Drew Brees:
“We were at the 10 yard line if we fumble the ball all of you would say why didn’t we bring out the kicker.”
Brees is absolutely right and he proves my point about why teams play not to lose rather than to the win the game, but before I get into that let me speak on field goal kickers.
Parents never, ever let your sons grow up to be Field Goal Kickers (Punters much better and less stressful job).
There is no excuse for missing a 29 yard field goal to win the game.
In my mind there is no excuse to miss a 32 yard field goal to win a game like Sebastian Janikowski did against the Cardinals.
Kickers are paid to do one thing, make field goals. That is their job and when they miss they should held accountable. So I don’t feel sympathy for Sebas or Garrett Hartley today because they failed at their job.
But back to what Brees said and pay close attention to these words:
YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE SAID WHY DIDN’T YOU BRING IN THE KICKER
You guys, being the media, the fans, the bloggers and every radio talk show host in American. The reason coaches and players to a certain extent are scared to play to win is because they fear the media backlash.
If Brees throws an INT or they fumble at the goal line who gets the blame?
The player and the coach.
If the field goal kicker misses the FG who gets the blame?
The Kicker.
I was always taught:
“If you scared go to church”
Unless it is Bishop Eddie Long’s church I live by that mantra. History has shown many times that no kick is automatic and even less automatic when the game is on the line. History has shown us that when a team stops trying to score to just line up for a FG that is an iffy proposition at best.
At least the Saints were at the 10 yard line, I have seen coaches stop being aggressive at the 30 yard line as if a 47 yard field goal is a gimmie.
I see it in college and I see it in the pros.
Coaches preach aggression but in the biggest moments they shrink.
They are like poodles barking at the front door but then run under the coach when someone comes in the house.
Don’t blame the kicker, blame yourself for wearing a skirt and not playing to win.
The Football Gods favor the bold, be sure to remember that next time you trot out your kicker because you aren’t willing to take the heat yourself.