With Adam Vinatieri announcing his retirement this week, another huge piece of the NFL’s greatest dynasty has left the league.
As the Belichick Era continues to wind down, it’s worth wondering whether all of the special memories over the past 20+ years happen without Vinatieri. The argument is always whether it was Brady or Belichick that meant more and no matter who’s side you’re on there may never be a right answer, but Vinatieri may be able to claim that he is equally as important. The NFL’s all-time leading scorer now has all the time in the world to reflect, and when he does he should know that there are some in New England who will always understand just how valuable he was, even if he was a Colt longer than a Patriot.
Before we even talk about the Super Bowl wins, we can even start as far back as 1996. The first team in my lifetime to make it to the Super Bowl before losing to Green Bay. Vinatieri – as a rookie – had his first clutch game in Week 4 against Jacksonville, kicking five field goals including the overtime winner from 40-yards out to even up their record at 2-2. New England ended up finishing 10-6, a game ahead of Buffalo and two games ahead of the Colts.
It goes without saying that the magical run of 2001 doesn’t happen if he doesn’t make the two incredible kicks in the snow and they don’t get bailed out by the Tuck Rule (it was a fumble, we can all admit it now), but what about the regular season? With all of the turmoil at quarterback, Vinatieri was clutch for a team that was still learning how to win.
During that 2001 season, Vinatieri hit a 4th quarter 28-yard field goal against the Jets in Week 12 on the road for a huge 17-16 win. At the time, the kick put New England at 7-5 and the Jets at 7-4. New England went on to win its first AFC East title in five years two weeks later.
How about the infamous David Patten game in Buffalo in Week 14? In terrible weather, Vinatieri made four field goals, including the game-tying field goal from 25-yards in the fourth quarter and the 23-yard game winner in overtime to extend a four-game win streak at the time.
After Oakland and St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI he was already stamped, but the magic was just getting started.
In 2003, Vinatieri actually had one of the worst years of his career, making just 73% of his field goals (25/48), but once again he was Mr. Clutch when necessary. If you’re old enough to remember Bob Lobel’s “Adam and Leave” call for his propensity to hit game ending field goals back in the day, you knew no matter how shaky it may have looked during a rare off day, when the money was on the table it was still going through.
On the way to a 14-2 season, the Pats struggled in Cleveland during a game in late October. Vinatieri made four field goals for the only Patriots points in a 12-9 win, including the game winner with 2:05 left in the fourth. In a prime time matchup against the 7-3 Cowboys in Week 11, an Antwain Smith touchdown and two Vinatieri field goals were the only bit of offense in a 12-0 win.
Many people forget how close the frigid Titans playoff game that year was too. Vinatieri kicked a game-winning 46-yarder in record low temperatures to avoid an upset and send the Pats to the AFC title game again. Super Bowl XXXVIII against Carolina wasn’t his best, but the 41-yard game winner with four seconds left further cemented his legacy.
In 2004, arguably the best team throughout this entire run went 14-2 again, and once again Vinatieri had his huge moments. Week 7 against the Jets was another slog, and Vinatieri had two field goals and an extra point in a 13-7 win to move to 6-0 at the time. In horrendous weather against Peyton Manning and the Colts in the AFC Divisional game, Vinatieri kicked two first half field goals for a 6-0 lead and the Pats ended up winning just 20-3 to advance to the AFC title game against Pittsburgh where they once again embarrassed the Steelers.
In Super Bowl XXXIX against Philadelphia, Vinatieri made a 22-yard field goal with 8:40 left to push the lead to 24-14, New England won the game and its third title 24-21.
Unfortunately, Vinatieri’s final year here was in 2005, the year the Patriots lost to Denver in the AFC Divisional round. Still, the Patriots won the AFC East again that year by just one game over the 9-7 Dolphins. Vinatieri had a 43-yard game-winner against Pittsburgh on the road with one second left, a 29-yard game winner in Atlanta with 17 seconds left and three field goals in a 16-3 win over the Jets late in the year.
The debate will rage on for eternity whether it was Brady or Belichick who meant more to the most successful dynasty in NFL history, but if there is one other name that belongs in that conversation for his contributions during the early stages, it’ Adam Vinatieri.
The dynasty may not have ever existed without him.