Adam Vinatieri’s foot is usually reliable, but in the Divisional Round against the Chiefs, he has had his worst playoff game as a Colt.
It’s no question that Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri had a bad game at exactly the wrong time.
His Colts, who were the sixth seed and was riding high coming into their Divisional Round playoff game against Patrick Mahomes and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs, needed all of their players to play the game of their lives in order for Indy to have a chance at upsetting Kansas City in a stadium that is maddeningly tough to win a road game in.
And, for Vinatieri, that was not the case.
The kicker who’s old enough to be my great, great grandpa, had his worst playoff game as a Colt. He went 0-for-1 on field goals, and, surprisingly, went 1-for-2 on extra points, including hooking one to the right a the latter stage of the game.
If you’re a Colts fan, it was an awful thing to watch, and it stirs thoughts that Vinatieri’s “golden foot” may be golden no more.
So, was this truly his worst game as a Colt in the playoffs?
When looking at his historical stats, it sure was.
Coming into the Chiefs game, Vinatieri was 30-for-34 on field goals, and perfect on extra points. In fact, he hadn’t missed an extra point in the playoffs in his entire career. So, put tonight’s awful performance against these numbers, and it’s becoming quite clear that Vinatieri’s legendary run in the NFL is coming to an end.
There is a chance that Indy could keep him for the 2019 season, but giving this solid performance in the biggest game of the season, games in which he previously rose to occasion in, may give the Colts pause and could influence Vinatieri that maybe it’s time to hang up the cleats.