Vikings' Dan Bailey misses four kicks, leaves 10 points on the table in nightmare day
Minnesota Vikings kicker Dan Bailey had a bad day. Well, that’s actually underselling it.
Bailey had a historically bad day, the kind of day kickers see in their worst nightmares and hope will never, ever come true.
The Vikings lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and Bailey couldn’t make a kick. Not one in the entire game.
Dan Bailey couldn’t make FGs and extra points
It started in the first quarter when he missed an extra point. Then in the second quarter he missed a 36-yard field goal, followed by a biff on a 54-yard field goal.
In the third quarter Bailey got a reprieve when the Vikings went for a two-point conversion after a touchdown. But then he missed a 46-yard field goal.
How bad was Bailey’s day? No one has tried that many kicks without making even one since 1961.
Dan Bailey is 0-for-3 on field goals and 0-of-1 on extra points today.
The last player with at least 3 missed field goals and a missed extra point without a make of either was John Aveni for Washington in 1961.
Bailey entered today ranked 6th (86.9%) in all-time field goal pct. pic.twitter.com/up97NQfTjK— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 13, 2020
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer gives blunt assessment
Bailey’s day was historically bad, but there have been games with more misses. Mason Crosby of the Green Bay Packers missed four field goals and an extra point in 2018, and so did Cole Ford of the Oakland Raiders in 1997. Crosby and Ford managed to at least make one kick in those games.
The Vikings lost 26-14, so those 10 points wouldn’t have won them the game. It would have made it a lot closer and a lot more competitive. Head coach Mike Zimmer was pretty blunt after the game about Bailey’s future.
Mike Zimmer on how to handle Dan Bailey: "At this point in time, we’re not really worried about feelings anymore."
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) December 13, 2020
Hopefully Bailey’s teammates are giving him a lot of confidence-building comments and pep talks because he needs them. Bailey, one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history (he’s currently sixth on the all-time list of field-goal percentage), has missed seven of nine kicks over the past two games.
With the 6-7 Vikings on the playoff bubble, this is the worst time for Bailey to be melting down.
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