Rackers Game Winning Field Goals...

[Black Jesus]

I'd give you 50 tries to kick a 55 yarder, and I bet that you would fail all 50 tries. I'll give you $500 if you even make one, but you owe me $5 for everyone that you miss. You game?

yeah 50 tries... ill hit minimum of 7. When I was 17 I went out to a field and kicked for a day cause I was thinking about kicking and hit a few from 55. I am 21 now and kicked some at intramurals and made some 45 yarders with plenty of room to spare, Couldnt go any furhter cause I would of been on the playing field. Sounds like a great deal. Where... When?

 

[AZCB34]

A couple more:

Rackers hit 78.9% of his FGs in the first half

He hit 72.2% of his FGs in the second half

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

During the KC/Oak game,the Raiders were down 12-10 and got the ball back. Phil Simms said he thought Janikowski had the range to nail a 67 yarder if needed. In pre-game warmups, i guess he was kicking 60 yarders high through the uprights. Culpepper threw an INT and it never came about but it made me think that Janikowski is alot like Rackers. He can make it from almost anywhere on the field as long as it's not a game winning FG.He did nail the one against Denver but Shanahan got the TO called and then preceded to miss the next one.

 

[Pariah]

yeah 50 tries... ill hit minimum of 7

With a 9 foot fence 7 yards in front of you?

Without knowing you, I have to believe you could hit them without a line in front of you...but that's why so many kickers look incredible in warmups--they don't have to get the ball in the air and can just kick a line-drive from 70 yards.

 

[AZCB34]

Breaking it down by quarter in 2006:

1st - 50%
2nd - 86.7%
3rd - 66.7%
4th - 77.8%

 

[Mulli]

With a 9 foot fence 7 yards in front of you?

Without knowing you, I have to believe you could hit them without a line in front of you...but that's why so many kickers look incredible in warmups--they don't have to get the ball in the air and can just kick a line-drive from 70 yards.

And no tees. Have to use a snapper and a holder.

 

[joeshmo]

And no tees. Have to use a snapper and a holder.

And do it on a snap. Not just standing there getting ready to kick it at any time you want. Have to do before the rush gets there.

Dont forget crown noise and 10,000 crazy fans waving their arms wildly behind the goal posts

 

[Russ Smith]

During the KC/Oak game,the Raiders were down 12-10 and got the ball back. Phil Simms said he thought Janikowski had the range to nail a 67 yarder if needed. In pre-game warmups, i guess he was kicking 60 yarders high through the uprights. Culpepper threw an INT and it never came about but it made me think that Janikowski is alot like Rackers. He can make it from almost anywhere on the field as long as it's not a game winning FG.He did nail the one against Denver but Shanahan got the TO called and then preceded to miss the next one.

The problem with Janikowski, beyond he's a thug, is totally mechanical most of his misses are horrible mishits where he's not even close. When he hits it right he's got a huge leg but he is just so inconsistent.

But then he can't even keep himself in shape so it's never surprised me he's obviously not a hard worker.

 

[joeshmo]

We should have a ASFN punt pass kick competition.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

When's Matt Stover a FA? That guy,to me, is next in line, after Vinatieri, when it comes to making a FG. I don't know the stats but since he's been in B'more, he seems like he rarely misses any kick,much less a big one.

Let's face it, kickers are judged by how they come through in the clutch. Gary Anderson missed one kick the entire year for Minny and he's considered a bum only because his miss cost them a shot at the Super Bowl. Which, btw, i think is fair. With how close games are in the NFL, reliablity in the clutch would be the main thing i would look for in a kicker.

 

[cardsfanmd]

When's Matt Stover a FA? That guy,to me, is next in line, after Vinatieri, when it comes to making a FG. I don't know the stats but since he's been in B'more, he seems like he rarely misses any kick,much less a big one.

Let's face it, kickers are judged by how they come through in the clutch. Gary Anderson missed one kick the entire year for Minny and he's considered a bum only because his miss cost them a shot at the Super Bowl. Which, btw, i think is fair. With how close games are in the NFL, reliablity in the clutch would be the main thing i would look for in a kicker.

Stover has been with the team since they were the Browns, I doubt he ever leaves. Good idea though, I would love to have him. We would have to keep Rackers though too, Stover doesn't do kickoffs.

 

[Black Jesus]

Umm.... BUMP

 

[Rivercard]

We would have to keep Rackers though too, Stover doesn't do kickoffs.

That's another thing.... Rackers isn't even kicking off well. What happened to all those touchbacks he used to make?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

yeah 50 tries... ill hit minimum of 7. When I was 17 I went out to a field and kicked for a day cause I was thinking about kicking and hit a few from 55. I am 21 now and kicked some at intramurals and made some 45 yarders with plenty of room to spare, Couldnt go any furhter cause I would of been on the playing field. Sounds like a great deal. Where... When?

I don't have $500 right now. Hell, I barely have $5. If you come over to Lot F where we tailgate, we can measure out 50 yarders (they have goalposts there). If you even hit one of them, I'll buy you a beer.

 

[abomb]

I don't have $500 right now. Hell, I barely have $5. If you come over to Lot F where we tailgate, we can measure out 50 yarders (they have goalposts there). If you even hit one of them, I'll buy you a beer.

Witness!

 

[AZCB34]

I don't have $500 right now. Hell, I barely have $5. If you come over to Lot F where we tailgate, we can measure out 50 yarders (they have goalposts there). If you even hit one of them, I'll buy you a beer.

Sounds like Cardinals style negotiating...

We will offer you $500 in incentives...oh you want that offer?...ooops, we meant to offer you a toothbrush and used jockstrap for making your goals, yeah that's it.

 

[Russ Smith]

That's another thing.... Rackers isn't even kicking off well. What happened to all those touchbacks he used to make?

I have a theory on that but it's too much conjecture to post. Rackers average kickoff distance jumped dramatically from his days as a Bengal to days as a Cardinal. In fact it jumped the year AFTER he became a Card he had a partial year for us near identical to his years in Cincy, and the first full year with us his average KO distance rose 8 yards.

So something fundamentally changed with his kickoffs in the offseason after his first year with us. His touchback rate is consistent even this year.

If the number had jumped from Cincy to Arizona immediately you could say obviously it's tougher to kickoff in Cincy but it didn't, his 7 games here in his partial season were identical to his years in Cincy. The next year he was more than 10% longer on his kickoffs.

 

[Pariah]

I don't have $500 right now. Hell, I barely have $5. If you come over to Lot F where we tailgate, we can measure out 50 yarders (they have goalposts there). If you even hit one of them, I'll buy you a beer.

Make sure there's a 9 foot fence seven yards in front of the spot of the kick.

 

[abomb]

I have a theory on that but it's too much conjecture to post. Rackers average kickoff distance jumped dramatically from his days as a Bengal to days as a Cardinal. In fact it jumped the year AFTER he became a Card he had a partial year for us near identical to his years in Cincy, and the first full year with us his average KO distance rose 8 yards.

So something fundamentally changed with his kickoffs in the offseason after his first year with us. His touchback rate is consistent even this year.

If the number had jumped from Cincy to Arizona immediately you could say obviously it's tougher to kickoff in Cincy but it didn't, his 7 games here in his partial season were identical to his years in Cincy. The next year he was more than 10% longer on his kickoffs.

Football Outsiders will tell you kickoffs/touchbacks are the only way to judge kickers' ability year to year.

 

[Russ Smith]

Football Outsiders will tell you kickoffs/touchbacks are the only way to judge kickers' ability year to year.

Yeah that's actually part of what started my theory. FG% is highly variable, KO distance isn't.

What the hell, my initial theory about halfway through 2005 his monster year was that Rackers was on steroids or HGH. His KO numbers were ridiculous he was basically 60 yards a KO for his Cincy days and his first 7 Cards games and then 68 yards his first 2 full years as a Card. That was such a huge jump I figured the guy is on something and will get caught.

The problem is it's 4 years now the KO numbers are still way up and he hasn't tested positive for anything. So either he found something they can't test for, or it's something else.

And my theory is it's something else. When we first got Neil he had an injury that was affecting him. My theory is that offseason he changed his mechanics somehow either favoring that injury, or trying to avoid getting it again. The result was his kickoff distance jumped, but when he mishits the ball it ALWAYS goes left.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Didn't Rackers miss a lot of game winners for the bengals also? But that isn't a good ration losses vs wins... ugh damn you Rackers

 

[Russ Smith]

Didn't Rackers miss a lot of game winners for the bengals also? But that isn't a good ration losses vs wins... ugh damn you Rackers

Yeah but I don't know if they were all wide left like they are now. It's a clear mechanical thing but I think it's related to pressure. When the pressure is on he mishits the ball the same way everytime and it goes left with that sidespin.

I just think he either changed his mechanics because he was hurt, or to avoid getting hurt again(decided it was how he kicked before that caused the injury). The result was much better distance on his kickoffs.

I think in pressure situations something changes and he reverts to his old mechanics and thus misses?

Or he just sucks.

 

[Black Jesus]

i think he just sucks... fluke year with no pressure the season he went 40-42. None of those kicks ever meant anything. The guy lacks kahunas.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Make sure there's a 9 foot fence seven yards in front of the spot of the kick.

I'm sure we could get the Big Red RV to help us participate.

Sounds like Cardinals style negotiating...

We will offer you $500 in incentives...oh you want that offer?...ooops, we meant to offer you a toothbrush and used jockstrap for making your goals, yeah that's it.

Something like that.