INDIANAPOLIS – Since Week Three of the 2015 season, the NFL has seen 182 missed field goal attempts.
More than 40 kickers have played in NFL games during that span, and they've combined to misfire on 182 attempts.
Adam Vinatieri has played in 19 games over that time period.
Vinatieri hasn't missed one time.
38-for-38.
At the age of 43, Vinatieri is just five more makes away from breaking the NFL record for most consecutive field goals made.
And it's not like Vinatieri's run over the past year has included a bunch of chip shots.
Of the 38 straight makes for Vinatieri, 22 have been from at least 40 yards.
"He's the most competitive human to ever walk this earth," holder Pat McAfee says of the man he lauds for influencing his own NFL career. "And I understand that sounds like an oversell. We are in a world of oversells. Everything is breaking news. Everything is incredible. Everything is the best of all time. But with Adam Vinatieri, you are talking about literally the greatest of all time.
"I believe he's the most competitive person in the history of the world. Every single thing with him is a competition to him. And he handles it with class. He's not the obnoxious competitive person. But every single kick to him is a chance to make his team better, but also to improve himself. Every single kick he wants to prove that he's the best kicker ever."
Here's a closer look at just how historic Vinatieri's current run has been:
- Vinatieri has made 38 straight field goals, The next longest active streak is Ravens kicker Justin Tucker at 18 straight makes.
- Currently, Vinatieri's streak of 38 in a row is the third longest in NFL history. Gary Anderson at 40 and Mike Vanderjagt at 42 are the only kickers standing in Vinatieri's way from the top of the NFL record book.
- Since 2014, Vinatieri has made 68-of-71 field goals (95.8%). The Giants' Josh Brown is second at a 92.6 percent clip.
- From 1999 to 2007, Vinatieri made four field goals of at least 50 yards. He has made five field goals of at least 50 yards just this year.
- Vinatieri has made nine straight field goals from at least 50 yards, a franchise record.
