COLTS SIGN VINATIERI

Of all the teams, he had to go to the Colts. Indy signed away one of the biggest heroes in Boston sports history today. They needed a kicker and they got one of the best ever. This is just another player the Patriots have lost this year. Others such as Willie McGinist, and David Givens have left the team. There is some serious work to be done down in Foxborough to fill these holes for the 2006 season.

Having Vinatieri was like starting every game with a 3-0 lead. He is the clutchest player in any sport that I have ever seen. When you called on him to be the hero, he would do it, even on the bigger stages.

Adam was getting older. Last season, he had some troubles with his back and his range was down. The Patriots took a lot of punts when maybe 2 seasons ago they would have attempted field goals. His kickoffs also weren't going as far as in the past, but that is a small part of the game.

The Patriots depended on Vinatieri more than any other team depended on their kicker. We play such a close game and depend on getting small edges that amount to victories. Vinatieri was one of those edges. The Pats will get a decent kicker to replace Vinatieri, but I don't think there is a kicker out there to match Vinatieri's ability to perform under pressure. The Patriots will have to adjust for that.