OLD BEN FRANKLIN wasn’t much of a football fan but we won’t hold that against him because it hadn’t actually been invented by 1789 when he told Jean-Baptiste LeRoy that “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Since 16 September 2007 however, life has thrown up a third grand inevitability; namely any time a kicker is faced with a crucial field goal – usually a game-winning or tying one – the opposition coach will call a timeout just before the play in an effort to ‘ice the kicker’.
On that day, the Oakland Raiders mounted a second-half comeback to take the Jay Cutler-led Denver Broncos to overtime in Colorado. It was a comeback that included the recovery of a surprise onside kick, a safety and a 44-yard interception return. Momentum, if you believe in it, was firmly with the Raiders.
With 11:13 left in overtime, the Raiders had a chance to win the game. Sebastian Janikowski, selected in the first round of the 2000 draft just for the fact he could probably score from 70 yards if needed, faced a relatively easy 52-yard field goal attempt.
Unsurprisingly, he nailed it. The Raiders ran off the field in celebration while Broncos players fell to their knees in dejection. The officials, however, had other ideas and head referee Walt Anderson ruled the Denver coach Mike Shanahan had called a timeout just before Janikowski’s kick.
Of course, because he plays for Oakland, Janikowski missed the re-kick, striking the very top of the left upright. Six minutes later, the Broncos kicked their own game-winning field goal and the Raiders left Denver with nothing.
A week later, the Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin called a timeout just before Phil Dawson split the uprights with a potentially game-winning field goal for the Cleveland Browns. On the second attempt, Tommy Kelly broke through the Browns offensive line and blocked the kick. The Raiders won, snapping an 11-game losing streak.
Fast forward to week three of this season; the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are tied at 20 in their AFC East encounter. The Jets’ Nick Folk is lining up a potentially game-winning field goal in overtime. He takes a shot only to see it blocked by the ‘Fins defensive end Randy Stark. The Miami crowd are ecstatic.
However, in his wisdom, the Dolphin’s coach Joe Philbin had called a time out before the kick in an effort to ice Folk. It backfired spectacularly when the Jets’ kicker made the re-try to give New York the win.
A week later, the Eagles were nearly made to pay when Andy Reid called a timeout just before the Giants’ Lawrence Tynes pulled a game-winning field goal wide left. Luckily for the Eagles, Tynes second attempt came up short and Philadelphia escaped with the win.
Last night, an almost identical situation occurred at the end of the first half of the Lions/Packers game when Jim Schwartz attempted to ice the Packers’ Mason Crosby only to see Crosby push his kick right. The Lions maintained their three-point advantage going in to half-time though as Crosby, who missed three field goals in the game, pulled the re-try left.
Those are the two extremes of icing the kicker. It can win you games, it can cost you games. Statistically, a study conducted in 2010 found that icing the kicker apparently reduced the success of high-pressure field goals by 14%. However, a 2011 study for the book ‘Scorecasting’ found no discernible difference in success rates.
What’s worse though is the predictability of icing the kicker. If I was an NFL kicker, I’d expect the opposition coach to call a timeout. Indeed, it might put me off more if he didn’t try to ice me, especially as it’s so obvious why coaches do it. If your team is going to lose, isn’t it better to be seen trying to do something about it than standing idly by and accepting your fate?
However, while icing the kicker was a clever coaching tactic when it was first introduced, a number of kickers now believe it helps them. Sebastian Janikowski, for example, has said it helps him find his range on difficult kicks and gives him extra practise.
Whatever you think about icing the kicker, and I know football fans who think it’s the smartest coaching move in the world, it’s probably not going away anytime soon. The problem for coaches is the kickers know that too.
Week 11 Results
- Miami Dolphins 14 @ Buffalo Bills 19
- Arizona Cardinals 19 @ Atlanta Falcons 23
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 @ Carolina Panthers 21
- Cleveland Browns 20 @ Dallas Cowboys 23
- Green Bay Packers 24 @ Detroit Lions 20
- Jacksonville Jaguars 37 @ Houston Texans 43
- Cincinnati Bengals 28 @ Kansas City Chiefs 6
- New York Jet 27 @ St Louis Rams 13
- Philadelphia Eagles 6 @ Washington Redskins 31
- New Orleans Saints 38 @ Oakland Raiders 17
- San Diego Chargers 23 @ Denver Broncos 30
- Indianapolis Colts 24 @ New England Patriots 59
- Baltimore Ravens 13 @ Pittsburgh Steelers 10
