Blair Walsh and the 10 worst kicker moments in NFL playoff history
By David Rouben
7. Billy Cundiff – Ravens vs. Patriots, 2012
Joe Flacco is a quarterback who, despite having won a Super Bowl and performing extremely well in the playoffs, has always had detractors. One thing that cannot be criticized about his game is his playoff history against the Patriots. Flacco is 2-2 in playoff games against the Patriots, all of which have been played at Gilette Stadium. The two losses were incredibly tight games, and he almost could’ve been 4-0.
The first loss against New England came with three different chances to win the game. If not for Sterling Moore, this would’ve been a 27-23 Ravens win. He broke up two consecutive passes in the end zone, the first to Lee Evans, the second to Dennis Pitta. At the very least, Cundiff would come on to try and send the game to overtime from 32 yards out. But his kick went wide left and the Patriots survived.
It was a very tough loss to swallow for the Ravens, but one they would recover from immediately. They started out next season with a rookie kicker named Justin Tucker, then exacted revenge on the Patriots by winning 28-13 in the AFC Championship Game en route to a Super Bowl win over the 49ers.
Next: 6. Lin Elliott