Being as the Patriots have won their past three Super Bowls by a field goal, it seems prudent to look at New England's and New York's kickers for Sunday's game.
The Pats don't have Adam Vinatieri to count on anymore, but Stephen Gostkowski, a 2006 fourth-round pick from Memphis, has been good this year. He made 21 of 24 field goals during the regular season and has converted 42 of 46 attempts since Nov. 5, 2006.
And he's already made some clutch kicks, drilling a game-winning 28-yarder with 1:10 left when New England upset the San Diego Chargers 24-21 in last season's divisional playoffs. Then his 43-yarder provided a short-lived 34-31 margin with 3:49 to go in an eventual 38-34 loss to Indianapolis in the AFC Championship Game.
In this year's playoffs, he missed wide right from 35 yards out in the second quarter of the Patriots' divisional playoff game vs. Jacksonville but then hit one from the same distance in the fourth quarter of the 31-20 victory. He never attempted a field goal when New England downed the Chargers 21-12 in the AFC Championship Game.
And yes, the issue of replacing Vinatieri has come up plenty this week.
"I'm not answering any more questions about Adam Vinatieri," Gostkowski said. "I don't care about replacing Adam Vinatieri. "He was great. He did some great things. I can't control the opportunities he had. I can only do what I do."
He is confident he will convert in the clutch if given the chance."You can't be scared to miss," he said. "I know the TV cameras are going to be on me if I miss, but I can't let that bother me so much that I can't do my job."
Then there is Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, who missed from 43 yards late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game against the Packers and then again from 36 yards as time expired. But he rebounded to kick game-winner in overtime from 47 yards.
Tynes, the first Scot to play in the Super Bowl, also wants the opportunity to win the game at the end.
"I would bet on me," he said. "That's something we all dream about. Everyone wants that Adam Vinatieri highlight. And all the confetti falling on top of you. "
Tynes, who was traded to New York from the Chiefs this past offseason, was money from 40-49 yards during the regular season, hitting 8-of-8. However, his range doesn't really extend beyond 49 yards, as he wasn't even called upon to try a 50-yarder YES, WE'LL TAKE THE BALL: Did you know that teams that have won the coin toss have a losing record?
Still, Giants coach Tom Coughlin isn't planning on kicking off if New York wins the toss.
"So we're going to give the Patriots the ball one more time?" Coughlin said as a roomful of reporters broke into laughter. "That's what we're setting out to do?
They don't do well enough with their drives, so they need another one."
If you are wondering, the Giants went 3-4 when they won the coin toss during the regular season, and 7-2 when they lost it.
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