Yep. Morten Andersen played on a team with Archie Manning.
Morten Andersen also played on the Falcons team that Bobby Petrino left in the middle of the night
Yeah. Utilizing Andersen and Blanda, you can connect the firsr year of the NFL to the current year in like 7 steps. Your biggest issue was everyone only playing for like 1 season in the early years. So it may be a little bit higher of a number than I was originally thinking, but Stabler connects Blanda and Andersen which covers about 50 years of the NFL lol
That kick is an all-time moment in football imo. Complete stunner. A black hole could’ve swallowed all of Minnesota that night and it still would’ve been the preferred outcome for them lol
Lou Groza is basically in the Hall because of his kicking, if you're going by era accolades and Hall of Fame chops then I think he has to be the 5th guy to Tucker, Vinatieri, Andersen, Stenerud
Somebody a while back who certainly came across as knowledgeable had a lot to say about how Morton changed the game, changed how the position operated. Morton, it was said, invented training regimens that have become what is used today, he took the position to an entirely new plateau with study, practice methods, and all-around approach. Unfortunately I don’t remember enough of the post to be more specific, but it was a compelling little read.
damn that sounds really interesting. i love deep dives into small changes that make a massive difference and love learning new things, could you reply to this if someone finds the thread?
He’s 100% a top 5 kicker. So is Gary Anderson. I’d go, in order:
- Justin Tucker
- Adam Vinatieri
- Morten Anderson
- Gary Anderson
- Stephen Gostkowski
Just because someone is in the HOF doesn’t automatically make them better.
Standards change. I’m not saying Stenerud doesn’t belong in the HOF by any means. He contributed to a massive change in kicking and was incredible for his time. His career Field Goal % currently ranks 124th all time. 16 of the top 20 in career FG% are either active today or last played in 2020 or later.
I think it’s reasonable to say that someone might be a better kicker now than a kicker of a previous generation. Doesn’t take away from that person being great, and arguably the best ever in their time.
This is why you can’t compare eras. You’re comparing kickers who have had decades to perfect what Stenerud popularized. It’s a non starter. Stenerud is responsible for popularizing the style that is used by all modern kickers, and was one of the best kickers of his era while using a style no one else thought was worth a damn. That alone makes him top 5 because he’s more important to the history of the kicking game than other kickers who have better modern stats.
Several have mentioned Morten Andersen for his longevity and I’d like to add that his long distance field goal abilities were elite for his day, when he was in his prime. He had the first 60 yard field goal since Dempsey’s for example, and I believe he set a record at one point for most kicks of 50+ yards in a game.
Guys like Tucker have pushed that boundary further so it gets a little lost, but Andersen was a real weapon.
He unfortunately doesn't have the playoffs success/opportunities of some of the others(pretty out of his control though) but Jason Hanson deserves at least an honorable mention.
Spent 21 seasons on the Lions and attempted 4 field goals in the playoffs.
Jason Hanson was so good, for so long.
If memory serves correctly, he was still powerful and accurate from deep late into his career.
I just remember watching him in his later seasons attempt field goals that I assumed a 15+ year ver wouldn’t be taking.
When I went to cedar point on vacation when I was 8 in 2009, Phil Dawson was signing autographs at the front gate area. I was wearing my ray lewis jersey, and the dude signs “Phil Dawson, stay in school, don’t do drugs, ravens suck” lmao sadly my house burned down when I was 10, wish I had that autograph still around
Only a couple of guys whose careers began before him had higher FG%s, and as his career went on he got more accurate. Top 4 all time in total points. Had a fantastic 8/8 season beyond 50 yards at age 38.
It’s also funny, kickers for the Lions have been like QBs for the Packers. We had Murray, followed by Hanson, a year or so of garbage, and a solid block of years from Prater. For most Lions fans, this is the first time in our lives that we’re not absolutely solid at the kicker position. We’re hoping Bates changes that…
3rd in 1992 AP OROY voting as well. The only rookie I can find in a quick search who finished higher was Chester Marcol in 1972. Won the PFWA ROTY that year actually.
Given it was a terrible rookie class and Carl Pickens won with 26-326-1 (with 1 PR TD). That year also saw a LT finish 4thx another kicker finish 7th, and a FB finish 11th. The rookie RBs and WRs who received votes that year finished with a combined 1631 yards rushing for 12 TDs and 113 catches for 1058 yards and 6 TDs. All time bad draft class for offense.
I think he deserves it. He was amongst the first kickers to kick from 60+ and was fairly accurate. He’s also the raiders leading scorer, that doesn’t happen by accident
Did you see the interview where he talks about us fav kick? It was something like the clock was running at :08 seconds and they sprinted onto the field and nailed it for a win.
Always wanted to see Tuckers potential range there. Haven't had many opportunities though I don't think. But feel like he could nail a 70 yarder there no problem
Matt Stover.
Had the all time point record at one point. Was very consistent and dependable. Basically the ravens entire offense for a few years including their Super Bowl year
Came here to say the same thing! Without Stover, the Ravens wouldn't have even made it to the playoffs the year they won their first Superbowl. He was the real MVP that year, I told him once and he agreed!
I still remember when he missed the game winning FG against Seattle in the playoffs, but Carroll called a timeout to ice him just before the play, so he got another shot and it was perfect. Carroll tried to act like he didn’t call the timeout. Legendary
There's absolutely no research behind this but I always figure when a kicker gets iced if they missed the initial kick they're going to make the real one and vice versa
Jan Stenerud has to be in there for me, he popularized soccer style kicking and was the first pure kicker to be inducted into the Hall, mainly because of the influence he had in addition to being the best kicker of his era.
I think my other two would be Morten Andersen and Nick Lowery.
He was also the anti-Vinatieri in terms of the playoffs - his overall averages in the playoffs were great, but he’s had both game altering misses or times where the team didn’t trust him to make a crucial kick.
Just a few examples - the team went for 4th and 13 in the 2007 SB over having him kick a 49 yarder due to an earlier 35 yard miss in the playoffs, missed an XP in the 2015 AFCCG that would’ve meant they just needed another XP instead of 2PA to tie, and he missed a 26 yarder plus an XP in the 2017 SB.
There were a few more instances than that too. I do think he’s underrated and has a reasonable case for top ten all time (not top five tho), but moments like those definitely stick out.
Gostkowski missed some big playoffs kicks and they often costed the Patriots the game. Quote from an article from 2019:
*Gostkowski has missed six kicks in his last seven playoff games, including missing at least one kick in the Patriots' final game the last three seasons.*
[https://www.audacy.com/weei/blogs/ryan-hannable/new-england-patriots-kicker-stephen-gostkowski-not-thinking-about-previous](https://www.audacy.com/weei/blogs/ryan-hannable/new-england-patriots-kicker-stephen-gostkowski-not-thinking-about-previous)
Granted, he did have a streak of 53 straight made postseason kicks which is obviously exceptional. But this is GOAT talk where the margins are slim and those were some costly misses.
He does likely have one of the unbreakable NFL records, with his consecutive made extra points at 523.
You need an offense that scores tons of touchdowns for about a decade, and then you have to actually make all of them. In the meantime the distance has increased from when he set the record, so it's become more difficult to be perfect too.
He was injured in 2019 and had to have hip surgery, he wasn't the same when he returned with the Titans the year after. He actually played through a lot of pain in 2018 and 2019 due to wear on his hip.
Vinatieri had lower FG% in the playoffs than regular season, but nobody counts it against him. Gostkowski has higher FG% in postseason than regular season. And both his regular and postseason FG% are significantly higher than Vinatieri.
Gostkowski also has the record for most consecutive PATs and it's not gonna be broken any time soon.
I'm fine with saying Vinatieri's overall career is better for GOAT discussion due to the much higher overall volume, but saying Gostkowski doesn't belong in top 5 just because Patriots fans hyper focus on a small handful of plays is wild
Thing is we are getting closer and closer to the point where we can say he was our second best kicker just due to how good Jake Elliot has been dude is automatic and extremely clutch. Importantly I would bring up the 61 yarder to win the Giants game in his rookie year and the 59 yarder in a downpour with high winds against the bills this past year to send it to overtime
Couldn't agree more. Jake will be one of the greatest once he's done, still lots of thread on that tire though. Akers is done and has done it on many many elite teams.
he has a great story too. Patriots picked him up as he wasn't drafted but cut him. then the ravens picked up but cut him. then gets a job working in construction for a month or two before the bears kicker gets injured. bears pick him up and goes on to be arguably one of the best kickers in the NFL for the next several years.
I think Robbie Gould should definitely be considered top 5. I think second or third most accurate ever, never missed in playoffs, insanely clutch kicks made routinely
Morton Anderson makes a good argument based on longevity. Gostkowski deserves a spot. And after that I think you could argue Gould, Gary Anderson, Vanderjagt, Dawson; but for my money I'd bet on Butker ending his career as a consensus top 5.
He had a perfect season in '03, including the playoffs. I think he's still the only person to do this. If you want to talk about peak vs career, there's absolutely an argument to be made for Vanderjagt.
Also, he used to keep a 2 dollar bill in his wristband because he was "money," and that isn't relevant to the discussion exactly, but it's gotta be mentioned because it's hilarious.
Vanderjagt had a weird career. He was absolute money, but also an asshole, and his missed kick in the playoffs was all the Colt's needed to get rid of him. The next season with the Cowboys he was injured and didn't kick well. Not good, but not terrible. After that he was out of the league. I'm really surprised no team took a chance on him.
Morton Andersen is definitely 3rd could argue between him and Vinatieri for second if you really are an Andersen guy.
Idk if this guy was actually good or not cause pretty sure they voted for him to troll the players cause of the lockout but Mark Moseley did win an mvp.
A lot of the the most legendary Chiefs moments of the dynasty don’t exist without Butker executing a clutch kick. 13 seconds, last second AFCCG win over the Bengals, last second SB win over Philly, etc
Damn, didn't realize that. I loved the Covid season when the main concern with the Chiefs was Butker missing extra points. I loved it until the Super Bowl that is.
Plus he holds record for longest FG in SB history, second best ever %, and has been incredibly clutch. Big douche canoe, but undeniably a great kicker.
Mason Crosby definitely isn't top 5 but I think he's a top 5 playoff kicker of all time. He was lights out in the playoffs and holds the record for consecutive field goals made in the playoffs.
Robbie Gould is absolutely underrated and probably a top 5 kicker of all time.
I had to scroll too long and still couldnt find anyone mentioning David Akers. Seabass got mentioned before him, and Akers was the better player in the same era
Stephen Gostkowski. Hit so many consecutive XPs they moved it back. Still hit another full seasons worth. No one will ever come close. 6 years. 6 goddamn years without missing an XP.
It’s gonna be a criteria issue, kickers today can knock it from 60 yards in ways that some guys couldn’t.
If we’re looking at stats and accolades: Morten Andersen, Stanerud, Gostkowski, and (maybe) surprisingly David Akers.
George Blanda doesn’t really do it for me, he led the league in FG% in 1961 with *55%*. I think his reputation is just kinda based on the “story” of the league.
From a modern GM’s standpoint I might have guys like Zuerlein, Butker, or even Jake Moody ahead of anyone other than Tucker. Most curious about Tom Dempsey with modern training/coaching/equipment.
The NFL dates back to the 20s. Like in any sport, the all-time greats need to include those who were the best of their time, especially if they advanced their positions.
I know more physics than Isaac Newton, but does that make me a better physicist? Of course not!
Blanda was the alltime leading scorer and a solid Hall-of-Famer but he was also a great QB, not just a kicker. I remember his final kick. He was 48 and losing range. Stabler and the Raiders were down 16-7 and driving. They got to the 24-yard line with 18 seconds left on a 3rd and 2. Blanda kicked his longest FG of the year at 41 yards. We were all holding our breath!
The Raiders recovered the onside kick. Stabler immediately threw a 37-yarder to Branch, but he couldn't get out of bounds on the iced-down sidelines (the Steelers groundskeepers ran water over the both sidelines during the night to create a sheet of ice). Game over.
Well Stenerud and Andersen are already in the Hall. But Anderson (Gary) would be up there too.
Yep. Morten Andersen played on a team with Archie Manning. Morten Andersen also played on the Falcons team that Bobby Petrino left in the middle of the night
He was teammates with Ken Stabler and Nate Burleson
Yeah. Utilizing Andersen and Blanda, you can connect the firsr year of the NFL to the current year in like 7 steps. Your biggest issue was everyone only playing for like 1 season in the early years. So it may be a little bit higher of a number than I was originally thinking, but Stabler connects Blanda and Andersen which covers about 50 years of the NFL lol
Holy fuck, that's two different eras entirely. That's two eras of the NFL with an era between them! Man played 1/4 of the NFLs existence
He was all-decade in two different decades. :)
Ahhh...i remember that. What a great kicker.
Great memories of Morten almost single handily murdering the Vikings in the NFC championship
Terrible flashbacks of two kickers with the last name Anders(insert vowel here)n costing us a trip to the super bowl
That kick is an all-time moment in football imo. Complete stunner. A black hole could’ve swallowed all of Minnesota that night and it still would’ve been the preferred outcome for them lol
Yep. Morton def top 5.
That era of Saints players that always seemed to go to the Falcons.
Bobby fucking *Hebert*, the Cajun Cannon, made his only Pro Bowl as a Falcon and I'm still salty about it after all these years.
Exactly. And he’s on the radio hamming it up - pisses me off. Like dude - you’re the only one around here who wore a falcons uniform.
He also had a game with a perfect passer rating... Against the Saints... And he lost.
You mean USFL Champion QB Bobby Hebert? He QB'd the Michigan Panthers to the inaugural championship back in '83.
Don't forget Joe Horn! I'm starting to think they were paid to swich or something.
Jason Hanson as well
Lou Groza is basically in the Hall because of his kicking, if you're going by era accolades and Hall of Fame chops then I think he has to be the 5th guy to Tucker, Vinatieri, Andersen, Stenerud
Morten for longevity?
Somebody a while back who certainly came across as knowledgeable had a lot to say about how Morton changed the game, changed how the position operated. Morton, it was said, invented training regimens that have become what is used today, he took the position to an entirely new plateau with study, practice methods, and all-around approach. Unfortunately I don’t remember enough of the post to be more specific, but it was a compelling little read.
damn that sounds really interesting. i love deep dives into small changes that make a massive difference and love learning new things, could you reply to this if someone finds the thread?
He’s 100% a top 5 kicker. So is Gary Anderson. I’d go, in order: - Justin Tucker - Adam Vinatieri - Morten Anderson - Gary Anderson - Stephen Gostkowski
Gostkowski is not like the others. At all.
Gostkowski over Stenerud who’s in the HoF is certainly a take
Just because someone is in the HOF doesn’t automatically make them better. Standards change. I’m not saying Stenerud doesn’t belong in the HOF by any means. He contributed to a massive change in kicking and was incredible for his time. His career Field Goal % currently ranks 124th all time. 16 of the top 20 in career FG% are either active today or last played in 2020 or later. I think it’s reasonable to say that someone might be a better kicker now than a kicker of a previous generation. Doesn’t take away from that person being great, and arguably the best ever in their time.
This is why you can’t compare eras. You’re comparing kickers who have had decades to perfect what Stenerud popularized. It’s a non starter. Stenerud is responsible for popularizing the style that is used by all modern kickers, and was one of the best kickers of his era while using a style no one else thought was worth a damn. That alone makes him top 5 because he’s more important to the history of the kicking game than other kickers who have better modern stats.
Did you mean Janikowski? I think you meant Janikowski.
Several have mentioned Morten Andersen for his longevity and I’d like to add that his long distance field goal abilities were elite for his day, when he was in his prime. He had the first 60 yard field goal since Dempsey’s for example, and I believe he set a record at one point for most kicks of 50+ yards in a game. Guys like Tucker have pushed that boundary further so it gets a little lost, but Andersen was a real weapon.
Guys like Tucker wouldn't be the same if not for how Morten revolutionized the position. He's the reason why modern kickers exist.
He unfortunately doesn't have the playoffs success/opportunities of some of the others(pretty out of his control though) but Jason Hanson deserves at least an honorable mention. Spent 21 seasons on the Lions and attempted 4 field goals in the playoffs.
Jason Hanson was so good, for so long. If memory serves correctly, he was still powerful and accurate from deep late into his career. I just remember watching him in his later seasons attempt field goals that I assumed a 15+ year ver wouldn’t be taking.
It’s not saying much, but Phil Dawson was literally the Browns MVP for most of his career. He and Cribbs were the offense for a couple years there.
Love me some Dawson
When I went to cedar point on vacation when I was 8 in 2009, Phil Dawson was signing autographs at the front gate area. I was wearing my ray lewis jersey, and the dude signs “Phil Dawson, stay in school, don’t do drugs, ravens suck” lmao sadly my house burned down when I was 10, wish I had that autograph still around
It was Phil.
Browns since 99, before the Garrett Chubb years, Dawson, Cribbs, and Thomas are 3 of the Browns Mt Rushmore, right?
Pretty much in my eyes, yep
Plus that Buffalo game... Not too many people who can do that!
He has the 4th most points of all time.
Only a couple of guys whose careers began before him had higher FG%s, and as his career went on he got more accurate. Top 4 all time in total points. Had a fantastic 8/8 season beyond 50 yards at age 38.
Made something like 95.8% of his kicks total that year. He was not named All-Pro.
>Spent 21 seasons on the Lions and attempted 4 field goals in the playoffs A truly criminal statement.
>Spent 21 seasons on the Lions and attempted 4 field goals in the playoffs Was it because they mostly scored touchdowns in the playoffs?
It’s also funny, kickers for the Lions have been like QBs for the Packers. We had Murray, followed by Hanson, a year or so of garbage, and a solid block of years from Prater. For most Lions fans, this is the first time in our lives that we’re not absolutely solid at the kicker position. We’re hoping Bates changes that…
My boy Jason Hanson is the greatest of all time and I’ll brook no argument.
i’ll bet the only kicker who has as many fans wearing their jersey is tucker
4th in career field goals made
Yep, Jason Hanson was the best kicker of his era. It's just nobody knows because he played on the Lions at the height of their dog shittieness
3rd in 1992 AP OROY voting as well. The only rookie I can find in a quick search who finished higher was Chester Marcol in 1972. Won the PFWA ROTY that year actually. Given it was a terrible rookie class and Carl Pickens won with 26-326-1 (with 1 PR TD). That year also saw a LT finish 4thx another kicker finish 7th, and a FB finish 11th. The rookie RBs and WRs who received votes that year finished with a combined 1631 yards rushing for 12 TDs and 113 catches for 1058 yards and 6 TDs. All time bad draft class for offense.
My favorite fantasy Kicker of all time. He had soooo many field goals on Thanksgiving one year.
Out of all the embarrassing Lions statistics this one might sting the worst. Averaging one playoff field goal attempt for every 5 years in the NFL
WHERE IS SEA BASS
KICK HIS ASS, SEA BASS!
Sea bass said that?
God it’s been years since I’ve seen this masterpiece. You’ve inspired me to rewatch this weekend. Hopefully it’s still funny
It is.
Raiders fans unite for our love of Seabass and Marshawn.
only NFL player I recall missing a game due to gout. The GOUT GOAT
Man's ate liver like no tomorrow
He's a regular Bobby Hill.
One of my all time favorite Raiders based purely off vibes.
Took way too long to find him mentioned
I love sea bass but he won't make the hall ever
He should be in the Hall of Dudes Who Rule. Because he was a dude who ruled.
definitely belongs in the hall of polish kickers that can party
There is a pretty fun episode of Crime In Sports about Janikowski.
I think he deserves it. He was amongst the first kickers to kick from 60+ and was fairly accurate. He’s also the raiders leading scorer, that doesn’t happen by accident
ALSO FAT RANDY, JUST FOR THE NICKNAME ALONE
Surprised nobody has said Jason Elam. The guy was nails for years and held the record for longest field goal for like 15 years.
Did you see the interview where he talks about us fav kick? It was something like the clock was running at :08 seconds and they sprinted onto the field and nailed it for a win.
It's easier to kick the ball further at Mile High because of the air density (apparently) so Broncos kickers dont get the same shine as others
> apparently What do you mean apparently?
Just another lie by big altitude. Look into it sheeple.
Patriots would know plenty about the effects of air pressure
Do your own research.
You'll forgive Pats fans for recoiling from any hard opinions on air pressure.
The earth is flat and so are mountains!
Always wanted to see Tuckers potential range there. Haven't had many opportunities though I don't think. But feel like he could nail a 70 yarder there no problem
Matt Stover. Had the all time point record at one point. Was very consistent and dependable. Basically the ravens entire offense for a few years including their Super Bowl year
Came here to say the same thing! Without Stover, the Ravens wouldn't have even made it to the playoffs the year they won their first Superbowl. He was the real MVP that year, I told him once and he agreed!
Stover the first coming of Tucker or Tucker the second coming of Stover? Man you guys are like the kicker version of Packer QBs the past 30 years.
Oh man ...good ol Stoves. I think the fact we ended up with Tucker shortly after Stover was done diminishes how good of a kicker Stover was.
He’s probably not top 5 but I had so so much faith in Matt $$$ Bryant whenever he stepped onto the field. So clutch
Falcons have always been blessed with a good Kicker.
And then we followed up with Koo. We have been extremely lucky with our kickers.
We had Elam for a season too who was also pretty darn good.
I still remember when he missed the game winning FG against Seattle in the playoffs, but Carroll called a timeout to ice him just before the play, so he got another shot and it was perfect. Carroll tried to act like he didn’t call the timeout. Legendary
There's absolutely no research behind this but I always figure when a kicker gets iced if they missed the initial kick they're going to make the real one and vice versa
Ah, the Matt (B)Ryan(t) led Falcons.
The Matt trio of the Falcons: Matt Ryan, Matt Bosher, Matt Bryant
Jan Stenerud has to be in there for me, he popularized soccer style kicking and was the first pure kicker to be inducted into the Hall, mainly because of the influence he had in addition to being the best kicker of his era. I think my other two would be Morten Andersen and Nick Lowery.
the centerpiece of the patriots dynasty, stephen gostkowski
Patriots fans criminally underrate Gostkowski and it's so frustrating. It's very similar to how Patriots fans underrate Welker
Probably recency bias. Ghosts last couple seasons with us had some frustrating moments
He was also the anti-Vinatieri in terms of the playoffs - his overall averages in the playoffs were great, but he’s had both game altering misses or times where the team didn’t trust him to make a crucial kick. Just a few examples - the team went for 4th and 13 in the 2007 SB over having him kick a 49 yarder due to an earlier 35 yard miss in the playoffs, missed an XP in the 2015 AFCCG that would’ve meant they just needed another XP instead of 2PA to tie, and he missed a 26 yarder plus an XP in the 2017 SB. There were a few more instances than that too. I do think he’s underrated and has a reasonable case for top ten all time (not top five tho), but moments like those definitely stick out.
Yeah, I think it's a combo of the Superbowl drop, some comments he made after leaving, and how much we all love Jules. But goddam Welker was great.
Good call chief
Gostkowski missed some big playoffs kicks and they often costed the Patriots the game. Quote from an article from 2019: *Gostkowski has missed six kicks in his last seven playoff games, including missing at least one kick in the Patriots' final game the last three seasons.* [https://www.audacy.com/weei/blogs/ryan-hannable/new-england-patriots-kicker-stephen-gostkowski-not-thinking-about-previous](https://www.audacy.com/weei/blogs/ryan-hannable/new-england-patriots-kicker-stephen-gostkowski-not-thinking-about-previous) Granted, he did have a streak of 53 straight made postseason kicks which is obviously exceptional. But this is GOAT talk where the margins are slim and those were some costly misses.
He does likely have one of the unbreakable NFL records, with his consecutive made extra points at 523. You need an offense that scores tons of touchdowns for about a decade, and then you have to actually make all of them. In the meantime the distance has increased from when he set the record, so it's become more difficult to be perfect too.
Also one of them could randomly get blocked which could be out of the kickers control (depending on the specifics of it)
He should have retired after winning the Super Bowl in 2018. (Edit, the 2018 season)
Yeah he was automatic for what seemed like 10 years and then he just kinda fell off.
He was injured in 2019 and had to have hip surgery, he wasn't the same when he returned with the Titans the year after. He actually played through a lot of pain in 2018 and 2019 due to wear on his hip.
That was at the end when he fell off. During his prime he was absolutely lights out.
just looked it up, he was drafted in 2006. 2019 was season 13 lol i’ll cut him a little slack
Vinatieri had lower FG% in the playoffs than regular season, but nobody counts it against him. Gostkowski has higher FG% in postseason than regular season. And both his regular and postseason FG% are significantly higher than Vinatieri. Gostkowski also has the record for most consecutive PATs and it's not gonna be broken any time soon. I'm fine with saying Vinatieri's overall career is better for GOAT discussion due to the much higher overall volume, but saying Gostkowski doesn't belong in top 5 just because Patriots fans hyper focus on a small handful of plays is wild
Robbie Solid Gould
I may be a homer but he is as close as I've seen to borderline automatic.
Ray Finkle obviously
Laces out, he's in the HOF.
everyone forgets Roberto Aguayo, the kicker so good he was worthy of a second-round pick
Janikowski was a 1st round pick.
That one was worth it, imo
He must have been pretty good, we traded up to get him.
Nick Folk made quick work of him… and then we did the same for Folk lol
Very bias but David Akers was pretty much automatic in his time in Philly
Thing is we are getting closer and closer to the point where we can say he was our second best kicker just due to how good Jake Elliot has been dude is automatic and extremely clutch. Importantly I would bring up the 61 yarder to win the Giants game in his rookie year and the 59 yarder in a downpour with high winds against the bills this past year to send it to overtime
Couldn't agree more. Jake will be one of the greatest once he's done, still lots of thread on that tire though. Akers is done and has done it on many many elite teams.
Huge Akers fan but Elliot has surpassed him after last year. I think that Buffalo kick sealed it.
Also Jake has never missed a FG in the playoffs in his career which is pretty crazy.
Janikowski perhaps? He’s the raiders all time leading scorer and appeared more games with the franchise than any other player
I think Robbie Gould is there.
68 Postseason kicks attempted 68 Postseason kicks made
Imagine he was still on the Bears in 2018 instead of relying on Cody Parkey's double doink
Enough said
Surprised this is so low. Feels like that dude scored more points than bears offense lol.
Robbie Gould is in fact the Chicago Bears' all-time leader in points scored.
Same with Mason Crosby
He was lights out for us, too
I remember in the first year of the Shanalynch era we played you and won 15-14. Robbie scored all of our points
he has a great story too. Patriots picked him up as he wasn't drafted but cut him. then the ravens picked up but cut him. then gets a job working in construction for a month or two before the bears kicker gets injured. bears pick him up and goes on to be arguably one of the best kickers in the NFL for the next several years.
I think Robbie Gould should definitely be considered top 5. I think second or third most accurate ever, never missed in playoffs, insanely clutch kicks made routinely
More love for Robbie!
Gould for gold babbbyyyyyyy
Most points in Chicago Bears history.
Phil Dawson
Obviously I'm biased, but I have to throw Gary Anderson into that Top 5. Beyond that, probably Morten Anderson and Jan Stenerud.
Urban Meyer
Mr Ball Coach
Mr. Battering Cickers
Mr. Bludgeoning Calves
Morton Anderson makes a good argument based on longevity. Gostkowski deserves a spot. And after that I think you could argue Gould, Gary Anderson, Vanderjagt, Dawson; but for my money I'd bet on Butker ending his career as a consensus top 5.
Nobody ever mentions Vanderjagt but he was the Justin Tucker of his time. Absolutely accurate.
Pretty sure that game against the Steelers killed whatever reputation he had.
He had a perfect season in '03, including the playoffs. I think he's still the only person to do this. If you want to talk about peak vs career, there's absolutely an argument to be made for Vanderjagt. Also, he used to keep a 2 dollar bill in his wristband because he was "money," and that isn't relevant to the discussion exactly, but it's gotta be mentioned because it's hilarious.
The ole liquorer up idiot kicker himself.
Vanderjagt had a weird career. He was absolute money, but also an asshole, and his missed kick in the playoffs was all the Colt's needed to get rid of him. The next season with the Cowboys he was injured and didn't kick well. Not good, but not terrible. After that he was out of the league. I'm really surprised no team took a chance on him.
The Steelers playoff game ruined him
Morton Andersen is definitely 3rd could argue between him and Vinatieri for second if you really are an Andersen guy. Idk if this guy was actually good or not cause pretty sure they voted for him to troll the players cause of the lockout but Mark Moseley did win an mvp.
Mark Moseley won MVP in 1982 as a kicker, that’s got to get him up there 😂
Def not top 5 but Matt Prater was so fucking clutch. I miss him dearly.
You must be young to not mention Morten Andersen
I'd say Jason Elam deserves a look.
Butker is climbing, 3 rings, clutch and still young.
A lot of the the most legendary Chiefs moments of the dynasty don’t exist without Butker executing a clutch kick. 13 seconds, last second AFCCG win over the Bengals, last second SB win over Philly, etc
2nd behind tucker for the best all time fg% too
Realistically can finish top 3-5. Great kicker.
Damn, didn't realize that. I loved the Covid season when the main concern with the Chiefs was Butker missing extra points. I loved it until the Super Bowl that is.
Plus he holds record for longest FG in SB history, second best ever %, and has been incredibly clutch. Big douche canoe, but undeniably a great kicker.
Yeah I'm a little shocked to barely see his name mentioned in this thread. Not a fan of the guy off the field but his accomplishments are impressive.
Probably more that it feels like he hasn't been around long enough for all-time lists.
When did the chiefs draft him? Surely no team would be dumb enough to let him go right?
I don't know why you guys figured you could get away with drafting a kicker and then stashing him on a practice squad for a year lol
GOAT supporter of women as well
Im late, as soon as I seen the title, this was the name I was looking for. Like Vinatieri… Butker had the moments and delivered everytime.
Robbie Gould , prater ,akers
Tucker, Vinatieri, Andersen, Stenerud, Groza
Chris Boswell
Haven’t seen his name but I just wanna mention Prater. Has some incredible kicks in his career
Janikowski belongs here not just because of his long, consistent career, but he's also a former Top 20 pick.
Gould, Gotskowski, Sea Bass idc I love them
Jason Hanson is top 5
Eddie Murray can’t be far behind. It boggles the mind that the Lions had solid kicking for 32 STRAIGHT YEARS and it was just 2 guys.
Blanda and Mort might be up there
I would say (I forgot his name) but that saints kicker who had no fingers or toes should be on there
Tom Dempsey, and he was only missing the toes and fingers on his right side.
Matt Prater deserves a look
Gramatica
Stenerud Andersen Lowery
Sebastian janikowski surely has to be up thete
Jason fucking Hanson
Mason Crosby definitely isn't top 5 but I think he's a top 5 playoff kicker of all time. He was lights out in the playoffs and holds the record for consecutive field goals made in the playoffs. Robbie Gould is absolutely underrated and probably a top 5 kicker of all time.
Younghoe Koo
Vinatieri is the most overrated player in NFL history. Chris Boswell is probably Top 5.
Robbie Gould
Jason Elam
Morten Andersen, Jan Stenerud, and Jason Elam in no particular order
Homer take says Rob Bironas.
David Akers, top 5 kicker. Top 3 draft picker haha
I had to scroll too long and still couldnt find anyone mentioning David Akers. Seabass got mentioned before him, and Akers was the better player in the same era
Stephen Gostkowski. Hit so many consecutive XPs they moved it back. Still hit another full seasons worth. No one will ever come close. 6 years. 6 goddamn years without missing an XP.
sebastian janikowski and morten andersen
Harrison Butker has to be up there by now right?
It’s gonna be a criteria issue, kickers today can knock it from 60 yards in ways that some guys couldn’t. If we’re looking at stats and accolades: Morten Andersen, Stanerud, Gostkowski, and (maybe) surprisingly David Akers. George Blanda doesn’t really do it for me, he led the league in FG% in 1961 with *55%*. I think his reputation is just kinda based on the “story” of the league. From a modern GM’s standpoint I might have guys like Zuerlein, Butker, or even Jake Moody ahead of anyone other than Tucker. Most curious about Tom Dempsey with modern training/coaching/equipment.
The NFL dates back to the 20s. Like in any sport, the all-time greats need to include those who were the best of their time, especially if they advanced their positions. I know more physics than Isaac Newton, but does that make me a better physicist? Of course not! Blanda was the alltime leading scorer and a solid Hall-of-Famer but he was also a great QB, not just a kicker. I remember his final kick. He was 48 and losing range. Stabler and the Raiders were down 16-7 and driving. They got to the 24-yard line with 18 seconds left on a 3rd and 2. Blanda kicked his longest FG of the year at 41 yards. We were all holding our breath! The Raiders recovered the onside kick. Stabler immediately threw a 37-yarder to Branch, but he couldn't get out of bounds on the iced-down sidelines (the Steelers groundskeepers ran water over the both sidelines during the night to create a sheet of ice). Game over.
1 - Jake Elliot 2 - Jake Elliot 3 - Jake Elliot 4 - Jake Elliot 5 - Jake Elliot
Surely Adam Vinatieri is in there somewhere. 4x Super Bowl champion and numerous kicking records. Edit: I’m a moron
He’s in the title lol