For all of you Rackers lovers

[Pariah]

Then please enlighten me Pariah, why was he cut?

He was cut by cincinnatti because he was inconsistent. It had nothing to do with "clutch," he just wasn't as good there as he has been in AZ.

 

[cardsfanmd]

He was cut by cincinnatti because he was inconsistent. It had nothing to do with "clutch," he just wasn't as good there as he has been in AZ.

If I said said the sky is blue you would argue it was more a mix of green and yellow.

Feel free to look up when he was inconsistent and you'll see the early work of a career long choke artist.

 

[Pariah]

Feel free to look up when he was inconsistent and you'll see the early work of a career long choke artist.

I just did, actually. The misses weren't in the clutch.

 

[Pariah]

...and the only reason you and I disagree so often is because you're wrong a lot.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I just did, actually. The misses weren't in the clutch.

You and I must have a different idea of a what a clutch kick is.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I am sorry but you are either mistaken, dumb or a liar. I keep telling myself it's the first one but you're starting to make me wonder bud. How can you be so confident and so wrong all at the same time?

 

[40yearfan]

Everyone that defends Rackers has the same argument "name me a kicker to replace him"--thats the job of the scouts & coaches. The guy is 1 for 6 in his last 6 "clutch" situations...luckily we won one of those against Green Bay but those numbers suck.

If he wasn't healthy then the blame for that needs to go on the coaches, medical staff and Rackers himself...you don't put out a guy thats less than 100% during the most important part of the season, we should have just kept Nugent then run out a less than healthy kicker.

Could we have a rundown of what those 6 "clutch" situations were? I sure don't remember them.

 

[Pariah]

I am sorry but you are either mistaken, dumb or a liar. I keep telling myself it's the first one but you're starting to make me wonder bud. How can you be so confident and so wrong all at the same time?

How am I wrong?

Here's what he did in CIN:

2000 - he just wasn't good. he went 12/21 with 4 touchbacks.
2001 - again, simply not good. 17/28 with 8 touchbacks.
2002 - he starts playing a little like an nfl kicker. he's 15/18 with 3 touchbacks. But, in every game that was decided by a field goal or less, Graham was the kicker...because Rackers was injured.

During his time as a Bengal he made on average only 65.6 percent of his FGs and averaged 5 touchbacks a season.

As a point of comparison, since he arrived in Arizona, he's made on average 82.6 percent of his FGs and 16 touchbacks per season.

So, while there may be a case for him not being clutch in AZ, there's my case for Rackers being simply inconsistent in Cincinatti. "Clutch" really had nothing to do with his release from the Bengals.

So then, tell me how YOU can be so confident. Maybe you're just dumb or a liar? More likely, I think your emotions about him have colored your perceptions.

 

[cardsfanmd]

How am I wrong?

Here's what he did in CIN:

2000 - he just wasn't good. he went 12/21 with 4 touchbacks.
2001 - again, simply not good. 17/28 with 8 touchbacks.
2002 - he starts playing a little like an nfl kicker. he's 15/18 with 3 touchbacks. But, in every game that was decided by a field goal or less, Graham was the kicker...because Rackers was injured.

During his time as a Bengal he made on average only 65.6 percent of his FGs and averaged 5 touchbacks a season.

As a point of comparison, since he arrived in Arizona, he's made on average 82.6 percent of his FGs and 16 touchbacks per season.

So, while there may be a case for him not being clutch in AZ, there's my case for Rackers being simply inconsistent in Cincinatti. "Clutch" really had nothing to do with his release from the Bengals.

So then, tell me how YOU can be so confident. Maybe you're just dumb or a liar? More likely, I think your emotions about him have colored your perceptions.

If you miss some of the time and miss the clutch kicks it doesn't just mean you're inconsistant. It means you suck and you're un-clutch. He made 1 clutch kick in 3 years at Cincy, while missing about 6-7. How can not be the work of a choke artist?

I guess you're saying that instead of being a choker he just wasn't any good. Being a choker can be (and is often) a symptom of being "inconsistent" so maybe we're both right, but the man definitely missed significantly more than he made when they mattered in Cincy. Find me any Bengal fan who doesn't describe him as a choker and I will concede defeat. Stats will not tell you the story at all because you have to see the game to know exactly what situation he kicked in, ie when you miss a 42 yarder with 1 minute left in the 3rd and your team is down by 3 you just missed a clutch kick. The game might finish with you losing or winning by 10 but you still missed a clutch kick.

 

[Pariah]

He made 1 clutch kick in 3 years at Cincy, while missing about 6-7.

Name 'em. I've done my bit in digging up support for what I'm saying: now it's your turn.

Maybe your definition of clutch is much broader than mine. I don't think they lost 6-7 games by a FG or less in the first two years of his career. And I'll be that his misses, while contributing to the losses, weren't considered "clutch" when he was kicking them.

 

[Pariah]

ie when you miss a 42 yarder with 1 minute left in the 3rd and your team is down by 3 you just missed a clutch kick. The game might finish with you losing or winning by 10 but you still missed a clutch kick.

I don't agree with this at all. Clutch is when the game is on the line. A close score with 16 minutes left on the clock doesn't equal "clutch."

 

[Pariah]

I guess you're saying that instead of being a choker he just wasn't any good.

Brilliant deduction!

2000 - he just wasn't good. he went 12/21 with 4 touchbacks.
2001 - again, simply not good. 17/28 with 8 touchbacks.

 

[TheHopToad]

Why are we talking about what he did in Cincinnati? If your research is relying on data that is 8-10 years old then you're probably not going to win your argument with many people.

What he did with the Bengals is irrelevant. Different team, different coaches, he was younger and less experienced.

Fact is, he has been mostly nails the last couple of years with the Cards, since Whiz became the coach and that's all I really care about. Sure he shanked one against Green Bay, but perhaps he was not quite totally recovered from his injury, or Fitz and the team interrupted his rhythm and he was rushed onto the field, or he just plain missed it. We won the game and his mistake isn't the team's biggest problem. The defense shouldn't have put him in that position in the first place. As for the 50 yard try at New Orleans, it was right on target, just short. If he is healthy, he drains that.

I'll be sick to my stomach if somebody like Suisham is our kicker next year. If we can't get Vinatieri, or Bironas, or Gould, or Elam.....and we can't....then just keep Rackers and work on not putting him that position again.

 

[football karma]

I think the real question here is if an upgrade can be gained

Its easy to say "cut Rackers" -- with the implicit assumption that anyone who the Cards sign will be better. Mike Nugent? I we really sure he is better?

I am conflicted about Neal. Love the big leg, love the coverage on kickoffs, love the funky stuff on-side kick wise he can do ----

but the reality is that I have watched Neal line up game winning, chip shot kicks against the Bears, 49ers and Packers over the last four years and he has missed them all. Doesnt exactly inspire confidence.

 

[football karma]

at a minimum: the Cards need to bring in Nick Folk for a look at camp.

this guy was lights out his first couple seasons with several kicks late in games to extend or win games.

Something happened to him this year -- but kickers can be like golfers -- the swing gets out of a groove, and it takes a little time off to fix it.

 

[az jam]

The bottom line for me is that Rackers is an unrestricted free agent as his contract is over. He made $1.5 million this past season which is a good price for a kicker. Following are the free agent kickers. Plus there are a handful that have been dropped. Do we see one here that we would prefer over Rackers??

John Carney UFA Saints
Jay Feely UFA Jets
Stephen Gostkowski* RFA Patriots
Shayne Graham UFA Bengals
Sebastian Janikowski UFA Raiders
Rhys Lloyd RFA Panthers
Olindo Mare UFA Seahawks
Neil Rackers UFA Cardinals
Jeff Reed UFA Steelers
Matt Stover UFA Colts
Shaun Suisham* RFA Cowboys

Remember that Kicking at UOP Card stadium is much better than kicking in a cold weather environment.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Gimme Feely, Janikowski, Gostkowski or Reed and let's call it a day. I also wouldn't be opposed to bringing in a guy like Stover, Mare or Carney just for FGs within 45yds. Whiz lost faith in Rackers and likes to punt from 50+ anyhow now that we have Graham. Keep Neil for kickoffs if you like, as he really is pretty valuable in that department.

 

[az jam]

I also like Janikowski. He has one of the strongest legs in the NFL and has been stuck in Oakland his whole career.

 

[Zeno]

Could we have a rundown of what those 6 "clutch" situations were? I sure don't remember them.

I did in another thread. Go find it.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Could we have a rundown of what those 6 "clutch" situations were? I sure don't remember them.

Look through your post history. I remember your semi-hysterical sobbing over how you still loved him each time.

 

[TheHopToad]

at a minimum: the Cards need to bring in Nick Folk for a look at camp.

this guy was lights out his first couple seasons with several kicks late in games to extend or win games.

Something happened to him this year -- but kickers can be like golfers -- the swing gets out of a groove, and it takes a little time off to fix it.

This one doesn't make any sense to me.

How many playoff games has Nick Folk been in? One! And he made a simple 34 yard kick. Wow! He's clutch. The Cowboys still lost the game.

Folk missed ten FG attempts this year. Rackers missed one this year in week 2 and led the entire NFL in FG% accuracy.

So you want to bring in a guy who couldn't make routine kicks in non-pressure situations in the regular season to replace a guy who was flawless in the regular season.

Training camp won't tell you if Folk can turn it around and make the big kick in the playoffs. Maybe he can get better in the regular season, but we didn't have that problem to begin with.

The guy we want to make big clutch kicks in the playoffs isn't available, because his team is not going to cut him. Everyone else is unproven or proven to be bad.

 

[TheHopToad]

I also like Janikowski. He has one of the strongest legs in the NFL and has been stuck in Oakland his whole career.

Janikowski was the fourth highest paid PK in the league this year at just over $2M. Can't see the Cards shelling out that kind of money for a kicker and surely he'll want a raise too.

My guess is that he'll stay with Oakland. Big Al loves him. After all, they took him in the first round.

Maybe we can just trade Boldin to the Titans for Rob Bironas or to the Bears for Robbie Gould. Would solve both teams' problems...

 

[Duckjake]

Rackers was not cut because of injury, he was cut because he CHOKES!!!!!!!

Nov 15, 2007 ... Rackers to face former team, Neil Rackers does his best to bite his ... The Bengals cut him in 2003 shortly after Rackers suffered a knee ..

The link to this azcentral article was broken and I can't find the article I read last night that talked about it. Rackers actually filed a grievance against the team for cutting him while he was injured and won.

On the other hand when you read on a Cincy blog that the writer "just knew" Rackers was going to miss against Green Bay you have to go along with what you said.

So I guess it was both.

 

[az1965]

Do whatever, just don't trade for Bolts' kicker

 

[TheHopToad]

On the other hand when you read on a Cincy blog that the writer "just knew" Rackers was going to miss against Green Bay you have to go along with what you said.

I'm sure they are loving Shayne Graham so much more for his clutch kicking in this year's playoffs....