One of the franchise’s clutchest playoff performers will join the New England Patriots in Denver for the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos.
The Patriots announced Adam Vinatieri as their honorary captain for Sunday’s conference title clash at Mile High. They’ll hope the kicker who played a key role in four Super Bowl championships (three with the Pats) watches them punch a ticket back to the grand stage.
Vinatieri ranks second in all-time Patriots points to Stephen Gostkowski, converting 321 field goals and 374 extra points in 10 seasons. Yet the Hall of Fame finalist is remembered far more for his postseason heroics.
Vinatieri cemented his place in Patriots lore when kicking the game-winning 48-yard field goal in their first Super Bowl triumph, a 20-17 victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. He helped them get there by hitting a walk-off overtime field goal in the snow during their famous “Tuck Rule” game against the Oakland Raiders.
The following season, Vinatieri earned his first of three All-Pro nods when converting 27 of 30 field goals and all 36 point-after tries. A year later, Vinatieri made another game-winning field goal in New England’s Super Bowl XXXVIII victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Vinatieri also made a field goal in the fourth quarter of New England’s 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. He later spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, setting an NFL record (later matched by Evan McPherson) with 14 field goals in the 2006 playoffs.
Vinatieri’s 56 postseason field goals handily represent the most in NFL history over Gostkowski’s 41. Andy Borregales has a long way to go before approaching those Patriots icons, draining all three attempts in New England’s playoff wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos.
Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Broncos kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.
