Props to Rackers

[D-Dogg]

Not only for his FG to put us in OT, but his FG to win it. Game winner.

Yeah, the pressure is off because the season is over, but I've bashed him for missing.

It is only right that I praise him for making his kicks to win the game and even get us there (the fact that he was needed to win against this team is another topic entirely.)

Thanks Neil!!

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Not only for his FG to put us in OT, but his FG to win it. Game winner.

Yeah, the pressure is off because the season is over, but I've bashed him for missing.

It is only right that I praise him for making his kicks to win the game and even get us there (the fact that he was needed to win against this team is another topic entirely.)

Thanks Neil!!

Honestly, I don't think it is that much of a coincidence that he struggled mightly with Barr as his holder.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Honestly, I don't think it is that much of a coincidence that he struggled mightly with Barr as his holder.

and his struggles the year before? He's still missed a couple FGs the last two weeks hasn't he?

 

[az1965]

Barr wasn't his holder last year.

 

[D-Dogg]

Yep, it had nothing to do with the holder, but this isn't a bash Rackers thread. The guy DID his job for once. Give him a word of attaboy or hold your tongue.

If you can't say anything nice....

 

[az1965]

and his struggles the year before? He's still missed a couple FGs the last two weeks hasn't he?

OMG, there have been few instances lately where I have posted similar comments to yours before reading yours... God help me, I'm morphing into Cheese...

 

[az1965]

Props to Rackers. He hit 29 and 30 yarders to win the game for us. Thanks for not screwing us.


We still need a new kicker.

Is that positive enough?

 

[Cheesebeef]

Almost Cheese...yo uwere almost there.

I too want us to upgrade since Rackers is a choke artist, but at least he did his job tonight.

and made our draft pick just that much worse.

I was just going to delete that post. if you delete this one, no one will have to read my admittedly unnecessary negativity.

 

[D-Dogg]

Donald, you are so damn cool.

I know man, but don't get all freaky deaky on me, ok?

 

[TheHopToad]

Props to Whiz for punting instead of letting Rackers miss from farther away and thus allowing us to have this thread to praise Rackers.

 

[Totally_Red]

Kudos to Rackers! I had an uneasy feeling, but the guy came thru. Maybe Barr was part of the problem. Lord knows the guy couldn't punt his way out of a paper bag.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

I am glad he made both kicks .. but that slide at the end has to go ... there is no room for showboating when we are 7-8 ...

 

[Garthshort]

Rackers

I'm not saying that he's had a good year or that he shouldn't be replaced or not, but I saw what happened when Player was replaced.

 

[Bobcat]

Honestly, I don't think it is that much of a coincidence that he struggled mightly with Barr as his holder.

In some if not most cases Holders do make a great difference.

BOBCAT

 

[chickenhead]

I am glad he made both kicks .. but that slide at the end has to go ... there is no room for showboating when we are 7-8 ...

Ugh, could'nt agree more. I can't believe he feels fine doing that.

 

[Kel Varnsen]

Honestly, I don't think it is that much of a coincidence that he struggled mightly with Barr as his holder.

I would really like to see a YouTube compilation of the holds/kicks when Barr was holding for Rackers, preferably the tight shots if they exist.

I think the actual video could help settle this argument.

 

[john h]

Not only for his FG to put us in OT, but his FG to win it. Game winner.

Yeah, the pressure is off because the season is over, but I've bashed him for missing.

It is only right that I praise him for making his kicks to win the game and even get us there (the fact that he was needed to win against this team is another topic entirely.)

Thanks Neil!!

You might add his kickoffs were at the goal line or in the endzone. The guy still has the big leg. I still like his enthusiasm ala the knee slide for the game winner.

Did you all notice the hold and the kick on the game winner? When the holder put the ball down Racker's leg was half way through the swing and looked like the holder barely got his hand out of the way. I think game winning kick like that has to be one of the most pressure plays in football. The center has to get the ball to holder properly, the holder has to get the ball down fast and into good position and the kicker has to lift it up and through. Along with that the blockers have to do their job. This is sort of the ultimate team effort.

Way to go team.

 

[john h]

Yep, it had nothing to do with the holder, but this isn't a bash Rackers thread. The guy DID his job for once. Give him a word of attaboy or hold your tongue.

If you can't say anything nice....

The guy has his shoes in the football hall of fame. How quickly we forget when he was setting a record for kicks beyond the 50. I want him on my team. Kickers have good and bad years and much of it depends on the center,holder, and line. The kicker always gets the credit or the boos but he is just part of the equation.

 

[john h]

I was just going to delete that post. if you delete this one, no one will have to read my admittedly unnecessary negativity.

Some always look for the bad things in life and in people.

 

[Goodyear Card]

The guy has his shoes in the football hall of fame. How quickly we forget when he was setting a record for kicks beyond the 50. I want him on my team. Kickers have good and bad years and much of it depends on the center,holder, and line. The kicker always gets the credit or the boos but he is just part of the equation.

John,

you make a very good point. We have all become accustomed to Rackers making kicks from greater than 50 yards all of the time. Rackers has had 9 kicks from greater than 50 yards this year. Only one other kicker has had more than 5 kicks from greater than 50 yards. The number of misses from greater than 50 yards has caused his kicking percentage to be one of the lowest in the NFL. I am a little uneasy about people suggesting we need a new kicker. I would rather have a new punter than a new kicker.

 

[az1965]

Here are some numbers to compare... the kicking scenary doesn't look too pretty.

Rackers from 20-29 = 4/4, 100%
Worse kicking:
Lions (4/5, 80%)
Saints (4/5, 80%)
Titans (10/12, 83%)
Texans (6/7, 86%)
Rams (7/8, 88%)
Giants (9/10, 90%)
Falcons (9/10, 90%)
Cowboys (10/11, 91%)
Bucs (10/11, 91%)
Bengals (11/12, 92%)
Colts (14/15, 93%)


Rackers from 30-39 = 5/7, 71% - 3rd worst in the league
Worse kicking:
Giants (5/8, 63%)
Chiefs (9/13, 69%)


Rackers from 40-49 = 5/6, 83% - 13th best in the league
Worse kicking (Ugh... not pretty picture):
Colts (0/2, 0%)
Eagles (1/6, 17%)
Patriots (2/4, 50%)
Falcons (5/10, 50%)
Jags (4/7, 57%)
Rams (7/12, 58%)
Chiefs (5/8, 63%)
Packers (9/14, 64%)
Seahawks (8/12, 67%)
Ravens (8/12, 67%)
Panthers (6/9, 67%)
Bills (4/6, 67%)
Raiders (7/9, 78%)
Texans (7/10, 70%)
Jets (5/7, 71%)
Broncos (8/11, 72%)
Dolphins (6/8, 75%)
Redskins (9/12, 75%)
Saints (3/4, 75%)


Rackers from 50+ = 3/9, 33% - 12th worst, however, we took the most attempts 9 from that distance.
Worse kicking:
Bucs (0/3, 0%)
Bears (0/2, 0%)
Falcons (0/2, 0%)
Colts (0/1, 0%)
Bengals (0/1, 0%)
Steelers (0/1, 0%)
Ravens (0/1, 0%)
Chiefs (0/1, 0%)
Jets (1/4, 25%)
Eagles (1/4, 25%)
Vikings (1/4, 25%)


One thing is clear, we should think twice before driving Rackers out of town.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Some always look for the bad things in life and in people.

like you? Was it really necessary to post something like this after I admitted what I did was wrong and didn't want to pollute the board with more negativity? Way to get personal after I apolgized and made ammends to try not to be negative. good lord.

 

[john h]

John,

you make a very good point. We have all become accustomed to Rackers making kicks from greater than 50 yards all of the time. Rackers has had 9 kicks from greater than 50 yards this year. Only one other kicker has had more than 5 kicks from greater than 50 yards. The number of misses from greater than 50 yards has caused his kicking percentage to be one of the lowest in the NFL. I am a little uneasy about people suggesting we need a new kicker. I would rather have a new punter than a new kicker.

Without question we need a new punter more than a new kicker. Taking a punter off the street like we did he has done a credible job especially since he has to hold the ball for the kicker. I suspect Rackers has a decent contract and will be back next year. I am one who hopes so. Venitari went through a horrible spell this year and he is considered one of the most clutch kickers in the NFL. I hope Neil will be back on track next year as finding guys with as strong a leg as he has is hard to do. I surely have not given up on him.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Without question we need a new punter more than a new kicker. Taking a punter off the street like we did he has done a credible job especially since he has to hold the ball for the kicker. I suspect Rackers has a decent contract and will be back next year. I am one who hopes so. Venitari went through a horrible spell this year and he is considered one of the most clutch kickers in the NFL. I hope Neil will be back on track next year as finding guys with as strong a leg as he has is hard to do. I surely have not given up on him.

rackers was a good kicker TWO YEARS ago. not this year. not last year. that's one great year and two CRAPPY CRAPPY CRAPPY years. him, 2 is more than 1. he kept us from the playoffs this year. bye bye racky . . . .

 

[Cheesebeef]

I suspect Rackers has a decent contract and will be back next year. I am one who hopes so. Venitari went through a horrible spell this year and he is considered one of the most clutch kickers in the NFL.

Vinny is considered clutch because prior to this year, he NEVER missed clutch kicks, as opposed to Rackers who throughout his entire career (save one year when he never had one clutch kick) has been godawful in the clutch. Even bringing Vinny up in the discussion as to why Neil should be brought back is confounding to me.

I hope Neil will be back on track next year as finding guys with as strong a leg as he has is hard to do.

back on track to what? Last year when he had a holder he liked and missed clutch kicks or his other 4 seasons in which he was in the bottom quarter of the league in kicking? His Pro Bowl year is the very definition of the exception to the rule. To expect someone to get "back" to a fluke isn't a direction our FO endorses.