AFC East: Olindo Mare
Is icing the kicker a waste of time?
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
The question pops into your head almost every time it happens:
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Does icing the kicker really work?
Some believe it does, that it's wise psychological warfare at a critical time.
Some say no, that it gives the kicker more time to prepare, maybe even allows him to get a practice kick in if the opposing coach waits too long or even to clear his spot on a snowy field.
NFC West blogger Mike Sando endeavored to find out if data supported either theory by asking ESPN Stats & Information to track the numbers.
Research suggests that icing the kicker in clutch situations works.
The definition of a clutch kick was an attempt from at least 35 yards inside the final two minutes with the score tied or the kicking team trailing by fewer than three points.
In overtime, iced kickers made 58.1 percent of their tries from an average of 41.9 yards away. Kickers who were left alone made 72.7 percent from nearly two yards farther out.
Overall, iced kickers converted 65.1 percent of their attempts from an average distance of 44.9 yards. Kickers who weren't iced made 68.9 percent from 45.1 yards away.
Some AFC East tidbits from the stats, which date to 2001:
- I guess I never noticed because the New England Patriots have scored so many points since he joined them in 2006, but Stephen Gostkowski has never been asked to make a clutch kick (by our definition) in his career.
- Former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri is 11 for 12 in clutch situations. He's 8 for 8 when not iced, 3 for 4 when iced.
- Jay Feely, who has kicked for the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants since 2001, had some bad numbers. But three of those boo-boos occurred in an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in 2005. Feely missed three potential game-winning field goals. He missed from 40 yards at the final gun and from 54 yards and 45 yards in sudden death, a game that inspired a "Saturday Night Live" skit.
- Former Jets kicker Mike Nugent is 2 for 3. He was iced for his lone miss.
- Former Miami Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare is 5 for 8 overall. He was 4 for 6 when he wasn't iced.
To get in the spirit of ESPN.com's all-decade week, I asked readers on Monday to select their AFC East team for the 20-aughts.
Although some insisted on submitting ballots that included a 4-4-4 defensive scheme and somebody kept signing on under different usernames to stuff the box for guard Adam Levitre (I think "they" meant Buffalo Bills rookie Andy Levitre), the results were sound.
Here are your picks along with my own.
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| Al Pereira/NFL | |
| The Jets' Curtis Martin eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in five seasons this decade. |
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Tom Brady.
- Of note: One vote came in for anybody other than the two-time Super Bowl MVP. Chad Pennington was the recipient.
- My pick: Brady.
Running back: Curtis Martin.
- Of note: There have been some stellar rushing seasons in the AFC East, but not much longevity. Martin's closest competition was Ricky Williams. Beyond that, nobody received more than two mentions. Thurman Thomas, who had 28 carries this decade, got a vote.
- My pick: Martin.
Fullback: Tony Richardson.
- Of note: Richardson's career credentials are remarkable. He has blocked for five 1,000-yard rushers. But last year was his first in the AFC East.
- My pick: Larry Centers. He spent only three seasons in the AFC East, but he had 80 catches for the Bills in 2001, earning him Pro Bowl honors.
Receivers: Randy Moss, Laveranues Coles.
- Of note: The only thing worse than Richardson getting votes after one year would be Terrell Owens after zero. Thankfully, nobody made that mistake. Moss and Coles were clearly ahead of the field, with Lee Evans coming in third and Chris Chambers fourth.
- My picks: Moss, Eric Moulds.
Tight end: Randy McMichael.
- Of note: Aside from Brady, no player was more unanimous at his position than McMichael.
- My pick: McMichael.
Tackles: Vernon Carey, Matt Light.
- Of note: Only four tackles were nominated, with Light edging out Jason Peters by one vote. Kareem McKenzie was a distant fourth.
- My picks: Light, Peters.
Guards: Logan Mankins, Stephen Neal.
- Of note: Ruben Brown, a nine-time Pro Bowler at left guard, received only six votes.
- My picks: Brown, Mankins. If Neal can learn right guard without playing a down in college, then Brown can learn how to play there on my team.
Center: Kevin Mawae.
- Of note: Nick Mangold came in second with half as many votes as Mawae, a player many readers felt should have been on the NFL's all-decade offense instead of Olin Kreutz.
- My pick: Mawae.
DEFENSE
Defensive ends: Jason Taylor, Richard Seymour.
- Of note: Not even close.
- My picks: Taylor, Seymour.
Defensive tackles: Vince Wilfork, Pat Williams.
- Of note: Williams edged out Kris Jenkins, who's coming off his lone season in the AFC East.
- My picks: Wilfork, Ted Washington. Washington was a Pro Bowler for the Bills in 2000 and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2003.
Linebackers: Zach Thomas, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi.
- Of note: Thomas was omitted from the NFL all-decade defense, but he received the most votes of any AFC East linebacker. Joey Porter finished fourth, four votes behind Bruschi.
- My picks: Thomas, Vrabel, Takeo Spikes. Many folks overlook Spikes because his teams never had success.
- Of note: Aside from Brady, nobody received more votes at his position than Law.
- My picks: Law, Patrick Surtain. While Samuel was a Pro Bowler in 20
07, he started only three seasons for the Patriots. Surtain went to three Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once this decade.
Safeties: Rodney Harrison, Brock Marion.
- Of note: Marion edged Lawyer Milloy by a single vote.
- My picks: Lawyer Milloy, Marion. Harrison had one All-Pro season with New England. Milloy was a two-time Pro Bowler and had productive seasons for the Patriots and Bills.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Adam Vinatieri.
- Of note: Some clown voted for Olindo Mare.
- My pick: Vinatieri.
Punter: Brian Moorman.
- Of note: Tom Tupa received a couple votes, but Moorman was the obvious selection.
- My pick: Moorman.
Kick returner: Terrence McGee.
- Of note: Leon Washington might have been impacted by readers splitting their votes for him between punt and kickoff returner.
- My pick: Washington. He ran back three kicks in 2007, led the NFL in all-purpose yards last year and still might be getting better.
Punt returner: Roscoe Parrish.
- Of note: He led the NFL in punt return yardage the past two years.
- My pick: Parrish.
The latest Pro Football Hall of Fame class was chosen Saturday. It was the 47th election, and for the 46th time, a full-time kicker or punter wasn't in the group.
They simply don't rate.
That's why Rick Sang founded the American Football Kicking Hall of Fame last year.
"The most impacting statement is that in 90 years of pro football, there's only one kicker inducted," Sang said. "You think about that. It's a major void.
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| Malcolm Emmons-US PRESSWIRE | |
| Jan Stenerud is the only kicker on the Hall of Fame. |
"The American Football Kicking Hall of Fame was about being proactive and not complaining about what the NFL wasn't doing. Their names aren't even coming up. There's so many guys you have to think about 'Who are they?'
"We just don't want them to be forgotten."
While part-time kickers such as Sammy Baugh, George Blanda and Lou Groza are enshrined in Canton, Jan Stenerud is the only pure leg-swinger to be honored.
The Kicking Hall of Fame inducted its second class two weeks ago. Added to the inaugural class of Baugh, Blanda, Groza and Jim Thorpe were Ray Guy, Pete Gogolak and Ben Agajanian.
"You make fun of kickers for not getting their uniforms dirty, or you say 'They don't hardly play.' And then you turn around and induct an owner," said Sang, also the director of ProKicker.com and a member of the Greater Augusta Sports Council in Georgia.
"It's a team sport, and if you're the best at your position and you impacted the game you deserve to be recognized."
Not acknowledging kickers isn't limited to Canton. Three AFC East teams fete their finest -- the Buffalo Bills have a Wall of Fame, the Miami Dolphins have an Honor Roll, the New England constructed the Hall at Patriot Place -- and none salute a kicker.
With Sang's cause in mind, here are the greatest kickers and punters in each AFC East club's history:
ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the NFL and NBA for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. He's a Temple graduate and Hyattsville, Md. native who lives in Miami.
