I really feel like you're lobbing me a softball here. Vinatieri didn't and couldn't get himself into his own FG range.
You must have forgotten he had to nail one about fifty yards out to win the first ring and a not dissimilar distance on the second with around four seconds on the clock. So a good qb got them within distance for a great clutch kicker to have a shot at pulling out a win. He did similar magic to get them in position for the early wins in a few playoff games.
Brady had to, and did, do that.
It's called prevent defense and even then the distance left under that sort of pressure would have been as good as a bat down for most.
Each of those critical FGs were well within his longest.
There's a reason why most people don't put up their best numbers in the post season. Adam does. Two really long kicks under extraordinary pressure.
He should have made them.
Rather, HE was the sort of kicker who could. The sort who may be a first ballot HOF inductee for a position that rarely gets consideration. You can soft sell it, but the truth is that Brady, great as he is now, was only darn good then and had one of the best save your bacon kickers in the history of the NFL in his prime to help begin that legacy.
See: Saraceno, Joe (January 18, 2010). "Best decade ever by a kicker? Adam Vinatieri ruled the 2000s". usatoday.com.
Yes, it is really important that he did, and it is really important that he did not not, much like how it was very important that Gostkowski did not make his PAT in the AFCC. This guy's got better stats than did Vinatieri. He is much more automatic than Adam ever was. But now he's shown he's no Vinatieri. I guess I'm making your point for you.
:thumb:
If Gostkowski hit that PAT, we might be talking about Brady's recently acquired/earned fifth ring,
And if Seattle had made the right coaching call he'd still be holding onto the early wins.
which of course would vault him above J.M.
Well, no. Joe never lost one, let alone two and let alone two to inferior teams, which those Giant teams were. He never threw a pick in the SB and he drove to win with tds in the end zone. Brady is a great one. Peyton is a great one. Heck, if it wasn't for those two we'd be talking about how great Brees is more often. But in the pantheon of the great there's never been another Joe Cool.
Joe's SB rating at his position
1. 100.0
2. 127.2
3. 115.2
4. 147.6
Brady's:
1. 86.2
2. 100.5
3. 110.2
4. 82.5
5. 91.1
6. 101.1
In other words, two of those appearances, including his first ring, were decent but unremarkable play from the position. The lower of the two is nothing to write home about. Doesn't mean he wasn't and isn't a great qb, but he wasn't in those two games. He contributed. His nest two are about on par with Joe's worst SB performance. The 91 was a solid, impressive effort. The next two moving just below his best SB would have ranked about even with Joe's bottom rung and Brady's best SB performance would place next to last on Joe's ladder.
Joe has two of eight of the highest ratings in SB history (2nd and 7th). Brady isn't on that list.
In the biggest game, no one had Joe's string. No one comes close.