It’s not often that a kicker can be labeled “clutch” when he makes a 31-yard field goal with a 28-point lead.
That’s the situation Adam Vinatieri was in back in Week 3 of the 1996 season.
According to Pro Football Talk, which cited Mike Francesa of WFAN, Patriots coach Bill Parcells told Vinatieri that he would be cut if he missed a 31-yard field goal with the Patriots leading the visiting Arizona Cardinals 28-0.
An undrafted rookie at the time, Vinatieri had missed four field goals and an extra point so far that season. But with his paycheck on the line, Vinatieri made the kick and kept his job.
And the 43-year-old still has a job in the NFL. He’s about to embark on his 21st season, his 11th with the Colts after 10 years with the Patriots.
Vinatieri has led the league in field goal percentage three times in his career, most recently in 2014, and is the all-time leader with 503 field goals made.
He’s best known for his work in the 2001 postseason. He kicked the game-tying and game-winning field goals in a blizzard to lead the Patriots to a 16-13, overtime win over the Raiders in the divisional round. In Super Bowl XXXVI, Vinatieri kicked a 48-yard field goal in the final seconds to give the Patriots a 20-17 upset victory over the St. Louis Rams. It was the first of three Patriots championships in the next four years.
Patriots fans don’t have the warmest feelings toward Parcells. But perhaps by keeping Vinatieri around and toughening him up, Parcells deserves a little credit for launching the Patriots’ dynasty.