Lindell = Scapegoat

[Mr. Miyagi]

I just don't understand why we are calling for Lindell's head. He missed one field goal. Seems like everyone is frustrated about our loss to a fluke play and all collectively decided that Lindell is the easiest person to be made a scapegoat. Let's all point that finger to the kicker.

He didn't single-handedly lose the game for us. He didn't botch a game winning field goal with no time left on the clock. John Carney did that last season with New Orleans and still nobody called for his head.

We lost the game as a team. Drew could've passed that ball to Sheldon. Clemens could've batted the ball down to Jimmy Smith. Reese, Wire and Spikes could've batted that ball down from the winning TD. Hell, Mularkey could've called the run on that 3rd and goal at the one play. But no one is calling to fire those guys.

Let's just leave our kicker alone and move on.

[Patrick76777]

I just don't understand why we are calling for Lindell's head. He missed one field goal. Seems like everyone is frustrated about our loss to a fluke play and all collectively decided that Lindell is the easiest person to be made a scapegoat. Let's all point that finger to the kicker.

He didn't single-handedly lose the game for us. He didn't botch a game winning field goal with no time left on the clock. John Carney did that last season with New Orleans and still nobody called for his head.

We lost the game as a team. Drew could've passed that ball to Sheldon. Clemens could've batted the ball down to Jimmy Smith. Reese, Wire and Spikes could've batted that ball down from the winning TD. Hell, Mularkey could've called the run on that 3rd and goal at the one play. But no one is calling to fire those guys.

Let's just leave our kicker alone and move on.


Last year and 1st game this year

3 of 8 between 40 and 49 yards

3 of 10 40+

[LtBillsFan66]

He sucked last year too. He's a lousy kicker.

[lordofgun]

Read my tracker! That's all you need to know!

[Ebenezer]

I just don't understand why we are calling for Lindell's head. He missed one field goal. Seems like everyone is frustrated about our loss to a fluke play and all collectively decided that Lindell is the easiest person to be made a scapegoat. Let's all point that finger to the kicker.

He didn't single-handedly lose the game for us. He didn't botch a game winning field goal with no time left on the clock. John Carney did that last season with New Orleans and still nobody called for his head.

We lost the game as a team. Drew could've passed that ball to Sheldon. Clemens could've batted the ball down to Jimmy Smith. Reese, Wire and Spikes could've batted that ball down from the winning TD. Hell, Mularkey could've called the run on that 3rd and goal at the one play. But no one is calling to fire those guys.

Let's just leave our kicker alone and move on.
when you start making decisions to punt from the 35 based on your kickers ability to hit a 50 yarder then you have little confidence in the kicker...I have a feeling that this will not be the first time this happens this year...

[Mr. Miyagi]

when you start making decisions to punt from the 35 based on your kickers ability to hit a 50 yarder then you have little confidence in the kicker...I have a feeling that this will not be the first time this happens this year...
I'm not saying he's the best kicker in the league. Every team has a weakness. But we cannot pin the entire loss on Lindell.

[lordofgun]

I'm not saying he's the best kicker in the league.
He may very well be the WORST kicker in the league!

[LtBillsFan66]

I'm not saying he's the best kicker in the league. Every team has a weakness. But we cannot pin the entire loss on Lindell.
I don't think anyone has. That doesn't change the fact that he's garbage.

[justasportsfan]

I'm not saying he's the best kicker in the league. Every team has a weakness. But we cannot pin the entire loss on Lindell.I don't think anyone is blaming just him. He's one of the reason we lost. However, the kicking game is a very important position and if he can't make it from 41 yds........ I want Norwood back.

[Mr. Miyagi]

He may very well be the WORST kicker in the league!
Didn't you say that about Hollis a couple of years ago? I think a lot of us here were happy to have Lindell when we signed him. People were mad about Hollis' weak leg and were excited about Lindell's bigger leg.

:rolleyes: how we point fingers and call names when adversity stirkes.

[LtBillsFan66]

You can "blame" the loss on Moulds fumble too. But he gets some slack because he contributes as well. Lindell is a liability.

[lordofgun]

Didn't you say that about Hollis a couple of years ago? I think a lot of us here were happy to have Lindell when we signed him. People were mad about Hollis' weak leg and were excited about Lindell's bigger leg.

:rolleyes: how we point fingers and call names when adversity stirkes.No I didn't. I liked Hollis.

And even if I didn't like Hollis...what does that have to do with Lindell? He flat-out sucks.

[LtBillsFan66]

Didn't you say that about Hollis a couple of years ago? I think a lot of us here were happy to have Lindell when we signed him. People were mad about Hollis' weak leg and were excited about Lindell's bigger leg.

:rolleyes: how we point fingers and call names when adversity stirkes.
We've had a streak of crappy kickers. Call it the curse of the Chrisite or something...

[Patrick76777]

No I didn't. I liked Hollis.


Yeah, I thought Hollis was good.

[lordofgun]

You can "blame" the loss on Moulds fumble too. But he gets some slack because he contributes as well. Lindell is a liability.
EXCELLENT POST! That is exactly it.

[lordofgun]

Can anyone remember the last time Lindell made a clutch kick?

[Forward_Lateral]

Lindell is garbage. The guy couldn't kick a soccer ball into the ocean off a boat. I don't care if he just missed one fg, he still missed a 40 yarder, which should be automatic in the NFL. Also, if we had a good kicker, we wouldn't have punted from the 35 yard line (someone already mentioned this and it's a great point).

He's not the only one who made a mistake, but when you're only job is to kick freakin fg's, it's hard to feel sorry for you, especially when you miss a relatively easy one.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Can anyone remember the last time Lindell made a clutch kick?
http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=12976&highlight=Hollis

[lordofgun]

http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=12976&highlight=Hollis
I don't care what he did in Seattle. He sucks now.

[Fat Tony]

http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=12976&highlight=Hollis



For thre Bills?

[Mr. Miyagi]

I don't care what he did in Seattle. He sucks now.
Just to remind ourselves how excited we were when we signed him. All the good things to say back then, and now he's garbage. All that happened in 1 year.

I for one am willing to stick it out with our kicker.

[chernobylwraiths]

Just to remind ourselves how excited we were when we signed him. All the good things to say back then, and now he's garbage. All that happened in 1 year.

I for one am willing to stick it out with our kicker.

I am as well, especially since there really isn't anyone else out there right now.

[finsrclowns]

I just don't understand why we are calling for Lindell's head. He missed one field goal. Seems like everyone is frustrated about our loss to a fluke play and all collectively decided that Lindell is the easiest person to be made a scapegoat. Let's all point that finger to the kicker.

He didn't single-handedly lose the game for us. He didn't botch a game winning field goal with no time left on the clock. John Carney did that last season with New Orleans and still nobody called for his head.

We lost the game as a team. Drew could've passed that ball to Sheldon. Clemens could've batted the ball down to Jimmy Smith. Reese, Wire and Spikes could've batted that ball down from the winning TD. Hell, Mularkey could've called the run on that 3rd and goal at the one play. But no one is calling to fire those guys.

Let's just leave our kicker alone and move on.

1) When we got Lindell the first thing I did was look him up on kickoffs. At the time Hollis was 27th in the league in KO distance. Know who was 28th the year before in Seattle? Lindell. Lindell is twice Hollis' size but he has a marginally stronger leg. They said on TV yesterday he was good from 51 yards in warmups. Their guy made one from 58, just as a comparison.

2) Not everyone can kick in Buffalo. It's windy, the fans are demanding, it's cold. Lindell came from a dome and his numbers still sucked. I don't know why anyone is surprised he sucks here even worse.

3) This isn't the 60's where kickers kicked straight ahead and a 41 yarder made was cause for celebration. Kickers in the NFL have gotten very, very accurate and keep getting better and better, except in Buffalo. A 41 yarder with a perfect hold in perfect conditions should be made better than 3 of 4. If this was the one in four for Lindell the grumbling wouldn't be so bad- but it isn't. I for one have seen enough.

and BTW, Sheldon was covered on that 3rd and 1 and I would've cut Carney too, great career or no, he choked away their season.

[FTG]

I am as well, especially since there really isn't anyone else out there right now.You're right. We are stuck with him. There is nothing better in the FA market. Does not mean we have to be happy about it and pretend he is a good kicker like some of the homers are saying . This will not be the last time Lindell misses a very makeable FG that is the differance in the game. It sucks and we have a right to be mad about it!

[finsrclowns]

You're right. We are stuck with him. There is nothing better in the FA market. Does not mean we have to be happy about it and pretend he is a good kicker like some of the homers are saying . This will not be the last time Lindell misses a very makeable FG that is the differance in the game. It sucks and we have a right to be mad about it!

Is George Blanda available? :loser:

[HenryRules]

I don't think we punted because of a lack of faith in Lindell ... I think we punted because of faith in our D and our punter.

That punt should have been downed around the 10 and then we've given our D about 65 yards to work with to stop the Jags from getting a field goal in 2 mins. If our D is as good as they claim (and I've often said they aren't), I think this is the call to make.

[Bill Brasky]

I think the reason people are pissed is because whenever the Bills seem to be in a close game he misses a FG that the team really needs.

Last year vs. Indy he missed a FG that would have had us in a tie. He missed TWO FG's when we lost by 2 points against Houston -- at home -- and then yesterday when we really needed a FG. He has never hit a FG for this team when we really needed one in a close game, but he has shown that he can certainly miss.

Look at his numbers. In the past three seasons he's a combined 1-6 past 50 yards, and the last 2 seasons with Buffalo he's 3-8 between 40-49 yards. Thats 4-14 IN LONG YARDAGE!!!!! Basically he can make extra points and that's it. The difference between him and a guy like John Carney is that Carney throughout his career has made clutch FG's whereas Lindell has yet to make one.

The way this offense is we need a guy that can nail some long distance FG's all the time, not miss all the time.