Vinatieri's struggles give Irsay a cause for concern



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NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Colts of Indianapolis have a problem of kicking that, according to the team, needs to be resolved immediately.

Veteran Adam Vinatieri, the NFL's top scorer, missed two more points and nearly became the reason why the Colts lost for the second straight week in their 19-17 win against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

"It breaks my heart to see him because I know how (Vinatieri) works," Colts owner Jim Irsay said outside the locker room after the game. "Of course it's a concern.I can not lie to you.Everyone will tell you that it's a concern.Adam, Coach (Frank Reich), (General Manager) Chris (Ballard), Yeah, I mean, in this league, it's professional football, you have to produce.

"The expectation is to win when you're a professional so we have to figure out where we are and see what the coach and Chris think are the best direction." And I know that Adam will be the best the most honest person of all time, so we'll see where we are. "

Vinatieri lasted 24 years in the NFL being reliable. But now, he is a weak link in the Colts' lineup after the two missed points in addition, or 33 yards. He has already had the same number of extra points missed in two games – three – that he had missed in 2018 in 47 attempts.

"I have no worries," said Reich. "He hit the right amount on that one.You probably saw the first one.It wasn'ta good operation.This clinking was not clean, the ball barely touched the ground.This was not clean. "

Vinatieri was blamed "100%" after three defeats missed in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in the first week.

Vinatieri has now missed an extra point in three consecutive regular season games, dating back to last season. This is the longest sequence of his career in the NFL. He has also missed an extra point in four of the last five games, including the playoffs, and has missed seven shots on goal in the last three games.

This is a drastic fall for a kicker who scored winning goals in the XXXVI and XXXVIII Super Bowls and who was kicked under blizzard conditions during his career with the Patriots of New England.

Vinatieri, 46, signed a new contract with the Colts last winter because he thought he could still be effective. Vinatieri, a future Hall of Famer, immediately left the locker room on Sunday saying very few words.

"You'll hear from me (Monday)," he says.

When she was reminded that Monday was the players' day off, Vinatieri repeated, "Yeah, you're going to hear about me."

It's been over 20 years that the Colts have to worry about their kickers. But maybe it's time for Ballard to find Vinatieri's replacement.

"He's a very beefy man and I know all of our fans, like me, hurt with Adam," said Irsay. "No one hurts more than Adam."

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