FanHouse AdamVinatieri

I'm one of the 10 people in the world that has yet to make a purchase on eBay, mainly because I have no use for a potato chip that looks like Jesus (that's what people sell on eBay, right?). However, if I had an extra $50,000 burning a hole in pocket, I probably would have jumped at the chance to own a piece of NFL history, as a member of the Super Bowl XXXVI champion New England Patriots recently auctioned his ring on eBay. It received no bids.

According to USA Today's NFL blog, The Huddle, the ring belonged to a player who was on all three Super Bowl-winning Patriots teams.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

I often chuckle at the amount of time people spend whining about how you can't accurately evaluate the draft immediately. We know that. We also don't know exactly who is going to do what in each season, but that doesn't stop us from giving preseason predictions or fantasy football advice. Sometimes you just have to have a little bit of intestinal fortitude and put yourself out there. The reader demand is there, so we'll provide the supply.

One of the few cases (along with teams like the Steelers and Patriots) where it's probably not a good idea to say anything bad, though, is when it comes to Bill Polian and the Colts.

The best running back on the field as the Indianapolis Colts play the San Diego Chargers today in the AFC wild card playoffs isn't Joseph Addai, and it isn't LaDainian Tomlinson. It's Darren Sproles, whose touchdown with 42 seconds left in the first half gave the Chargers a 14-10 lead at halftime.

Sproles has seven carries for 38 yards in the half and has looked as speedy and elusive as ever in relief of Tomlinson, who managed five carries for 25 yards but has been sidelined for most of the half with a groin injury. When the Colts had the ball, Addai has been largely held in check, although he did score the Colts' touchdown.

Replay reviews played a key role in the first half. Colts coach Tony Dungy burned a challenge when the officials had correctly ruled that a Colts pass was incomplete, and then failed to challenge when the officials incorrectly ruled that a Chargers pass was complete. And with less than a minute to go before halftime, the officials ruled on the field -- and then upheld on review -- that Colts return man Chad Simpson was down before fumbling, on a play where the replay angles weren't definitive enough to overrule whatever had been called on the field.

Other keys to the first half: Chargers punter Mike Scifres has been incredible, drilling all four of his punts inside the 20-yard line, with an average distance of 55 yards. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri split the uprights on a 43-yard field goal. And Anthony Gonzalez has emerged as Peyton Manning's favorite receiver, with six catches for 97 yards.

Stay on top of all the postseason action with FanHouse's NFL playoff coverage.

Considering they reside in two different divisions, the Colts and Chargers are quite the familiar foes. Last season the Chargers won a regular season game against Indy when Adam Vinatieri shanked what should have been a gimme game-winner, and then the Chargers went into Indianapolis and shocked the Colts in the playoffs. This season, the Colts went into San Diego and knocked the Chargers to an extremely disappointing 4-7 -- this time on the strength of a clutch Vinatieri kick. At the time, you would have been crazy to think the Colts would have to travel out there again this season.

Instead, the Chargers come into the playoffs winning four straight, and -- by virtue of an embarrassing division -- get the pleasure of hosting a team which holds a four game lead and head-to-head victory in the W column. I'm sure arguments can be made about whether or not this is "fair," but life ain't fair.

You can bet Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy aren't bringing their Colts into San Diego feeling sorry for themselves. If anything, this will light a fire under their bellies.

Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson kicked a 51-yard field goal in today's game at Indianapolis, making him the all-time leader in 50-yard field goals, with 41 in his career.

The previous record of 40 was held by Morten Andersen.

Hanson is in his 17th NFL season, all with the Lions, and he's having one of his best years -- even as his team is having one of the worst years in NFL history. He's 7-for-7 this season on field goals of 50 yards or longer.

Unfortunately for Hanson, kickers are usually noticed only when they kick game-winning field goals, and the Lions haven't been a good enough team for Hanson to kick many game-winners. That makes Hanson the polar opposite of the other kicker in today's game at Indianapolis, Adam Vinatieri, a mediocre kicker who will get into the Hall of Fame some day because he's been lucky enough to play on good teams.

Hanson won't get a bust in Canton, but he will get his name in the record books.

It's playoff time! FanHouse fantasy positional rankings are compiled in order to provide answers to lineup questions. These are assuming most leagues use Fleaflicker's standard scoring structure. If you need clarification, you need more players ranked, or have funky league rules, feel free to shoot us an email question.

The Detroit Lions are so sad at this point it's almost not even funny. Still, in fantasy football you can't let emotions get in the way -- plus, I did say it was "almost" not funny. Either way, the Lions allow almost 10 fantasy points per game to opposing kickers.

Enter Adam Vinatieri, whose Colts get the pleasure of facing the Lions at home this weekend. The only fear is that the Lions give up only touchdowns and no field goals, but the defense showed enough fire against the Vikings for me to believe they can hold the Colts to a field goal twice. That's all Vinatieri needs to reach double-digits.

More notes after the rankings.

1. Adam Vinatieri, vs. DET
2. Rob Bironas, at HOU
3. John Carney, at DAL
4. Stephen Gostkowski, at OAK
5. Nate Kaeding, at KC

FanHouse fantasy positional rankings are compiled weekly by the staff in order to provide answers to possible lineup questions. These are assuming most leagues use Fleaflicker's standard scoring structure. If you need clarification, you need more players ranked, or have funky league rules, feel free to shoot us an email question.

The Houston Texans defense looked pretty solid against the hapless Jags at home Monday night. Unfortunately they'll get to travel up to Green Bay on short rest this week. The Packers should move the ball with ease in Lambeau, but let's hope the Texans defense can mount a few red zone stops. I think they can. Mason Crosby is the top kicker this week.

More notes after the rankings.

1. Mason Crosby, vs. HOU
2. Jason Elam, at NO
3. Stephen Gostkowski, at SEA
4. Ryan Longwell, at DET
5. Rob Bironas, vs. CLE

I'm often annoyed by how much some coaches are hailed as geniuses in the media. The overwhelming majority of coaches at the NFL level know the game inside and out and rarely could be out-done by an ordinary Joe at home ("Joe the Football Coach?!!?!?"). By the same token, are we really supposed to believe Bill Belichick has so much more aptitude at his profession than every other peer that he never makes mistakes?

Whatever your opinion on that discussion, he showed his mortality as a football coach tonight.

Consider:

- Early in the second half, the Colts defense ran a man off the field. It was pretty clear to everyone watching they only ended up with 10 on the field, yet Belichick still decided to challenge the play. Obviously, the officials correctly upheld their initial call -- they are my boys, after all -- and the Patriots were charged a timeout. Matt Cassel had to use their second shortly thereafter because the team wasn't properly prepared for the play.

- Trailing by three points with 11:38 left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots lined up for an offensive play on fourth and one from the Indy seven yard line. Just as whistles were heard in the distance the Pats snapped the ball and appeared to easily gain the first down. Belichick had changed his mind on the play-call and decided to take a timeout and kick the field goal. His last timeout, mind you.

So, yeah, that stuff about Adam Vinatieri being the worst kicker in the NFL? I may have overstated that just a tad.

As it turns out, Vinatieri is still capable of making big kicks at big moments. Today in Minnesota, with the Colts and Vikings tied 15-15, Vinatieri drilled a 47-yard field goal with three seconds left to give the Colts an 18-15 win. It was a huge, money kick that split the uprights and would have been good from well over 50 yards.

So what got into Vinatieri? I could write a long essay about why the media's love affair with Vinatieri represents everything that's wrong with the idea of "clutch" players, but for now, let's just say I ripped Vinatieri, and a few minutes later he made me look foolish. Congratulations, Adam.

One of these days, the TV announcers will realize what anyone who has watched the Indianapolis Colts in the last couple of years already knows: Adam Vinatieri is a terrible kicker.

Yes, yes, I know, he's "clutch" because he made a few big field goals in big games when he played for the Patriots. But Vinatieri doesn't make big field goals nearly as often as he misses short field goals.

With the Colts trailing the Minnesota Vikings 15-7 in the fourth quarter at the Metrodome, Vinatieri took the field for a 30-yard field goal. He missed, wide right.

Does that surprise you? It shouldn't. Vinatieri ranked 28th in the NFL last year in field goal accuracy, including a pathetic 0-for-2 from beyond 39 yards. (Vinatieri also has one of the weakest legs in the league on kickoffs.)

The miss did surprise CBS announcers Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf, who apparently haven't watched much football lately and were under the impression that Vinatieri is good. He isn't.

UPDATE: Vinatieri makes me look stupid. Which isn't hard to do.