Adam Vinatieri made some of the biggest postseason field goals in NFL history during his 24-year career. He won the Super Bowl with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in 15 playoff appearances.
Vinatieri kicked off the New England Patriots‘ dynasty during the 2001 playoffs and became one of the team’s more reliable postseason performers. He often finished off Brady’s memorable playoff drives with a clutch field goal.
Adam Vinatieri’s Start With the Patriots
After playing at South Dakota State, Vinatieri played for the Amsterdam Admirals in the NFL Europe in the spring of 1996 and, later that year, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots. As a rookie, he made a memorable tackle during a kickoff return.
Throwback to Adam Vinatieri chasing down Herschel Walker on a kick return. Ridiculous chase-down 💪
(via @nflthrowback)pic.twitter.com/MCU5GHkUHa
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 16, 2020
Vinatieri made 80.5% of his field goals during his first five NFL seasons and played in six playoff games with New England before Tom Brady arrived to play quarterback. He made six of nine field goals and all 12 extra point attempts.
He made the Super Bowl with New England during his rookie season in 1996, with Bill Parcells as head coach.
Vinatieri made all three point-after attempts in the Patriots loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Vinatieri Kicks Patriots to First Two Titles
The Oakland Raiders and the Patriots played an AFC Divisional Round game in the snow.
The game will forever be remembered for the Tuck Rule overturning what appeared to be a game-clinching recovery by the Raiders of a Brady fumble with 1:47 left. Instant replay review reversed the call, and the Patriots’ drive continued.
Brady led the Patriots to the Raiders’ 28-yard line and were forced to try a game-tying field goal on fourth and nine. Vinatieri made a 45-yard field goal to tie the game and then made a 23-yard field goal in overtime.
January 19, 2002
Adam Vinatieri
Kicks two incredible FG’s in the snow, including the game-winner in OT, Brady gets his 1st playoff win and the refs call a play correctly that somehow turns controversial as the Pats defeat the Raiders (16-13)
What a gamepic.twitter.com/EiDZVftOrT
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) January 19, 2023
If Vinatieri missed the field goal at the end of regulation or the Raiders won during overtime, the game wouldn’t be known as a Tuck Rule Game. The replay reversal of Brady’s fumble would have just been a footnote as Oakland moved on to play in the AFC Championship Game.
Two weeks later, in the Super Bowl, New England entered the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead against the St. Louis Rams. Kurt Warner led the Rams to two touchdowns to tie the game at 17 with 1:30 left. Brady drove the Patriots down the field to the Rams 30-yard line. Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal at the end of the game gave New England the franchise’s first Super Bowl win.
The Patriots reached another Super Bowl and faced the Carolina Panthers at the end of the 2003 season. Vinatieri had a rough start to the game; he missed his first attempt from 31 yards in the first quarter and had a 36-yard attempt blocked.
With the game tied, Brady drove the Patriots to the Panthers’ 23-yard line to set up a 41-yard field goal attempt, and Vinatieri made another Super Bowl-winning kick as the clock expired in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots repeated as Super Bowl champions next year against the Philadelphia Eagles. Vinatieri kicked a 22-yard field goal to extend the New England lead to ten in the fourth quarter.
Vinatieri Moves to Indianapolis
Vinatieri left the Patriots as a free agent and signed with their AFC rival, the Indianapolis Colts, and Brady’s rival, Peyton Manning. The Patriots declined to put the franchise tag on their kicker and allowed him to become a free agent.
Vinatieri made 14 of 15 field goal attempts in the 2006 postseason as the Colts defeated the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and the Chicago Bears to win the Super Bowl. He would play 14 seasons with the Colts, four more than with the Patriots.
MORE: When Was Tom Brady Drafted? The Start of the Dynasty
In his 24-year career, Vinatieri made 83.8% field goal attempts in the regular season and 81.2% in the postseason. He made three Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro three times. Vinatieri will be eligible for election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and could be the third player who was only a placekicker to be inducted.
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