When a team’s kicker goes down there is usually a little panic as to who they can find as a replacement. Sure knocking down the extra points is no real challenge, but if your team loses a guy who can easily put away field goals in the low 50s, then you might have a problem.
But when the Giants lost Lawrence Tynes before the season, I wasn’t really worried. Sure, I would have been worried if they brought in say Jay Feely, but when I heard John Carney would be a Giant I was relieved, given his track record and consistency.
Tynes was ok in 2007. Most people will remember him sending the Giants to the Super Bowl with the field goal in OT at Lambeau, but had the Packers gone on to win a game they didn’t deserve to win, Tynes might be unemployed for the two he missed.
Now Lawrence Tynes is a solid NFL kicker, but the question I ask is: who would you rather have Tynes or the 44-year old Carney?
Carney has yet to miss either a field goal or extra point this season and there is just sense of confidence when he lines up for a field goal attempt then when Tynes went out to try to put three points on the board. Not to mention that Carney first played in the league in 1988 and has a ridiculous amount of experience.
Through three games this season Carney is a perfect in nine FG attempts with a long of 47 and has made all eight extra points. Carney has also been solid on kickoffs with an average kick of 63.9 yards.
In 2007, between the regular season and playoffs, Lawrence Tynes made 28 of 34 FGs (82%) with a long of 48, which he hit three times. A pretty solid season for Tynes got him a five-year, $7 million deal with the Giants that he signed a week after the Super Bowl.
No player should ever lose their job to injury and therefore it is hard to say that Carney should keep the job once Tynes is ready to play. But at the same time, is it that easy for Tom Coughlin to take the job away from Carney who has been perfect in three weeks while the Giants have gone 3-0?
Carney was the kicker in left the Saints because of their acquisition of kicker Olindo Mare. Then Carney was signed by the Jaguars when Josh Scobee was injured. But once Scobee returned, Carney was cut. After leaving Jacksonville, Carney signed with Kansas City to replace Dave Rayner. So as it is in the world of kickers, Carney will most likely be released once Tynes returns to the team. But, there is a chance the Giants will keep him around in the event that Tynes is reinjured.
I am sure when it comes down to it, the Giants will give the job to man they owe $7 million to, but as long as Carney goes out there and puts points up, he is going to make it one hard decision for Coughlin when the time comes to choose.