here is more ..

[ctpatsfan77]

I hope AV chokes on every meaningful kick situation from here on out.

Actually, the perfect revenge would be for Adam to make every kick, but never be in a position to make a game-winning one. Better still if he's scoring all the Colts' points, and the Colts lose every game.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Heartbreaking good move

It's all right there on the table -

1) The greatest clutch kicker ever.
2) More money (by about double) than a kicker should cost.

We lose the overtime and late-game intimidation factor now. We lose our own late-game swagger. You can't just walk the ball down to the 37 yard line and call it a day anymore... you can't get the ball with 48 seconds left, and almost assume the game winner will go through. But these kinds of vignettes are the stuff of emotional reactions.

They're also all the stuff of the past, for the Pats. The stuff of the future is the cost of the kicker. No vignette, no memories, no "oh my God, where would we have been if..." All we know is that we're saving enough for a couple of extra prospects or an journeyman late-season fill-ins, every year. Or enough money to extend Seymour. Or however BB/SP cut it.

Or flip the scenario around. How do the Colts have money for this? Let's just say they gave up their edge to get it.

SB-winning kicks stick in your head. 1600 yard seasons for a loser? Ho-hum. So Edgerrin James isn't worth the cash to these guys, but AV is. Again, they're starved for mojo, and Adam IS mojo. They just lost a BETTER kicker than Adam (even if he is a dumbass), and don't seem to notice... This is a guy 2 years out from making EVERY attempt. But what do you remember? Mojo kicks. That season 2 years ago, you have to figure, Vanderjerk makes any game winning kick he can. But you can't kick a field goal for 18 points.

So it hurts, but we have to say bon voyage to Adam and move on, getting all the deals done we have to get done, keeping our eyes open for the best values, etc.

You can still wear your "Real" Vinatierri jersey if you ask me. That's the guy that put the finishing touches on all those clutch games, SBs included.

Something tells me that, as prophesied by others here, he won't have as many opportunities to do that in the future. But he's got 11 million good reasons not to sweat that.

PFnV

 

[fgssand]

The "Next" kicker should be someone that absolutley wants to be in the position to make that winning kick during the waning moments of a game. He should want it more than anything and he should work his tail off so as to MAKE that kick.

Methinks we will be OK, kickers come and kickers go, worry more when Brady is ready to leave.

 

[WE ARE NOT DONE]

One thing that I think is lost in all of this is that if the opponents have on average a 10 yard field position deficit after our kickoffs this season than if we had AV, we may not need any clutch field goals to win a game.

Also if we ever need one there is a chance it may end up 10 yards closer and AV was no longer an option in the beyond 45 range. And finally with that 2-3 million in cap money saved we can add another difference maker on offense or defense. So please explain why there are at least a million people saying I wish we would have kept AV, I love what he did in the past and will always have good memories, but for 2006 I am very glad AV is a Colt.