Once upon a time — you know, Week 2 –it looked as if kicker Adam Vinatieri was nearing the end of the road of his historic NFL career. Then, the Indianapolis Colts convinced him that retirement wasn't the option. Weeks later, he drilled a game-winning 51-yard field goal against the Denver Broncos to cement Indianapolis' No. 1 ranking in the AFC South.
Said coach Frank Reich after the game, via Zak Keefer of The Athletic:
“Confidence hasn’t wavered in Adam Vinatieri all season. It’s 100% his track record. It’s talking to him every day. You look a guy in the eye and see the greatest kicker to ever play the game.”
The 46-year-old Vinatieri has a penchant for making big kicks in big moments. In fact, the New England Patriots can credit two Super Bowl wins to his right leg.
Reich has always trusted Vinatieri. That proved that during Indianapolis' Week 8 win, as they opted to run the ball twice to ensure they were in the middle of the field for him rather than try to move the chains over the air.
Though Vinatieri still leads the NFL in missed extra points (four), he appears to be shaking those “demons” he talked about out of his head. If he continues to play in 2019, he will be only the third player in NFL history to play a game at 47 years old, as his birthday is a day before the Colts' final regular-season game (Dec. 29).
Vinatieri may be getting up there in age, but he still has it. Reich always knew that.
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