The Eagles gave the Giants a second chance to win “Sunday Night Football” when they called timeout prior to Lawrence Tynes’ first field goal attempt in the final minute of the game — a kick that he missed. Luckily for them, Tynes also missed his second field goal after being given a shot at redemption, allowing the Eagles to win the game 19-17.
After the contest, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said he disagreed with coach Andy Reid’s decision to ice the kicker.
“I don’t believe in icing the kicker,” Vick told NBC’s Michele Tafoya. “Let him get up there and let him do what he do.
“It’s tough. Football can take years off your life.”
Coaches icing the kicker is such a common practice it has has become expected. The strategy almost backfired for Philly on Sunday, and for the Dolphins last weekend against the Jets, so it should come as no surprise that stats support Vick’s point.
Studies conducted by the Wall Street Journal and ESPN’s Stats & Information show that kickers often have a higher success rate on their second kick after being iced than on their first attempt. Maybe Eagles fans need to pass along this info to Mr. Andy Reid since the strategy almost hurt Philly on Sunday.
