Adam Vinatieri has made enough significant kicks in his career, that a 49-yard field goal against the Falcons wasn’t the most important one he’s lined up for. Unless it was.
After missing five kicks in the first two weeks, the 46-year-old needed the bounced-in 49-yarder to regain his footing, as he continued on a perfect 5-of-5 (two field goals, three extra points) against the Falcons.
“Right, wrong or indifferent, you probably put a little more pressure on yourself,” Vinatieri said, via Bob Kravitz of TheAthletic.com. “Coming off the week we did, I tried not to think about it and just focus in.”
If he didn’t put the pressure on himself, the Colts added a little of their own by working out six kickers last week, just in case the league’s all-time leading scorer didn’t bounce back.
“That’s part of the game,” Vinatieri said. “If you’re not doing your job well, they’re needing to find other things. I didn’t think too terribly much about it all. It just about me doing my job well. If you don’t do your job, it speaks for itself.”
When he went out for the first one, the home crowd cheered him as he took the field, an offer of support that didn’t waver inside his own locker room.
“He proved everybody wrong,” tight end Eric Ebron said. “Now everybody can shut the hell up about it and let him do his thing. He’s been doing this for 20-something years, more than most people have been alive talking about him. Let him do his thing. We trust in him. Case closed.”
At least for another week.
