Why do NFL kickers suddenly suck so bad? I can’t remember the last time I saw so many top-notch kickers choke in the playoffs. In the past two weeks, 25 field goals were attempted, and of those attempts, only 15 kicks made it through the uprights. That’s only a 58% conversion rate. Not exactly what you’d expect from the best of the best.
Shayne Graham’s choke job was classic. Graham nailed 12 straight field goals before booting two shank jobs in the Bengals Wild Card matchup with the Jets. “It’s a shame, and it killed us,” said AP Coach of the Year Marvin Lewis, who burned two challenges in the first quarter of that contest.
Graham made nearly $2.5 million this year as Cincinnati’s franchise, but the free agent kicker is not likely to be back next season. The most accurate kicker in franchise history looked terrified before every kick attempt. After the game he hurried out of the stadium so he wouldn’t have to face any reporters.
Neil Rackers, Mason Crosby, Stephen Gostkowski and Shaun Suisham all missed field goals in the playoffs, but by far the worst offender of postseason suckiness is San Diego’s All-Pro kicker Nate Kaeding.
Kaeding is the most accurate kicker of all time. He hit 20 field goals in a row before hooking all three of his attempts on Sunday. Kaeding, who only missed three kicks all year, had connected on 69 straight field goals from inside 40 yards.
But when it mattered most, Kaeding kicked his team out of the playoffs.
Unlike Graham, Kaeding didn’t run from reporters after the game. He was one of the first players to show up for postgame interviews, and he sat there and took every question. Like a man. It’s hard to feel sorry for a kicker, but it’s good to know that he doesn’t feel sorry for himself.
“I never feel sorry for myself,” Kaeding said. “I feel sorry for my teammates and coaches.”
Feel better Chargers fans, at least your kicker owned up to his lousiness.
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