One of the concerning trends among teams during the 2010 NFL playoffs has been the inability of kickers to convert field goals.
While only three of the ten playoff games were decided by four points or less, five of the last eight Super Bowls have been decided by four points or less.
During the first three rounds of the playoffs, kickers have managed to convert 20 of 33 field goal attempts, which translated to a 60.6% success rate.
The Arizona Cardinals are the only team to advance to the next round of the playoffs with a kicker who did not convert all of his field goal attempts. How does this dismal success rate compare with the regular season?
During the regular season, kickers converted 756 of 930 attempts or 81.2% of the time. The playoff bound teams had even more success, with their kickers combining for an 84.1% success rate in 2009.
The decreased success rate in the playoffs would be a concern for most teams as they prepared for Super Bowl XLIV, but not for the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts’ Matt Stover and the Saints’ Garrett Hartley are two of the four kickers who have been perfect during the post season.
Though Stover and Hartley did not begin the season with their respective teams, their production has made team management content with their mid-season signing.
Stover and Hartley connected on 81.8% of their field goal attempts during the regular season and have been perfect during the playoffs.
While Stover has the experience edge over Hartley, the Saints kicker has shown he can shoulder the load when asked to. Though Super Bowl XLIV may not be decided by three points, one of these kickers will play a major role in the outcome.
