Injury could KO Paxton
Patriots facing a snap decision
FOXBOROUGH -- The past week has been anything but special for the Patriots' special teams, especially kicker Adam Vinatieri.
A week ago the Patriots waived punter Ken Walter, Vinatieri's holder since October 2001, replacing him with rookie punter Brooks Barnard and handing the holding duties to backup quarterback Damon Huard. As if adjusting to a new holder weren't enough to disturb Vinatieri's comfort zone, the Patriots may have lost long snapper Lonie Paxton, possibly for the season.
According to team and industry sources, an MRI yesterday revealed that Paxton tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 12-0 win over Miami. Paxton likely will require surgery but may postpone it until after the season. Depending on the severity of the injury, Paxton could continue snapping with the aid of a knee brace, which would limit both his protection and punt coverage ability.
The players were off yesterday, and efforts to reach Paxton were unsuccessful.
Offensive lineman Russ Hochstein is the backup long snapper. He never has snapped in a regular-season NFL game.
Paxton hurt himself blocking on Barnard's 10th punt, with 5 minutes 30 seconds to go in the game. Paxton limped to the sideline after the play but was waved back onto the field because a holding penalty required a rekick.
Yesterday, Paxton, coach Bill Belichick, and the team's training staff were discussing whether that would be Paxton's last snap of 2003. New England's 11th and final punt Sunday was a Tom Brady quick kick.
The Patriots have withstood injuries to several key players this season, but Paxton is different because of his unique on-field relationship with Vinatieri. Timing and cohesion among the snapper, holder, and placekicker are critical in field goal kicking. Paxton has snapped for every regular-season punt, extra-point attempt, and field goal attempt since joining the team as a rookie free agent in April 2000.
Vinatieri had a bit of a rough night kicking in snowy, windy Gillette Stadium Sunday. He made one of two field goal attempts, connecting on a 29-yarder in the first quarter and missing wide right on a 54-yard attempt on the final play of the first half. The 29-yarder sailed over the left upright (good by rule), and his fourth-quarter point-after caromed off both uprights before going through.
Statistically, Vinatieri (22 of 30 on field goals) is not enjoying as consistent a season as he had in '02 (27 for 30). High winds and snow probably affected him, but then again, he has kicked in blizzards before.
Vinatieri arguably has been the Patriots' most consistent offensive weapon this season and one of the most reliable clutch kickers in league history. Five of New England's nine consecutive victories have been by 6 points or fewer.
Belichick emphasized the importance of the relationship among kicker, holder, and snapper last week when asked why replacing Walter was such an important decision.
"There's a lot that goes into the kicking game," Belichick said. "The snapping, the holding, the punting, the placekicking, kicking off -- a lot of it's situational, a lot of it's technique, and a lot of it is very, very skillful. There's a lot to it. It's a lot more than leg strength."
It stands to reason that Vinatieri and Huard will need more than five days together to get in synch. Whatever issues they have would be compounded by a new long snapper.
Sunday, said Belichick, "was the first time that we've had, obviously, a new punter and a new holder in regular-season game conditions in a while. I think it should get better. I don't think it was perfect."
If the Patriots choose to end Paxton's season by placing him on injured reserve and entrust Hochstein with the snapping duties, a spot would become available on the 53-man roster for fullback Larry Centers, who has been rehabilitating a torn medial collateral ligament for two months and could be re-signed any day, according to team sources. Or the Patriots could bring in a long snapper and make room for Centers another way.
An AFC scout who has watched Hochstein snap in warmups said, "He did OK. From what I saw, it looked like he could do it in an emergency situation. I'm sure he could come in and do a decent job. But I'm not sure if he could do it for the rest of the season or long-term."
Like good punters, good long snappers aren't sitting around unemployed. Should the Patriots shut down Paxton, the free agent options include Sean McDermott, a former Texan and Buccaneer who snapped for the Dolphins the first half of this season; Aaron Graham, who spent last season with the Titans; Jody Littleton, a Bear for two games last year whom the Lions cut this preseason; and Don O'Leary, who passed through the Giants' long snapper turnstile last season.
There's also Trey Junkin, the 42-year-old infamous for his botched snap that cost the Giants their playoff game against the 49ers last year. Junkin is retired, though he's said he doesn't want that snap to be the last of his career.
