Vinatieri misses shortest FG of career — in snow
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri wrapped up what was an abysmal first half by the Indianapolis Colts when he missed the shortest field goal of his career in Saturday’s AFC divisional-round game.
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Chicago-based Goose Island Brewery invited fans to attempt a 43-yard field goal on Saturday after Bears kicker Cody Parkey’s miss last week. Out of 101 entrants, no one was successful.
The Colts, who didn’t pick up their first first down until their final series of the opening half, got down to the Kansas City Chiefs‘ 5-yard line. Then Vinatieri’s 23-yard attempt — with snow on the field — hit the left upright, keeping Indianapolis’ deficit at 24-7 entering the break.
The 46-year-old Vinatieri, who became the NFL’s all-time leading scorer this season, had been 194-of-200 in his career on field goals of 20 to 29 yards. He was 97-for-97 on field goal tries from 23 yards and shorter entering Saturday.
It also marked the shortest missed field goal in the playoffs since the Chiefs and Colts played in a 2006 wild-card game. In that game, Lawrence Tynes missed a 23-yarder for Kansas City.
Entering Saturday, kickers were 71-of-71 (including playoffs) on field goal tries of 23 yards or shorter this season.
Vinatieri’s miss drew plenty of reaction on social media.
Among those who chimed in were Charles Woodson, whose Oakland Raiders watched Vinatieri make a 45-yard field goal to force overtime and then a 23-yarder in overtime to give the New England Patriots a dramatic win in blizzard-like conditions in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in the 2001 AFC divisional playoffs.
Now he misses in the snow
Saturday didn’t get much better for Vinatieri, either.
He missed an extra point try after a T.Y. Hilton touchdown catch that would have cut Indianapolis’ deficit to 24-14 with about 5 minutes left in the contest. Vinatieri had been 70-for-70 on postseason extra points in his career.
The Chiefs prevailed 31-13 on Saturday to advance to the AFC Championship Game.