Gostkowski gets even better footing

FOXBOROUGH - Teeth-chattering temperatures and steady snowfall at Gillette Stadium trigger memories of great moments in Patriots history.

The highlights tend to include former Patriot Adam Vinatieri leaping around after a winning field goal surrounded by snow. While those moments may never fade, current Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski continues to find his own place in team history, beyond being the replacement for the kicker no one will forget.

Yesterday, Gostkowski converted four field goals on a chilly day complicated by snow and rain to capture the Patriots record for most field goals in a season. He now has 34 in 2008, and his third yesterday moved him ahead of Tony Franklin, the barefooted kicker who drilled 32 in 1986.

After the Patriots booted the Cardinals out of Gillette with a 47-7 loss, Gostkowski said he had no idea about the record. He made attempts of 38, 35, 24 and 30 yards and was 5 for 5 on PATs.

"I didn't know we had it, but cool, I guess," he said. "Anytime there's a record, someone's probably going to come out and get a chance to take it. Being on a good offensive team and getting a lot of opportunities is awesome. It definitely makes my job more exciting to get out there and score points. But I've got a real good snapper and a real good holder and they help me out."

Vinatieri is third and fourth all-time for Patriots field goals in a season, having kicked 31 in 1998 and 2004.

With all the places Vinatieri shows up in the Patriots record book, Gostkowski can call this impressive mark his own.

"A lot of it is about opportunities and how many opportunities you get, and Adam is one of the kickers that's taken advantage of almost every opportunity he's gotten, and playing the same position you try to do the same thing," Gostkowski said.

Gostkowski was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round in 2006 out of Memphis, and took over when Vinatieri signed with Indianapolis in '06.

In Gostkowski's rookie season he converted 20 of 26 field goals and 43 of 44 extra points. Last season, he drilled 74 of 74 extra points, an NFL record for attempts.

This season the numbers continue to build as Gostkowski has made 91.9 percent of his attempts, the second-best season mark in team history behind Vinatieri's 93.9 (31 of 33) in 2004. Gostkowski has been one of the Patriots' most reliable players in a season filled with uncertainty at other positions.

"When I started getting serious about kicking in college, that was the one thing I tried to worry about is being consistent," Gostkowski said. "Before I was just trying to see how far I could kick it, but when I got to the mentality of just making the ones that you're going to kick most of the time, the 30- to 40-yarders, and just finding a way to make it go straight every time, is when I started getting pretty good.

"Consistency is what I strive for, and one of the only things that I'm worried about, and everything else just falls in line."

Gostkowski talked with holder Chris Hanson and long snapper Lonie Paxton while taking about 30 warmups yesterday. Aside from shaking off snow from his cleats and getting his foot planted, Gostkowski said he had to stay focused on slowing everything down.

"It's been all of us," Paxton said. "It's snap, hold, and kick. You just try to go out and do your job and not let your teammates down when in that situation. Consistent is what we have to be. We can't be part-time."

Points may bring Gostkowski attention, but his approach on kickoffs also is key, running back Sammy Morris said.

"He's really done a great job this year, but it's not just on field goals," Morris said. "It's on extra points and all that. It's really [that] our best kickoff coverage is the way he kicks the ball. He kicks it deep, and earlier in the year he was kicking it out of bounds and it kind of limits teams . . . and it definitely helps our defense out."

During the week Gostkowski found out he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He said he was excited about the news but turned his attention to the upcoming game. But with the victory secured, Gostkowski said, "Looking back, it's been a pretty sweet week."

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.