Rackers doesnt have green to let him off the hook

[PJ1]

Russ made mention of Jim Bakken earlier. Now that was a guy that just NEVER missed when the game was on the line. The Cardiac Cardinals of 1974 & 1975 were WINNERS because Bakken always made the kick at the end of the game, regardless of whether it was 35, 40, 45 & even 50 yds. God only knows what our season may have been last year if Rackers hadn't choked away a few wins. I know he has a great leg, but that's NOT enough. I was at the Cards / Ravens game & I just knew that Stover was not going to miss that 50 yarder, no way in hell. I was there today & felt the exact opposite. I don't care if it was a 55 yarder. Had it been 48, he still would have missed. I'll tell you what - Whisenhunt wants to win RIGHT FRIGGIN NOW - & he won't tolerate us taking games down to the wire & losing because our kicker chokes under pressure. I have a good friend of mine, who's a diehard Bengals fan. A couple of years ago, I asked him why the hell would Cincy send this guy packing? My buddy said that Rackers was unreliable with the game on the line & that NO ONE in Cincy regretted him leaving. I'm sorry, but this guy has caused me enough anguish. DUMP HIM NOW & send a message. There are hundreds of guys who can kick a football. It's time to send Neil Rackers packing.

Bakken was good for sure but I don't recall too many 50 yarders from him.

Doubt he even attempted very many.

 

[Syracusecards]

Russ made mention of Jim Bakken earlier. Now that was a guy that just NEVER missed when the game was on the line. The Cardiac Cardinals of 1974 & 1975 were WINNERS because Bakken always made the kick at the end of the game, regardless of whether it was 35, 40, 45 & even 50 yds. God only knows what our season may have been last year if Rackers hadn't choked away a few wins. I know he has a great leg, but that's NOT enough. I was at the Cards / Ravens game & I just knew that Stover was not going to miss that 50 yarder, no way in hell. I was there today & felt the exact opposite. I don't care if it was a 55 yarder. Had it been 48, he still would have missed. I'll tell you what - Whisenhunt wants to win RIGHT FRIGGIN NOW - & he won't tolerate us taking games down to the wire & losing because our kicker chokes under pressure. I have a good friend of mine, who's a diehard Bengals fan. A couple of years ago, I asked him why the hell would Cincy send this guy packing? My buddy said that Rackers was unreliable with the game on the line & that NO ONE in Cincy regretted him leaving. I'm sorry, but this guy has caused me enough anguish. DUMP HIM NOW & send a message. There are hundreds of guys who can kick a football. It's time to send Neil Rackers packing.

My friend is a diehard Bengals fan also. He said that one time Rackers actually wiffed on the kickoff.

 

[joeshmo]

And that stat is skewed because a lot of coaches won't even ATTEMPT a kcik from that far because their kicker hasn't got the leg.

Why is it skewed? Either the field goal is tried or it isnt. The stat doesnt even include anything other then 50+ yards so who cares about the ones that dont try it.

There have 38 50+ yard kick attempts. Is that not a big enough sample for a true stat.

And if a lot of coaches wont even attempt it then it should tell you all you need to know about Wiz confidence in Rackers since he has let him try it 100% more times then any other kicker in the league. Or maybe that its a more telling statement of our offense considering we have had to try 100% more 50+ yard field goals then any other team.

Crucify the guy for not making a 30-39 yarder this year. Heck even the one he missed from 40-49. But to crucify the only other kicker in the league who has hit 3 50+ yarders tied with Josh Brown while only 11 others only have 1 isnt very fair.

 

[joeshmo]

Russ made mention of Jim Bakken earlier. Now that was a guy that just NEVER missed when the game was on the line. The Cardiac Cardinals of 1974 & 1975 were WINNERS because Bakken always made the kick at the end of the game, regardless of whether it was 35, 40, 45 & even 50 yds.

Bakken was 0 for 9 from 50.
19/20 from 1-19
51/71 from 20-29
50/68 from 30-39
40/85 from 40-49

63% kicker lifetime.

Found a pretty cool site.

http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BAKKEJIM01

 

[joeshmo]

I cant believe I am trying to defend a kicker.

I have that Adam Sandler song "lonesome kicker" playing in my head right now.

 

[PJ1]

Bakken was 0 for 9 from 50.
19/20 from 1-19
51/71 from 20-29
50/68 from 30-39
40/85 from 40-49

63% kicker lifetime.

Found a pretty cool site.

http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BAKKEJIM01

Thanks Joe. Not too many guys kicking straight on in high tops booming them from 50 + in those days.

 

[joeshmo]

Thanks Joe. Not too many guys kicking straight on in high tops booming them from 50 + in those days.

Its kid of an oddity that he had a better rate of making it from 30-39 then he did from 20-29.

 

[Renz]

Why do people keep mentioning how much he is getting paid. There are 16 other kickers making more then him right now. So I am not exactly sure what this has to with the discussion.

Right, because the amount of money we are paying a particular player has no bearing on the expectations of said player.

I guess we should expect the same level of performance from Oliver Celestine as we do for Adrian Wilson.

 

[Russ Smith]

Bakken was 0 for 9 from 50.
19/20 from 1-19
51/71 from 20-29
50/68 from 30-39
40/85 from 40-49

63% kicker lifetime.

Found a pretty cool site.

http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BAKKEJIM01

Yep he wasn't a big leg kind of kicker. Of course it's a different era FG kickers as a whole back then had lower %'s for a lot of reasons not the least of which is the ball. They just showed the stat on Elam of Denver with lead changing kicks in his career, over 80%, would love to see that stat on Rackers. Elam's was only 48 but it was good quite a bit longer than that. To be fair, thin air.

 

[conraddobler]

I knew he'd miss it.

First of all they squandered time they did not need to squander scoring, then they went for some God awful gadget play.

Now at this point everyone watching was like, hey we're sorry, and I said, thanks but it's not over yet, there is more misery to come.

They all looked at me and said What?

I said, they will recover the onside kick, they will drive down to some long prayer like field goal distance, but not too close because they don't have time, time they could use... oh right now.

He will miss, he always misses big kicks.

Then that's exactly what happened, I'm not psychic, I'm just a long time Cardinal fan, I've seen this play before.

 

[green machine]

Yep he wasn't a big leg kind of kicker. Of course it's a different era FG kickers as a whole back then had lower %'s for a lot of reasons not the least of which is the ball. They just showed the stat on Elam of Denver with lead changing kicks in his career, over 80%, would love to see that stat on Rackers. Elam's was only 48 but it was good quite a bit longer than that. To be fair, thin air.

We were watching figuring they needed another 5-7 yards, and it looked like the same kick from that much shorter of a distance would have snuck through.

I guess the thing is every time Rackers misses one of these kicks he ends up pushing them a yard or so left. That is a theme, and that would signify a real problem.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Rackers is paid big money to make those kicks.

A 55 yard attempt for him and his leg should be nuttin'

He has missed WAY to many clutch kicks for this organization, and for his price tag.

He choked.

 

[Osbern61]

Bakken was 0 for 9 from 50.
19/20 from 1-19
51/71 from 20-29
50/68 from 30-39
40/85 from 40-49

63% kicker lifetime.

Found a pretty cool site.

http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BAKKEJIM01

I think I attended the game where he missed his lone chip shot. Went to the Eagles-Cardinals game at the Vet for my 11th birthday in 1972, and Bakken missed an extremely short distance FG at the end of the game. Final was 6-6.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

It's too bad that he missed.With his leg,if he ever had the confidence to make one of those kicks,he'd be a very dangerous weapon to have. I refer to golf again.I'm a decent golfer(6hdcp) but my weakness is my wedge game.I practice it all the time but when the pressure is on, you're just as likley to see a skull as you are a good shot.It's all lack of confidence.I know it. When it comes to game winning FG's,Rackers knows it. I think Russ's stats point that out. There's just that little bit of self-doubt that causes him to rush through the ball and pull it left because he misses every one the same way.

 

[Russ Smith]

We were watching figuring they needed another 5-7 yards, and it looked like the same kick from that much shorter of a distance would have snuck through.

I guess the thing is every time Rackers misses one of these kicks he ends up pushing them a yard or so left. That is a theme, and that would signify a real problem.

Yep pretty much every big kick he's missed here has gone left.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Rackers should not have even been in a position to make the kick. Aren't we the only team so far this year to recover an onside kick? In fact, we have done it twice already. If Rackers wasn't as good as he is on the onside kick, the game is over right there.

 

[BigWatson]

Rackers should not have even been in a position to make the kick. Aren't we the only team so far this year to recover an onside kick? In fact, we have done it twice already. If Rackers wasn't as good as he is on the onside kick, the game is over right there.

QFT

To anyone who's bashing Neil for missing 50+ yarders with only 1 second on the clock: grow up or shut up. You're talking crap.

 

[Mulli]

QFT

To anyone who's bashing Neil for missing 50+ yarders with only 1 second on the clock: grow up or shut up. You're talking crap.

Agree.

 

[earthsci]

Yesterday I was blaming Warner and defending Rackers. After a day to think about it, pretty much everyone is to blame. Warner's turnovers, Rackers missed field goal, Dockett's penalty, Whiz not getting plays in fast enough, blah, blah, blah.

Yep, team sport. Oh well. Let's kick the crap out of Tampa when we come out of the bye week.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Yesterday I was blaming Warner and defending Rackers. After a day to think about it, pretty much everyone is to blame. Warner's turnovers, Rackers missed field goal, Dockett's penalty, Whiz not getting plays in fast enough, blah, blah, blah.

Yep, team sport. Oh well. Let's kick the crap out of Tampa when we come out of the bye week.

Oh, and speaking of Rackers. I LOVED the fact that he was not afraid to go after Rodgers at the end of the half. That showed guts.

 

[PACardsFan]

Yesterday I was blaming Warner and defending Rackers. After a day to think about it, pretty much everyone is to blame. Warner's turnovers, Rackers missed field goal, Dockett's penalty, Whiz not getting plays in fast enough, blah, blah, blah.

Yep, team sport. Oh well. Let's kick the crap out of Tampa when we come out of the bye week.

BS. We need to stop wanting to share the blame. Mistakes & turnovers will happen, but Rackers SHOULD have made that kick & all the turnovers become null & void. Whisenhunt's goal this season was to get late into the game & then WIN. Rackers is preventing us from doing that. Whiz won't tolerate this much longer. COMPLETE blame goes to ST's (Poor snap, long KO return) & Rackers. Racker's is a gagger, he was at Cincy & he is here. It's time to make a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[earthsci]

BS. We need to stop wanting to share the blame. Mistakes & turnovers will happen, but Rackers SHOULD have made that kick & all the turnovers become null & void. Whisenhunt's goal this season was to get late into the game & then WIN. Rackers is preventing us from doing that. Whiz won't tolerate this much longer. COMPLETE blame goes to ST's (Poor snap, long KO return) & Rackers. Racker's is a gagger, he was at Cincy & he is here. It's time to make a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK. Damned Rackers turned over the ball three times that resulted in at least a 17 point swing?

 

[Pariah]

I've ony read the first page of this thread, so forgive me if this has been covered.

A 55-yard FG is a big deal for any kicker. Anything past 50 is difficult. I don't think you can pin this one on Rackers. There were plenty of other things that went awry before it came down to a game-winning 55 yard FG.

 

[AZCardsWin]

Here in NJ I stayed up to 1230am to watch FSNs Cardinals Live just to see the "Kickin it with Neil" segment. To my amazement that segment was not part of last nights show. No Neil to be found.

 

[Russ Smith]

QFT

To anyone who's bashing Neil for missing 50+ yarders with only 1 second on the clock: grow up or shut up. You're talking crap.

Well I guess that settles it then. Good effort Neil.

The point is you're defending him for this one kick, where I am saying this is his pattern, in games where we need him to make the kick, he almost always misses.

Last year probably goes South anyways but his clutch misses against KC and the Bears basically tore that team apart. Now we have a good coaching staff and a better team, with a ton of injuries. It would have been HUGE for this club to win that game and be 4-3 at the bye week, but once again I knew and I think so did most Cards fans know that Rackers was going to miss.

he's not a bad kicker, he does a lot of things well including the onside kick. But NFL kickers get paid to make clutch kicks, and Rackers is not good at that. The team isn't good enough yet where we don't need that from our kicker, we're not New England putting up 40+ every game.