Negative 100th Post

[Maxmadden]

I don't post often (100 post = 2 years) but I been a faithful lurker here for a couple of years. This board is by far the most informative and cordial forum on the net.


Anyway, I usually try and view things on the positve side and I will sometimes even take a few sips of the kool-aid.

But I can not BELIEVE that I am going to spend another year leaving the room everytime the field goal unit comes onto the field.

What piece of mind it must be to have a kicker that you can count on. I know Vanderjagt will probably get everything straightened out but I don't trust him anymore than I did Cundiff.

I wiped the slate clean when he came to Dallas and I could care less about how good he was in the past. So far in Dallas I haven't been impressed and I haven't been too thrilled with his attitude (wish LA was still here to keep his ego in check).

I'll give him a few games to earn some trust but come Sunday if FG unit comes on the field, I'm afraid that I just can't bear to watch. I just hope the game doesn't come down to that.

Anyway...Thanks for letting me vent some frustration on my 100th post.

 

[boysfanindc]

On the negative side, he is a bit of a flake and I can see this getting in his head.

On the positive side he has been a very very good kicker for a long time.

On the scary side, the first game will most likely come down to his kicks, so he does not have long to work it out.

 

[Rack]

I've still got a glimmer of hope deep in my heart that our FG unit will be solid this year.

Don't let it bring you down till they actually give you a reason to be down.

 

[Hostile]

Yet another reason to hate Kickers Maxmadden and I agree with you.

 

[wileedog]

I've still got a glimmer of hope deep in my heart that our FG unit will be solid this year.

The thing I'm hanging on to is that several people have said he has had horrible pre-seasons before and been fine once the season starts.

That said, I'm assuming those weren't pre-seasons after shanking a kick to miss going to the Superbowl.....

 

[jobberone]

You will get your chance to aclimate yourself the first game. Hopefully you'll be ok.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I think he will get his @#$% in shape. My problem is that I don't trust him when the pressure is on. Sort of like I don't trust Bledsoe when the pressure is on...

 

[DLCassidy]

It's hard not to feel like you do because Mike has been kicking like crap in practice and now games.

Jacksonville uses their front 7 to control the run and dares you to try to go over the top against their cover 2. That's why Manning has had trouble against them- he lacks patience and they force you to be patient. So it's easy to see this being a close low scoring game. It's critical we got out ahead early because Jacksonville runs a plodding, conservative attack on offense that is not well suited to playing catchup from more than one score down. It goes without saying that we need to keep turnovers and penalties to a minimum in this game- that's the main concern I have of them beating us.

But if it does come down to a kick any Cowboys fan that says they won't have their heart in the mouth is probably lying. Mike V is one more critical shank away from being fitted for a sleeveless jacket in a rubber room.

 

[jazzcat22]

The thing I'm hanging on to is that several people have said he has had horrible pre-seasons before and been fine once the season starts.

That said, I'm assuming those weren't pre-seasons after shanking a kick to miss going to the Superbowl.....

But now he's in Dallas...can he break the "kicker curse"

 

[ZeroClub]

A more hopeful way to look at the kicking situation:

At least the Cowboys have an insurance kicker under contract, should Vanderjagt continue to have problems.

The Cowboys wouldn't have to sign Cortex again ....

 

[Doomsdayblitz]

Geez, I can't believe how many ways some of you guys have to find something negative about this team. The guy has the field goal percentage in NFL history. Something tells me you don't make EVERY freaking FG in a season without a few of them being pressure kicks. I mean, after the streak gets so big, isn't EVERY kick a pressure kick?

Get used to it again, boys. We have a winner again. The line will block, the QB will throw three times as many TDs as Ints., and the FG kicker will make almost all of his kicks. I know we've been losers for a little while, but it's over now, so get used to it.

 

[noshame]

Hey, look on the bright side!
I need to leave the room everytime we have the ball inside the 20 and Parcells is calling plays.

 

[Doomsday101]

Geez, I can't believe how many ways some of you guys have to find something negative about this team. The guy has the field goal percentage in NFL history. Something tells me you don't make EVERY freaking FG in a season without a few of them being pressure kicks. I mean, after the streak gets so big, isn't EVERY kick a pressure kick?

Get used to it again, boys. We have a winner again. The line will block, the QB will throw three times as many TDs as Ints., and the FG kicker will make almost all of his kicks. I know we've been losers for a little while, but it's over now, so get used to it.

I'll wait until he actually makes a kick, I could careless of what he did in the past that is history and counts for nothing today. He has looked bad thus far and if he continue to kick as he has been he will not be around much longer. I like the fact we signed him and willing to give him a chance to prove himself in the reg season but what he did before he got here means nothing

 

[DLCassidy]

The guy has the field goal percentage in NFL history.

That's why we signed him. Let me know when that guy shows up. Question: if you didn't know who he was and just watched him kick this preseason, would you have a warm cuddly feeling about Mike? This is a "what have you done for me lately" game and Mike has to prove it here. I'm happy for you that you're not worried but kicking is mostly a mental thing for top pro's and it's possible Mike's nervous system has taken a turn "wide right". God knows I hope it hasn't- I was thrilled when we signed him.

 

[Idgit]

I'll wait until he actually makes a kick, I could careless of what he did in the past that is history and counts for nothing today. He has looked bad thus far and if he continue to kick as he has been he will not be around much longer. I like the fact we signed him and willing to give him a chance to prove himself in the reg season but what he did before he got here means nothing

Why don't you wait until he actually misses a kick, instead?

And why would you disregard the obvious, relevant, and available evidence that Vanderjagt is a very good field goal kicker? That just makes no sense. Is it on the basis of the missed field goals in a preseason game, after an injury? Seriously?

 

[Doomsday101]

Why don't you wait until he actually misses a kick, instead?

And why would you disregard the obvious, relevant, and available evidence that Vanderjagt is a very good field goal kicker? That just makes no sense. Is it on the basis of the missed field goals in a preseason game, after an injury? Seriously?

What makes no sense is thinking history accounts for points today. History means past I don't care about his past I only care about now, today. Thus far he has looked bad and needs to get it turned around in a hurry. BP did not look to thrilled either and has expressed some doubts so why should a fan feel any different? I'm not wanting him to fail I was all for Dallas signing him but I get tired of excuses. You can focus all you want on Vandy's past I don't care about that. As I keep saying "Make the kicks" and I have no problem thus far I have seen him hit 1 kick of less than 25 yards and miss 2 easy kicks in the 30 yard range back to back. So excuse my concerns, I think they are warranted at this stage.

 

[BrassCowboy]

I don't post often (100 post = 2 years) but I been a faithful lurker here for a couple of years. This board is by far the most informative and cordial forum on the net.

Man I thought I took the cake when it came to lurking around as a loyal reader/member with fewest posts (210 I believe over 2-1/2 years)

I cannot see how anyone finds the time to write up 10,000 posts.... too much time on their hands I guess. (j/k out there for most of you who do)

 

[DallasEast]

Vanderjadt was probably as injured as Owens was.

He has a 'history' of groin problems. Even so, that wasn't enough to convince Parcells to get a kickoff specialist when he signed his $5 million dollar contract.

IMO, he doesn't like nor wants to kickoff. When has he been forced to? Parcells tried and failed to force him.

Question: If he fakes a groin injury for a couple of preseason games (which do not really count anyway), struggles to make a few easy kicks (which the most ACCURATE kicker in the game today should make), he forces Parcells' hand, right?

I'm waiting on his first couple of field goal attempts at Jacksonville. Those will be the kicks which will actually count. The kind of kicks which will justify his big contract. If he shows any signs of struggling with a groin injury, I'll apologize; but if he's splitting the uprights, I'm going to say he's pulled off a 'T.O.' and laugh my arse off.

 

[Doomsday101]

Vanderjadt was probably as injured as Owens was.

He has a 'history' of groin problems. Even so, that wasn't enough to convince Parcells to get a kickoff specialist when he signed his $5 million dollar contract.

IMO, he doesn't like nor wants to kickoff. When has he been forced to? Parcells tried and failed to force him.

Question: If he fakes a groin injury for a couple of preseason games (which do not really count anyway), struggles to make a few easy kicks (which the most ACCURATE kicker in the game today should make), he forces Parcells' hand, right?

I'm waiting on his first couple of field goal attempts at Jacksonville. Those will be the kicks which will actually count. The kind of kicks which will justify his big contract. If he shows any signs of struggling with a groin injury, I'll apologize; but if he's splitting the uprights, I'm going to say he's pulled off a 'T.O.' and laugh my arse off.

Unlike TO though he is a kicker he has no playbook to learn he has 1 job kick the ball through the uprights that is it.

 

[Idgit]

What makes no sense is thinking history accounts for points today. History means past I don't care about his past I only care about now, today. Thus far he has looked bad and needs to get it turned around in a hurry. BP did not look to thrilled either and has expressed some doubts so why should a fan feel any different? I'm not wanting him to fail I was all for Dallas signing him but I get tired of excuses. You can focus all you want on Vandy's past I don't care about that. As I keep saying "Make the kicks" and I have no problem thus far I have seen him hit 1 kick of less than 25 yards and miss 2 easy kicks in the 30 yard range back to back. So excuse my concerns, I think they are warranted at this stage.

I doubt anybody is thinking his previous kicks actually count for points today. That would be stupid. The previous kicks just mean that he really knows how to kick a football. I wonder why Indy never cut him when he went through a pre-season rough patch? Probably because of what he did the season before, don't you think? There's no substitute for kicking well in a regular season game, but until Vanderjagt has the opportunity to do that, it's just not rational to hold your own insecurities against him.

As far as Parcells goes, he also doesn't believe Owens can do it yet until he shows him he can. He's not even willing to say that Owens will start. This is a canned response, and he's been saying it since he got here.

You're putting too much emphasis on the two missed preseason kicks. What did you think about the report that he went 50 for 50 in practice yesterday? Would that make you feel any better, if it were true?