Colts Kicker Adam Vinatieri Takes Blame for Overtime Loss to Chargers
Future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri had what he called a "lousy" showing on Sunday that cost his Colts a win. During the 30–24 overtime loss to the Chargers, the 46-year-old kicker missed two of three field-goal attempts and one extra point for a total of seven missed points.
Sunday's season opener was the first time Vinatieri has missed three kicks in a game since 1999 and the first time in his 24-year career that he has missed two or more FGs and one or more PAT in the same game. The veteran kicker took responsibility for the loss in light of his misses.
"The only thing I’ve got to say is the guys played really, really well, and I 100% let them down," he said after the game, per The Athletic. "That loss is on me, nobody else. You come here and play against a good team, a team that made the playoffs last year, and the guys play well enough to win if I’d made just one of those kicks. 100% on me. I let the fellas down, for sure.”
Vinatieri missed an extra point early on Sunday and then a 46-yard try in the final seconds of the first half. His final miss was a 29-yarder in the fourth quarter when the Colts were trailing 24–16.
When asked after the game what it felt like to leave seven points on the field, Vinatieri said it was "lousy, s----y."
Vinatieri is the oldest active NFL player and will turn 47 in December.
Indianapolis will travel to Tennessee for Week 2 where they'll look for a better outcome. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
