Parcells not buying Vanderjagt excuses
Sportsnet.ca
September 01, 2006
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Seeing Terrell Owens run full speed through several routes in a pre-season game eased many of the Dallas Cowboys' concerns about his hamstring.
Good thing, too, because Mike Vanderjagt of Oakville, Ont., gave them something else to worry about.
Vanderjagt missed kicks of 32 and 33 yards in overtime of the pre-season finale Thursday night, leaving the Cowboys in a rare pre-season tie, 10-10, with the Minnesota Vikings, and perhaps wondering what happened to the most accurate kicker in NFL history since they gave him millions this spring.
"Two point-blank field goals for the win and couldn't make those," a seething coach Bill Parcells said afterward.
While Owens was the higher-profile addition this off-season, Vanderjagt has been viewed by many as more important. His 87.5 per cent career success rate was supposed to make him Mr. Reliable for Parcells, who watched three kickers combine to cost Dallas a chance for wins three times last season.
Vanderjagt has been fighting a groin problem most of the pre-season. It limited him in practices, kept him out of two games and presumably was to blame for how bad he often looked when he did kick.
Parcells wasn't buying the injury as an excuse for the overtime misses, not after Vanderjagt hit a 22-yarder at the end of the first half, kicked off to start the second half and made an extra-point with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
In fact, Parcells' desire to get Vanderjagt more work had to be the reason he violated the coaching code by not going for two to settle the meaningless game in regulation.
"He kicked all week and he looked fine to me in warm-ups," Parcells said.
Vanderjagt didn't blame the groin or anything else.
"I don't have an answer," he said. "I missed two field goals I should have made. ... It was a bad day at the office. Now I have to figure out why."
Vanderjagt has said he's a slow starter every season. He wanted to break that habit this year, in part to make the Indianapolis Colts regret letting him go. That drive may have worked against him, leading to the early case of the shanks and then the injury when he tried to correct the flaw in his stroke.
But Vanderjagt remains confident, pointing out that he was 1-for-3 in the 2003 pre-season, then made all 37 of his kicks in the regular season.
"I've shown I have the ability to turn it up when it counts," he said.
The Cowboys gave Vanderjagt a $2.5 million US bonus as part of a $5.4-million, three-year contract. Now they're likely to invest a roster spot on a backup, Shaun Suisham, who can handle kickoffs and, if necessary, field goals, which was something Parcells wanted to avoid.
The bigger concern that's starting to build is whether Vanderjagt lost his touch.
He ended last season by horribly shanking a 46-yard field goal that would've sent a playoff game into overtime for Indianapolis. Add his makes and misses over two pre-season games in Dallas and he's in a 2-for-5 rut, botching the three most important kicks.
Could he still be rattled by that playoff miss?
"I don't buy into that for one second," Vanderjagt said.
It's got to be something, though, and callers to sports-talk radio shows in Dallas spent most of Friday trying to figure it out. After all the antacid tablets chewed by Cowboys fans because of kickers last season, it's understandable why they have little tolerance for a guy once labelled an "idiot kicker" by former teammate Peyton Manning.
There's no telling whether Owens was jealous or happy to be out of the line of fire. Yet it's safe to say everyone in the organization, including Owens, was relieved that he got in 19 pre-season snaps, plus his first appearance in Texas Stadium as a member of the home team.
Owens got a standing ovation when he entered, with fans staying on their feet in anticipation of his first catch. It came on his second series, a six-yard gain on a sideline route from Tony Romo. The quarterback threw wide of Owens in the end zone later that drive, saving Owens' first touchdown -- and TD celebration -- for a game that counts.
"I know the reason I'm here is to help catapult this team into the playoffs and obviously the Super Bowl," Owens said. "Everyone wants to see 8-1 on the field. I want to be on the field. It's unfortunate I got hurt during training camp. Right now I am feeling good. I just have keep up with the rehab, and I'll get better."
September 01, 2006
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Seeing Terrell Owens run full speed through several routes in a pre-season game eased many of the Dallas Cowboys' concerns about his hamstring.
Good thing, too, because Mike Vanderjagt of Oakville, Ont., gave them something else to worry about.
Vanderjagt missed kicks of 32 and 33 yards in overtime of the pre-season finale Thursday night, leaving the Cowboys in a rare pre-season tie, 10-10, with the Minnesota Vikings, and perhaps wondering what happened to the most accurate kicker in NFL history since they gave him millions this spring.
"Two point-blank field goals for the win and couldn't make those," a seething coach Bill Parcells said afterward.
While Owens was the higher-profile addition this off-season, Vanderjagt has been viewed by many as more important. His 87.5 per cent career success rate was supposed to make him Mr. Reliable for Parcells, who watched three kickers combine to cost Dallas a chance for wins three times last season.
Vanderjagt has been fighting a groin problem most of the pre-season. It limited him in practices, kept him out of two games and presumably was to blame for how bad he often looked when he did kick.
Parcells wasn't buying the injury as an excuse for the overtime misses, not after Vanderjagt hit a 22-yarder at the end of the first half, kicked off to start the second half and made an extra-point with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
In fact, Parcells' desire to get Vanderjagt more work had to be the reason he violated the coaching code by not going for two to settle the meaningless game in regulation.
"He kicked all week and he looked fine to me in warm-ups," Parcells said.
Vanderjagt didn't blame the groin or anything else.
"I don't have an answer," he said. "I missed two field goals I should have made. ... It was a bad day at the office. Now I have to figure out why."
Vanderjagt has said he's a slow starter every season. He wanted to break that habit this year, in part to make the Indianapolis Colts regret letting him go. That drive may have worked against him, leading to the early case of the shanks and then the injury when he tried to correct the flaw in his stroke.
But Vanderjagt remains confident, pointing out that he was 1-for-3 in the 2003 pre-season, then made all 37 of his kicks in the regular season.
"I've shown I have the ability to turn it up when it counts," he said.
The Cowboys gave Vanderjagt a $2.5 million US bonus as part of a $5.4-million, three-year contract. Now they're likely to invest a roster spot on a backup, Shaun Suisham, who can handle kickoffs and, if necessary, field goals, which was something Parcells wanted to avoid.
The bigger concern that's starting to build is whether Vanderjagt lost his touch.
He ended last season by horribly shanking a 46-yard field goal that would've sent a playoff game into overtime for Indianapolis. Add his makes and misses over two pre-season games in Dallas and he's in a 2-for-5 rut, botching the three most important kicks.
Could he still be rattled by that playoff miss?
"I don't buy into that for one second," Vanderjagt said.
It's got to be something, though, and callers to sports-talk radio shows in Dallas spent most of Friday trying to figure it out. After all the antacid tablets chewed by Cowboys fans because of kickers last season, it's understandable why they have little tolerance for a guy once labelled an "idiot kicker" by former teammate Peyton Manning.
There's no telling whether Owens was jealous or happy to be out of the line of fire. Yet it's safe to say everyone in the organization, including Owens, was relieved that he got in 19 pre-season snaps, plus his first appearance in Texas Stadium as a member of the home team.
Owens got a standing ovation when he entered, with fans staying on their feet in anticipation of his first catch. It came on his second series, a six-yard gain on a sideline route from Tony Romo. The quarterback threw wide of Owens in the end zone later that drive, saving Owens' first touchdown -- and TD celebration -- for a game that counts.
"I know the reason I'm here is to help catapult this team into the playoffs and obviously the Super Bowl," Owens said. "Everyone wants to see 8-1 on the field. I want to be on the field. It's unfortunate I got hurt during training camp. Right now I am feeling good. I just have keep up with the rehab, and I'll get better."
posted by The Gryphon at 2:39 PM
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