeanor would you expect to see? What, is he supposed to yell "Flame On!" and burst into flames before he makes a high pressure kick?

That's what the poster I was replying to implied.

Apparently you can see how clutch he is just by looking at him .

 

[Maroney TD]

All I know is that the first kick to send it to OT against Oakland in the snow was the clutchest kick I've ever seen. Yes, even more than the SB kicks because none of those would have resulted in a loss with a miss and they weren't in the snow.

 

[stcjones]

I agree. Best part is PATs went on to do very well with out him.
His loss to FA has not really hurt the PATs.
I wonder if he regrets having made that decision.

"I wonder if he regrets having made that decision."

I often wonder if that is what is causing his "misses" since he left.......In all seriousness he has missed 2 kicks against us hasn't he? I aliken FG kicking to golf......There is a tremendous mind f**K going on out there......I think he regrets walking away from a legacy for a few more bucks and the chance to kick in a dome.....Sad really.....

 

[pheenix11]

This thread is one big pile of horse****.

There is something you Bill James JD Drew loving statheads will never get. Clutch is not about stats so put your graphing calculators away. Clutch is a feeling, you know it when you see it. No one gives a crap if you hit a homerun in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and runners in scoring position if you are ALREADY up 6-0.

Just like no one cares about rating a field goal in a regular season game or 1st quarter of the SB against a field goal in the last 5 seconds that either wins the game or sends you home.

Clutch means having a flair for the dramatic, it means making the 4 most important kicks of your life. The fact is that AV made the 4 most important kicks of his life.

That 45 yard field goal to tie the game against Oakland in the Snow Bowl was the greatest kick of all time. Patriots fans years from now will be telling their children about it. Thats what clutch is. You can't measure it, you know it when you see it (if you don't have your head up your ass).

AV is a Colt now and I don't care what he does but you can't take away what he did for us while he was here.

 

[stcjones]

First I'll state that AV's previous kicks esp that in the snow bowl epitomize grace and performance under pressure. Unequaled. Clutch.

Moe's point about the difference in management styles speaks volumes. I'd also add that Dungy's laid back style might subtly affect the Vinitraitor as well. BB always tried to create competition and pushes players and coaches for excellence. A more relaxed atmosphere with less pressure could make AV just ever so slightly more complacent and less likely to push himself. Is it just me or do others think that AV looks like he's put on a few pounds?

The last point about the possibly insidious effect of overhearing current teammates disrespect previous Patriots rings could well have a caustic effect on his psyche.

Since he is dead to me, it's like watching a zombie kick out there in a funny costume.

"First I'll state that AV's previous kicks esp that in the snow bowl epitomize grace and performance under pressure. Unequaled. Clutch."

Great statement....I agree with your post...unequaled...that kick against Oakland in a driving blizzard.....still gives me chills.....after that....I hope AV gets diarrhea every time he kicks from here on out

 

[spacecrime]

This thread is one big pile of horse****.

There is something you Bill James JD Drew loving statheads will never get. Clutch is not about stats so put your graphing calculators away. Clutch is a feeling, you know it when you see it. No one gives a crap if you hit a homerun in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and runners in scoring position if you are ALREADY up 6-0.

Just like no one cares about rating a field goal in a regular season game or 1st quarter of the SB against a field goal in the last 5 seconds that either wins the game or sends you home.

Clutch means having a flair for the dramatic, it means making the 4 most important kicks of your life. The fact is that AV made the 4 most important kicks of his life.

That 45 yard field goal to tie the game against Oakland in the Snow Bowl was the greatest kick of all time. Patriots fans years from now will be telling their children about it. Thats what clutch is. You can't measure it, you know it when you see it (if you don't have your head up your ass).

AV is a Colt now and I don't care what he does but you can't take away what he did for us while he was here.

Nice rant. Too bad you haven't a clue what you are talking about. No one is trying to take away what Vinatieri did.

The question is with all his misses, why is he still considered clutch?

But it was a great rant.

Clutch means having a flair for the dramatic, it means making the 4 most important kicks of your life. The fact is that AV made the 4 most important kicks of his life.

You poor fool. The only reason AV had to kick a FG at the end of the Panthers SB is that he missed two clutch kicks earlier in the game.

you know it when you see it (if you don't have your head up your ass).

Is it dark in there?

 

[scout]

This thread is one big pile of horse****.

There is something you Bill James JD Drew loving statheads will never get. Clutch is not about stats so put your graphing calculators away. Clutch is a feeling, you know it when you see it. No one gives a crap if you hit a homerun in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and runners in scoring position if you are ALREADY up 6-0.

Just like no one cares about rating a field goal in a regular season game or 1st quarter of the SB against a field goal in the last 5 seconds that either wins the game or sends you home.

Clutch means having a flair for the dramatic, it means making the 4 most important kicks of your life. The fact is that AV made the 4 most important kicks of his life.
That 45 yard field goal to tie the game against Oakland in the Snow Bowl was the greatest kick of all time. Patriots fans years from now will be telling their children about it. Thats what clutch is. You can't measure it, you know it when you see it (if you don't have your head up your ass).

AV is a Colt now and I don't care what he does but you can't take away what he did for us while he was here.

Great post, you would think it would put an end to this thread. But no, there are still variance issues and first quarter games............So, if David Ortiz goes hit-less in three at bats, then comes up with two outs in the ninth with one on and down by one, and hits a home run, according to some he is not clutch because he went 0-3 in his previous at bats.

 

[Tommysgirl]

"First I'll state that AV's previous kicks esp that in the snow bowl epitomize grace and performance under pressure. Unequaled. Clutch."

Great statement....I agree with your post...unequaled...that kick against Oakland in a driving blizzard.....still gives me chills.....after that....I hope AV gets diarrhea every time he kicks from here on out

Hysterical...and perfect. The Snow Bowl will always be my favorite of all time. That kick is where it all started and everyone knew the tides had finally turned when it went through. I can't ever watch a game in the snow without thinking about it.

 

[Lampshade]

This thread is one big pile of horse****.

There is something you Bill James JD Drew loving statheads will never get. Clutch is not about stats so put your graphing calculators away. Clutch is a feeling, you know it when you see it. No one gives a crap if you hit a homerun in the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and runners in scoring position if you are ALREADY up 6-0.

Just like no one cares about rating a field goal in a regular season game or 1st quarter of the SB against a field goal in the last 5 seconds that either wins the game or sends you home.

Clutch means having a flair for the dramatic, it means making the 4 most important kicks of your life. The fact is that AV made the 4 most important kicks of his life.

That 45 yard field goal to tie the game against Oakland in the Snow Bowl was the greatest kick of all time. Patriots fans years from now will be telling their children about it. Thats what clutch is. You can't measure it, you know it when you see it (if you don't have your head up your ass).

AV is a Colt now and I don't care what he does but you can't take away what he did for us while he was here.

But can you lose it?

And if so, what do you see?

 

[scout]

But can you lose it?

And if so, what do you see?

The jury is still out as to whether AV is the most clutch kicker in the game today, as nothings really been established. Unless, you want to say Jason Elam is because of his last second heroics for a team which will not make the playoffs. My whole contention is that AV was the greatest clutch kicker the game has ever seen. When talking about the greatest in baseball, Willie Mays name will almost always be brought up. Would you disagree because of he stayed too long at the party? Are you saying AV is not the greatest clutch kicker because of his misses and the potential game winner the other night? I would take his resume with all his missed field goals to this point in time and conclude he is the greatest clutch kicker in the NFL. If you disagree, all you have to do is name another kicker or say that there are no clutch kickers in the NFL.

 

[pheenix11]

It doesn't matter what AV does now, his legacy is already set in stone. 30 years from now no one will remember a missed 29 yard field goal in a crappy regular season game between 2 overrated teams.

But people, including myself, will tell anyone that will listen about that 45 yarder against the Raiders that disappeared into the snowy night.

BB didn't care if AV left because his skills were deteriorating when it came to kickoffs. Ghost puts them in the end zone consistently. Who knows maybe AV's accuracy is eroding as well. Point is, it doesn't matter at this point. He could never make another kick in his entire life and will still be remembered for those 4 kicks.

Those were 4 high pressure game deciding kicks and he made them all. Maybe someone else could have made them as well but it doesn't matter. History is all about being in the right place at the right time. Just as Brady.