Columnist Sal DeFilippo: There’s a name for what ails NFL kicking

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Sept. 17, 2004 | 10:02 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

I used to wonder why quarterbacks routinely sign contracts worth tens of millions, but kickers often barely exceed the league minimum.

Sure, quarterbacks are important, but not since George Blanda has a quarterback been asked to kick a field goal with the game on the line.

The Colts let Peyton Manning write his own check in the offseason, but they're 0-1 after Mike Vanderjagt couldn't make the game-tying kick in the waning seconds at against New England in the NFL opener. Vanderjagt, one of the few well-paid kickers in the game with a salary of $1.6 million this season, hadn't missed a regular-season kick, extra point or field goal, since 2002. But despite a record streak of 42 consecutive field goals made before his Week 1 miss, his salary pales in comparison to Manning's $98 million, 7-year deal.

Vanderjagt wasn't the only kicker who contributed to a team's loss. Do you think the Bills wish Ryan Lindell would have made his 42-yard field-goal try on Sunday? They lost 13-10 to Jacksonville when the Jaguars scored a touchdown on the game's final play.

And more often than not, kickers deliver. In Pittsburgh, Jeff Reed calmly converted a 42-yard field goal with seven seconds left to give the Steelers a 24-21 win against Oakland.

But despite kickers oftentimes deciding the outcome of a game, they are seldom rewarded with long-term deals. A young quarterback often is allowed growing pains, and nurtured into a starting role. A young kicker isn't given such security.

At first, I used to think it was merely the economics of the game. But now I know the real reason.

It's the Anderson factor.

Teams know that whenever they have field-goal woes, they can just go find an Anderson (or Andersen) for a quick kicking fix.

Nobody knows this better than the Vikings. Unhappy with second-year kicker Aaron Elling's preseason struggles, and after giving journeyman Brett Conway a tryout, Minnesota decided only five days before the season opener it needed a new kicker.

They chose to sign Morten Andersen, who was recently released after two seasons with Kansas City. Never mind that Andersen is 44 and is in his 23rd season. He's an Andersen. That's all that matters.

Just ask the Saints, Falcons, Giants and Chiefs, whom he has played for en route to his 502 career field goals.

Morten responded by salting away all five extra point tries in his first game in a Vikings uniform.

The Vikings also were the former employer of the other Anderson -- Gary, the league's all-time leading scorer, who also is in his 23rd season. He kicked for Minnesota from 1998-2002, after stints with Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and San Francisco and before playing for Tennessee in 2003.

Last season, the Titans picked up Anderson when Joe Nedney was hurt in the team's opening game. He made 27 of his 31 field goal attempts, and kicked a game-winning 46-yard field goal in Tennessee's 20-17 playoff win against Baltimore.

Yet, when the season started, despite Anderson's 2,346 career points and record 521 field goals, Nedney had the job again. But after Nedney was hurt in camp, the Titans picked up Elling, who was fresh off his release by Minnesota.

On Wednesday, however, apparently realizing the error of their ways, the fresh Elling was released in favor of the well-preserved Anderson.

It makes you kind of feel bad for younger guys. As long as there is an Anderson or Andersen around, jobs will be tough to come by.

And despite 23 years in the league, it looks like they'll be around, at least for a little while longer.

This week's picks: I opened the season 2-1 against the spread, with Tennessee and Seattle covering the number and Atlanta failing when San Francisco scored a late touchdown to cover. This week, I'll go with the Colts plus 1 1/2 at the Titans, the Steelers plus 4 at the Ravens and the Eagles minus 3 on Monday night against the Vikings.