The Hlog

All Kaeding Did Was Make Four Field Goals in the AFC Title Game With a Broken Leg

Had it been Kaeding's kicking leg, it would be a story for the ages.

Anyway, what follows is from AOL.com's Fanhouse. The text was written by that site's Michael David Smith.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/01/25/chargers-kicker-nate-kaeding-toughed-it-out-his-team-paid-the-p/

Wrote Smith: In the days since the Patriots beat the Chargers in the AFC Championship Game, there has been much debate about whether quarterback Philip Rivers hurt his team by playing on a severely injured knee, and whether running back LaDainian Tomlinson hurt his team by sitting out on a mildly injured knee.

But a third Charger played with an injury, kicker Nate Kaeding. And that injury, to his lower left leg, was apparently a much more serious injury than he was letting on. Dan Pompei reported on ESPN this morning that the injury to Kaeding's plant leg included a broken bone, but that Kaeding played despite the pain.

But then Pompei added an odd postscript to his report. He finished his discussion of Kaeding by saying, "Luckily, the Chargers were not hurt by his inability to kick the long one."

Excuse me? What game was Pompei watching? I was watching the game in which Kaeding kicked off five times, and the average length of the kickoff was less than 55 yards. I was watching the game in which the Patriots had an average starting field position of their own 34-yard line after Kaeding's five kickoffs. The Chargers were certainly hurt by Kaeding's inability to kick long kickoffs.

Yes, Kaeding made his four field goal attempts. But a kicker has two jobs, and Kaeding was incapable of doing the other one effectively. The Chargers erred by deactivating their other kicker, Dave Rayner, and that contributed to their loss.


THE HLOG'S COMMENT: Had the Chargers punched in a couple of touchdowns instead of settling for chip-shot field goals, of which Kaeding had three, Smith wouldn't have felt a need to write what he wrote. But his point is well-taken. Raymer handled the kickoffs in San Diego's regular-season finale and its playoff wins over Tennessee and Indianapolis.

Kaeding's injury came on Dec. 24 as he tried to tackle a Denver kick-returner. He was on crutches for several days afterward, but kicked in three playoff games. At the time, the Chargers only said Kaeding had a "bruised left leg." Some bruise.

The NFL is for tough guys only.
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