# NFL Week One is the Loneliest Number **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [September 7, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135 "2022-09-07T13:42:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/161 "2022-09-13T20:37:24Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > From the TV you could see he missed it pretty badly on the first kick, Thanks ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/162 "2022-09-13T20:51:23Z")
Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship kicked two kickoffs out-of-bounds in Week 1 against the Texans, allowing them to start at the 40-yard line, and missed a 42-yard, game-winning field goal in overtime in what would eventually become a 20-20 tie. That was enough for the Colts, who cut him today. > **[Colts cut K Blankenship after Week 1 struggles](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34586318/source-indianapolis-colts-cut-kicker-rodrigo-blankenship-week-1-struggles)** > > The Colts have waived kicker Rodrigo Blankenship, who missed what would have been a game-winning field goal in overtime Sunday in the 20-20 tie with the Texans. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/163 "2022-09-13T20:59:02Z")
Not sure how I feel about that. Certainly that’s a truly atrocious outing in a dome for a kicker and it played a role a bad outcome against a supposedly inferior team, but changing kickers in week one feels like an overreaction. Plenty of teams have cut bait on a kicker only to spend the rest of the season rotating through a bunch of bad kickers all season long. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/164 "2022-09-13T21:51:01Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Certainly that’s a truly atrocious outing in a dome for a kicker and it played a role a bad outcome against a supposedly inferior team, but changing kickers in week one feels like an overreaction. I remember when Stephen Hauschka, who was the Seahawks kicker for many years (and had a SB ring) was cut after 2016, when he had a down season. I mean, the year before he was in the Pro Bowl. He went to Buffalo and did a spectacular job, and was their kicker for a few years. Meanwhile, Seattle signed Blair Walsh who was a complete disaster, and they lost a number of close games from his inaccuracy. Even really good kickers have struggles now and then. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/165 "2022-09-13T22:25:12Z")
I don’t think he was doing that great last year either before he got hurt, only 85% on field goals. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/166 "2022-09-13T23:10:36Z")
Broncos Coach Hackett agrees with all of us expert coaches on the Dope: > **[Broncos' Nathaniel Hackett regrets kicking 64-yard field goal: 'We definitely...](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/broncos-nathaniel-hackett-regrets-kicking-64-yard-field-goal-we-definitely-shouldve-gone-for-it)** > > Nathaniel Hackett found out how hard it is to be a head coach rather quickly, and he's already taking back his first controversial decision. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/167 "2022-09-13T23:54:47Z")
Reminds me of Jay Feely who you may well remember as the Giants kicker who shanked all those kicks in Seattle back in the day. Feely was really good, but I don’t think he survived long on the team after that game. It was so bad they did an SNL skit about it when Dane Cook was hosting. Feely is now a sideline reporter and I kind of like him in that role. I always liked him as the Giants kicker, but even I was like “hmmm…” after that Seattle game. ETA: I don’t really remember this skit as being particularly good, but it is online: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GZCqlcuSXl8/maxresdefault.jpg "Jay Feely Story - SNL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZCqlcuSXl8) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/168 "2022-09-14T00:41:18Z")
I just remember this coming out when Blair Walsh signed with Seattle. Some joker claimed this was the contract he signed. [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4WTdttWAAAAIdX.jpg) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4WTdttWAAAAIdX.jpg) To keep it in context, the year before Seattle beat Minnesota in the infamous 2016 “ice bowl” NFC playoff game (it was -6 degrees and -25 with the wind chill), where Walsh (as the Vikings’ kicker) missed a 27 yard field goal that would have won the game, where the ball went wide left. You just have to see it to appreciate it. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/pFbBZdzaNwM/hq2.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEoCOADEOgC8quKqQMcGADwAQH4Ad4DgALgA4oCDAgAEAEYSiBIKHIwDw==&rs=AOn4CLATGriAUro4uEkSj9xcZUY6e7Fa6g "NFL Wildcard: Blair Walsh Missing game winning Field Goal vs. Seahawks") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFbBZdzaNwM) And some live Vikings fan reactions at the game as it happened. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/1SzOeR96IOQ/hqdefault.jpg "Minnesota Vikings vs Seahawks missed field goal") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SzOeR96IOQ) But anyway, I supposed using the principle “you break it, you buy it”, Seattle signs the same kicker whose disastrous kick gave them a playoff win to their own team. Maybe they thought they could “fix” him but no, he sucked in Seattle too. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/169 "2022-09-14T02:46:34Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > The Carson Wentz experiment has a positive outcome to start. It’s certainly still a roller coaster ride. But as all the writers will say tomorrow, “They only beat Jacksonville, at home.” Eh. My expectations are so low that this feels like a huge victory. Also, I’m going to their game with the Packers on 10/23, and I’d like them to have a winning record (or at least non-losing)…so, it’s a start? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135/170 "2022-09-14T03:18:26Z")
That skit is from 2005, goddam Kenan’s been on the show forever. . . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-one-is-the-loneliest-number/971135.md?page=8)