random Overtime/Kicker question

[Bryan]

I was watching a Dolphins-Bills game from 1983, and during the overtime period Uwe Von-Schamann missed 2 FGs. Has a kicker ever missed 3 FGs in one overtime period?

[Jay Z]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

[Bryan]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

Thanks. That's pretty incredible, although not surprising that O'Donoghue is the guy who 'achieved' it. I think if someone is keeping track of most game-winning FGs, missed, career.....then O'Donoghue might be leading that category.

[Gary Najman]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

I believe that O'Donoghue missed the shortest FG possible, as the ball was placed at the Giants 1-yard line. That 20-20 tie was considered for many years as the worst FG MNF game ever.

[Jay Z]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

Thanks. That's pretty incredible, although not surprising that O'Donoghue is the guy who 'achieved' it. I think if someone is keeping track of most game-winning FGs, missed, career.....then O'Donoghue might be leading that category.

O'Donoghue made 59.3% of his field goals over his career, 1977-1985. His number of attempts over that period was 9th in the league, but he had a lower percentage made than everyone above him (Joe Danelo was close at 59.7%.) I have to go down to Nick Mike-Mayer at #22 to find someone with a lower percentage of made field goals. That cuts out Mike-Mayer's big 1973 season, though Mike-Mayer's overall percentage is still lower. Fred Steinfort was more of a direct contemporary with a lower percentage, though Steinfort had a lot fewer games and field goal attempts.

I would assume O'Donoghue was above replacement level at the time, but it probably wasn't by a lot. So a worthy holder of a negative record.

[Jay Z]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

I believe that O'Donoghue missed the shortest FG possible, as the ball was placed at the Giants 1-yard line. That 20-20 tie was considered for many years as the worst FG MNF game ever.

The other candidate for worst MNF game at that point would have been 1975 Jets at Chargers. Namath is benched for JJ Jones for partying too much and the 1-11 Chargers beat the 3-9 Jets 24-16.

There was a 2005 Ravens Packers game where both teams were out of it and the Ravens stomped a Packers team that didn't show up. But blowouts maybe aren't as bad as two bad teams playing a close game badly, which is what this was. So this one is historic in that sense.

As far as O'Donoghue, the only two teams that had worse FG%s during his career than his own were the Bills and the Cardinals. And he played for both of those teams. Though he was better than the tail end of Bakken and Steve Little. I think that's about what he was, better than the flops, too old, and street guys but no better than that. In this game the Cardinals should have centered the ball for the 19 yarder, it was on the right hash mark. Roy Green caught a long pass on the one but couldn't or didn't stay in bounds. Then the Cardinals tried a pass play to LaFleur in the end zone before kicking. But if they get the ball centered O'Donoghue makes the kick. The other two tries were laughably bad.

[Bryan]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

I believe that O'Donoghue missed the shortest FG possible, as the ball was placed at the Giants 1-yard line. That 20-20 tie was considered for many years as the worst FG MNF game ever.

In 72, the Falcons were trailing the Patriots 21-20 and the last play of the game was a 10-yard FG attempt by Atlanta kicker Bill Bell with the ball positioned directly in the middle of the field. Bell somehow shanked the kick to the left....it has to be seen to be believed. You couldn't try to miss a FG and kick it that badly.

[Reaser]

There was a 2005 Ravens Packers game where both teams were out of it and the Ravens stomped a Packers team that didn't show up. But blowouts maybe aren't as bad as two bad teams playing a close game badly, which is what this was. So this one is historic in that sense.

Always remember it as a brutal late-season MNF game, and that Deion Sanders got his final career interception. Which it looked like he was the intended target and afterwards Favre was seemingly happy that he got picked by Deion.

[Bob Gill]

I believe that O'Donoghue missed the shortest FG possible, as the ball was placed at the Giants 1-yard line. That 20-20 tie was considered for many years as the worst FG MNF game ever.

Two candidates I remember well, both involving the Redskins:

1. 1997's 7-7 tie against the Giants. Both teams actually had winning records that season, but this game featured 7 fumbles and 4 interceptions. The highlight came when Gus Frerotte head-butted the wall in the end zone after scoring the only Washington touchdown and had to leave the game. I think the Redskins also lost a chance for a game-winning field goal in overtime because somebody got an unsportsmanlike penalty with the ball pretty deep in the Giants' territory.

2. In 1986 the Redskins beat the 49ers 14-6 in a game that I'm pretty sure took more than four hours to play. Montana passed for more than 400 yards, but the 49ers lost more than 100 yards on penalties. As usual in those days, these were two good teams, but that was one dreary game.

[sheajets]

Neil O'Donoghue did it in that very year, 1983, in a Monday Night Football game, Cardinals vs. Giants.

Thanks. That's pretty incredible, although not surprising that O'Donoghue is the guy who 'achieved' it. I think if someone is keeping track of most game-winning FGs, missed, career.....then O'Donoghue might be leading that category.

O'Donoghue was likely the worst kicker of that era who managed to remain consistently in the league. But i guess when you have 28 kickers someone is going to be the worst and still be just good enough to play. I'm surprised he lasted 9 years though

I remember on shorter attempts how lightly he would tap the ball. He had such a weak looking follow through