Colts losing credibility by sticking with Vinatieri

They have supported him long enough, yet they continue to employ him. If he were any other kicker, he’d have been out of a job long ago.

It happened again yesterday. Adam Vinatieri missed another kick, this time another extra point. Because of that missed extra point, the Colts needed a touchdown on the final drive to win instead of a field goal to send it into overtime. Not that he was likely to make the field goal anyway.

If I sound like a broken record at this point, it’s because maybe I am. I’ve been calling for Vinatieri to be cut or retire for two months now, yet neither has happened. Both Chris Ballard and Frank Reich have stuck by their kicker through adversity and now it’s affecting their credibility.

Reich can’t keep preaching accountability for play if they don’t hold one of the leaders of the team accountable for his. Players will start to check out and not listen to him. That’s a problem when you have a team that is now very suddenly fighting for its playoff life.

Ballard would be a fool to not bring in other kickers. They need to work them out to see if any of them can take the job that so desperately needs to be taken. They don’t even need greatness at the position, they just need consistency.

Until the Colts wake up and start making smart decisions for the good of the team and not just an individual, this issue will keep rearing its ugly head. It will continue to cost them points, and probably games as well.