One possible key to tonight’s AFC Championship Game could come down to the foot of Indianapolis Colts place kicker Adam Vinatieri. To date, Vinatieri has kicked 19 game-winning field goals with less than one minute remaining. At the end of the 2005 season, he had a career field goal percentage of 81.9 percent, fifth highest in NFL history. His career longest field goal is 57 yards. And the New England Patriots let him get away. Nine.com has posted betting odds on wheather the first field goal will be over 33.5 yards -120 (Bet $120.00 to win $100.00) or under 33.5 yards -110 (Bet $100.00 to win $110.00).
After the 2005 season, the Patriots chose not to place the franchise tag on Vinatieri as they had the year before, allowing him to become a free agent. He had visited with the Green Bay Packers, but left without a contract offer. Then in late March of 2006, Vinatieri signed with the Colts after the Patriots chose not to counter offer. Vinatieri replaced Mike Vanderjagt who was signed by the Dallas Cowboys. Vinatieri was signed to a five year contract and received a $3.5 million signing bonus. Upon receiving the offer from the Colts, Vinatieri left a message for Bill Belichick to see if New England would work out a deal with the pro bowl kicker. To this day, Vinatieri claims he is still waiting for Belichick to return his call.
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Vinatieri has not missed a kick through the uprights in the RCA Dome. Even with the New England Patriots, Vinatieri was perfect against the Colts in Indy when the two teams played each other as members of the AFC East.
In the second round of the 2006 AFC playoffs, Vinatieri continued to justify his acquisition by the Colts by kicking a playoff record-tying 5 field goals in the Colts 15-6 upset of the favored Baltimore Ravens. The record of 5 field goals in a playoff game is one Vinatieri originally set himself against the Colts in the 2003 AFC Championship game.
